Meet A.M. Todd

We were lucky to catch up with A.M. Todd recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi A.M., thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

Writer’s block definitely slows me down from time to time. Usually it happens because I am stuck developing a complex plot and tying everything together, or I’m just out of ideas on a particular topic. At these moments, the best way I have found to move forward is by engaging with my community. I explain my problem to other writers in my community, and we have discussions to generate ideas. Joint collaboration with other writers has been crucial for my work as a writer. It’s important to stay connected to peers and build a network of professionals who will all support one another.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am an author of science fiction, detective fiction, historical fiction, and realist fiction. As a multi-genre writer, I’m always interested in challenging genre boundaries, including genre mixing (e.g. a science fiction detective book), and breaking down perceived boundaries between “literary” and “genre” fiction. I want to show that genre fiction, such as crime fiction, science fiction, or romance, can be just as literary as those works traditionally defined as “literary.”

My first book, City of Sensors, was a science fiction detective novel that came out in 2022. It can be found in Indigo and on Amazon.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Read in your genre. In whichever genre you’ve chosen, read as many books as you can, especially recent ones. This will help you pitch your book by providing comparable titles, and it will also be essential for learning the characteristics of your genre and how experts have written in it.

2. Try to avoid perfectionism. When starting out I wanted all of my writing to be perfect, and that made it difficult to receive feedback. Not even the best books are completely perfect, so it’s an exhausting goal to aspire to.

3. Focus on community. It’s hard to write in isolation. Peers can help by providing feedback on your work, support for book launches and events, and moral support in the tough journey of becoming a writer. Don’t forget to also support your peers in return in the same ways.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

A challenging obstacle for many writers, including myself, is finding time to write while also managing another job that is often full time. Monday to Friday are typically dedicated to my full-time job, so where can I find the time or energy to write?

Breaking down the writing into small chunks has been helpful so far. For example, I could plan to do just one twenty-minute session each day before or after work on weekdays, and one three-hour session on the weekend. If goals are manageable, it makes it less daunting to approach them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amtoddauthor.com/
• Instagram: @Todd_A_M_Writes