We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Kaplan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

For as long as I can remember I’ve created stories, pictures, and sculptures. I was hooked when I won a prize for illustrating a story in first grade. Then in middle school, the art teacher saw my aluminum foil sculptures and convinced me to take art. My creative path was chosen.

Through all of this, stories continued to spin through my mind and keep me up at night as I rewrote scenes multiple times. Translating to the written word was entirely different, and I often felt frustrated and stifled. All those wonderful speeches in my head wouldn’t transfer to the written word. My ‘artistic’ handwriting and ‘creative’ spelling got in the way. For some reason, my teachers just didn’t appreciate that kind of creativity. Instead, my stories became the subjects for paintings and sculptures.

It wasn’t until college that I finally gained the confidence (and an introduction to computers) to write creatively. Finally, I could get all my ideas out, not just the still pictures I used in my art. The images I saw in my mind finally gained a literary narrative and eventually dialogue.

I continued to write while I earned my MFA in Sculpture, a degree my husband affectionally calls a degree in unemployability. The rest is history.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After six exhausting years teaching art, I left that field to stay home with my two little girls. Not long after, the novel I had begun many years ago and put aside began calling to me. More specifically, the characters began rattling around in my mind again demanding to be heard. With my ‘wonderful’ novel in tow and no knowledge of the industry, I attended my first writing conference to pitch my book. It was eye opening.

I joined the Maryland Writers’ Association, found a critique group, and began my real literary education. While that first saga (over 400 words) got shelved, my writing skills grew and Star Touched was born. It was published in October of 2017. A year earlier, a couple short stories and poems were published. I earned enough in royalties to earn membership in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writes Association. Presently, I am working on a YA fantasy.

About the Maryland Writers’ Association: I eventually became an officer in my local chapter, then moved up to the state board. I am now finishing my second term as MWA President. It’s been a wonderful experience.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Getting stories out of my head is only part of what I love about creating. I also enjoy sharing my vision. Making someone smile or think. I have a lot to say and didn’t even realize I had woven a message into Star Touched until it was picked up by the publisher. My hope is that people will read my book ang gain the courage to Be Who They Are.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had several pivots in my career. The first was studio art. After grad school I realized that the gallery scene wasn’t what I had imagined and I lost interest in its political nature. It didn’t help that neither my undergrad nor grad school offered classes in business management or how to promote or sell my art.

No problem, I’d wanted to teach for years. Back I went to school to get art education certification. After one long term sub position, I was hired by Anne Arundel Public Schools. Working at Chesapeake High school was wonderful. The only downside was that I was the newest of six teachers and got excessed every year. At least I got to teach piano for a semester. (Finally used all those years of music lessons growing up: piano, trumpet, clarinet, drums, guitar.)

Then they decided to start the day 30 minutes earlier. That might not seem like much, but I was already getting up at 5:30 AM to get to school on time. My eldest was in daycare and number two was on the way. I took a transfer to an elementary school closer to home with a later start time. The next three years weren’t as enjoyable. That’s when I chose to stay home with the girls. After all, my salary was just going to daycare.

I reconnected with my writing not long after and when full throttle forward. (Although, I did work for Toby’s Dinner theatre during that time as their props manager. I guess that degree in unemployability came in handy after all.)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alkaplanauthor.com
• Instagram: @alkaplanauthor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorA.L.Kaplan
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-kaplan-81073135/
• Twitter: @alkaplanauthor
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/alkaplanauthor.bsky.social
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