Meet Amy Tintera: Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Tintera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by other writers! I’m certainly inspired by other authors, but also by writers in other mediums, like television or film or playwrights. I love to see how other authors approach story and character. Seeing another writer execute an old trope can be both inspiring and a lot of fun.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I began writing novels at a really young age. I was around ten or eleven when I wrote my first book, and I had six novels finished by the time I graduated high school. But, during college and grad school, I didn’t finish writing a single book! That was partly because I was busy, but I also wasn’t sure where my work would fit in traditional book publishing. I have a commercial voice, and most of what we read in high school and college is very literary. A lot of those books killed my love of reading, and with it my love of writing.

But when young adult books exploded after Twilight, I read some of them, and found a ton of interesting work being done in that space. I wrote my own, and sent query letters to 75 different literary agents. All of them said no! So, I wrote a new book. This is one of the most important lessons when trying to get published — you’re going to write a lot of books that don’t sell, or don’t get you an agent. You just have to accept and move on to the next book.

Which is exactly what I did! I wrote the next book, queried 50 literary agents, and actually got one that time around! She sold my book to HarperCollins. I’ve published seven books since 2013, with two more on the way. But I still write books that don’t work out — including the six books I wrote when I was younger, I have 14 shelved novels. Six of those were written after I got an agent! Always moving on to the next book is key, even after you’re published.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve just moved back to L.A. after being in Austin for five years, so I’m still getting reacquainted with the city! But I would definitely take them down to the Santa Monica pier, and maybe take a walk or bike ride down to Venice. A day at the beach is always a good time in LA — I’d love to find a great patio to just sit and have a drink or snack.

I’ve always lived in the valley, and I really like my neighborhood in the Noho Arts District, so I’d probably spend some time there, drop by Republic of Pie, have a beer and burger at District Pub. I also like just walking the Chandler bike path, especially the section with street art.

And as a former Austinite, I’d definitely head downtown to the Alamo Drafthouse! Movies are always more fun with a little beer and loaded fries!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The young adult book community is hugely supportive of other writers — whether you’re published or not! When I first started writing with the goal of being published, I found a lot of support on Twitter and in other online spaces where YA writers were trading advice and helping each other out. And after I got my first book deal, there was a big network of other authors who helped me navigate the stress of my debut novel.

Website: https://www.amytintera.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amytintera/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amytintera