New author Interview with E. S. Birkhall

How did you become a writer? I've been writing for as long as I can remember. As a kid I loved writing little holiday short stories about me and my friends (going Christmas shopping, being attacked by ghouls at Halloween, you name it), using the old method of middle name + street name for the character names. I didn't think anything of my writing abilities until I wrote a short story in grade school, and my teacher said he passed it to his wife (a high school English teacher) to read and she loved it. From then on I took writing more seriously, expanding from real-world to fantasy worlds that I would dream up.

What inspires you to write? Music! I love Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, Florence and the Machine, Hozier, and more. Whenever I am in the drafting phase, I lay down, listen to music, and let my brain wander.

How do you develop your plot and characters? The characters themselves pop into my head randomly, and it takes time to explore their world and the conflicts they face. I usually imagine a specific scene while listening to music and zoom out from there.

Could you share some of your challenges as a writer? I spent a long time thinking that I couldn't be a writer because I wasn't able to write the way some of my favorite authors did, who all happened to be "pantsers". I am a plotter, and it took me a long, long time to accept that. I need a detailed outline before I start to write. 

Tell me about your protagonist. What's your favorite trait and/or weakness? Adriel is a librarian/archivist/historian, because she's immortal and has all of the time in the world to collect degrees and study anything she wants. Basically, she has my dream job. I love her stubbornness; she lives in a world that deems her weak because she may not be magically powerful, but she knows her intelligence and her heart more than make up for that and doesn't care what anyone else has to say. 

How does your antagonist create conflict? Other than by being supremely evil, I would say by seeding doubt in the anti-hero/Adriel's love interest. He is a master manipulator. He makes the two leads doubt themselves and their ability to affect change.

What are your current/future projects? My current project is a romantasy duology that I am still as obsessed with as I was the day I finished writing, almost 3 years ago now. In the future, I would love to explore that world more with spin-off stories. I write books I'd love to read, so maybe someday I will write a sports romance, but right now fantasy worlds are easier for me to write in.

Do you have a routine you follow when writing? Not really. I work fulltime and recently finished a Master's program, so I am used to writing in small bits of free time. I put on headphones and settle in to write.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be? Attend online conferences sooner! Agent and peer feedback completely changed my query package for the better. I queried so many agents with subpar materials before I knew better.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Keep going! I was about a month from shelving my project when Shania reached out. Attend conferences (when financially able), join a writer group, find online programs (Orange County Library System has some of my favorites).

* What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you? X (@emmelimee) or BlueSky (@emmelinesb.bsky.social), Instagram (@esbirkhallwrites)