I was lucky to get an interview with Emma L. Adams, the author of Death’s Disciple, and a semifinalist in this year’s #SPFBO9.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I live in the middle of England in an apartment containing a small mountain of books, a collection of ornamental dragons, and a few slightly neglected cacti. When I’m not immersed in all things fantasy, I occasionally leave my lair to travel to far-flung places and complain about being stuck in airports. Otherwise, my happy place is in a comfy chair with my nose in a book.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
Death’s Disciple is character-driven dark epic fantasy with action and intrigue, dark magic and high stakes, morally grey characters, and giant war dragons. If you like any of those things, I hope you’ll enjoy the book! As for the plot: Yala, the protagonist, is a retired flight squad captain who used to lead a group of dragon-riding warriors into battle for her nation before a simple mission went horribly wrong and ended in the monarch’s mysterious death. Several years later, she receives a series of unwanted visitors to her jungle cabin that lead to her being unceremoniously dragged out of retirement to protect her surviving fellow squad members from a threat linked to the god of death Himself.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I’ve pretty much written for my whole life. Even before I could hold a pen, I was telling myself stories and creating elaborate backstories for my teddy bears. I was a strange child who preferred books to people, and it seemed inevitable that eventually I’d figure out that I wanted to write for a living.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
This is my second year participating in SPFBO. I became aware of the contest midway through 2021 and decided to enter with my first epic fantasy novel, The Lost Sentinel. I was cut in the first round last year, like the majority of other entrants, but I had such a positive experience that I made sure to pencil the contest into my schedule for this year, too.

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
Fantasy is my favourite genre to read, so there was never a question that that was what I was going to end up writing. I do like to explore different subgenres and I’ve written everything from urban fantasy to world-hopping sci-fi fantasy, but for me, the most fun part of the writing process is the worldbuilding, so I’d find it incredibly difficult to write a book without some kind of magic or speculative element.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
Diana Wynne Jones, without a doubt. I first imprinted on her books around the age of 9 or 10, which was also the age that I decided I wanted to write for a living. I can trace my love of creating fantastical worlds back to the hours I spent immersed in her creative and quirky stories.

If you were to win the SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?
I’d like to think that it would have a positive impact on my book sales, but the part of the contest that has been the most valuable so far is the ability to connect with other writers and bloggers in the SFF community. Winning the contest would be a bonus, but I’m more than happy with my experience no matter how it turns out.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
With this particular book, the main challenge I faced was getting in my own way. The story was more complex and challenging than anything I’d written before, so I had several phases of doubt over whether it was working, and the process took a lot longer as a result. Death’s Disciple was a passion project, but I find I tend to place high expectations on everything I write and compare to my past projects. Luckily, I managed to surpass my self-doubt and sent the book to my amazing editor (waves at Sarah) whose enthusiasm for the book gave me the confidence boost I needed.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I love Scrivener for writing and plotting. I tend to plan big sprawling fantasy series, which can sometimes make it tricky to keep track of all the information! I have a system now involving folders for characters, worldbuilding, and plots, and it’s so much easier to organise now I’m no longer juggling a half-dozen notebooks or Word documents.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Death’s Disciple, which I’m hoping to publish later this year!

Apps that are based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGTP and Midjourney, along with apps aimed specifically at authors, have caused quite a stir. Do you expect these new technologies will make your life as a self-published author easier or harder, and do you expect that they’ll mean you’ll earn more or less?
I have no interest in using AI tools, but it’s already starting to seep into every aspect of the industry. From software announcing AI integrations to publishers and distributors sneaking AI-related clauses into contracts, it’s fast becoming something that authors will have to become wise to and watch out for. Unfortunately, many companies using and pushing AI don’t have creatives’ best interests in mind, and I personally don’t feel comfortable using AI art tools that have been trained on other artists’ work without their consent or feeding my work into a generator to help with plotting. It’s hard to see what the future holds as the technology is developing at a rapid pace, but my own work will remain 100% human generated. Hopefully readers will still be looking for that!

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
One non-writing goal I have is that I’d like to travel to every continent. I just have Antarctica left on the list!

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Just that I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this interview and to participate in the contest!

That was some interesting answers. I wish you the very best in the SPFBO. I hope a lot of readers discover your writing. Thanks for doing the interview.