Mariah Ankenman

Q: There are so many possible avenues to take. Why write?

A: Because the voices in my head won’t shut up if I don’t get them down on paper.

Q: Similarly, why pursue being an indie author? What is your goal?

A: I’m hybrid so I do trad and indie. The freedom of control with indie is great. Being able to put your book on sale or for free whenever you want is amazing. My goal is to bring joy and hope to peoples lives with my stories.

Q: What do you do to hone your craft?

A: Take writing workshops, read books on writing, attend writing conferences.

Q: What tricks do you use to get out of writer’s block?

A: I’m a heavy plotter so that helps eliminate most of writer's block, but also getting into nature when I’m stuck helps me a lot.

Q: Would you mind telling us about your writing process?

A: I start with a W plot, then outline each scene of the book, then write a chapter a day (skipping the weekends). Once the book is done I do a self edit before sending it off to my editor.

Q: Do you have any other writing “hacks” that other writers might benefit from?

A: Everyone is different so no hack will work for every person, but I highly recommend the W Plot method. It was a game changer for me.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?

A: Everywhere. Dreams, people watching, movies, inspiration is all around.

Q: Would you like to share anything about your current work in progress?

A: I’m currently working on a few different stories, but the one coming out in May -Head Over Heels In Love- is particularly fun because the heroine is an aerialist and bottlewalker, like me.

Q: Do you consider yourself a minority? If so, would you be willing to share the ways in which you are?

A: I consider myself part of a few marginalized communities. I’m a pansexual, neurodivergent, disabled woman. I do recognize my privilege as a white woman married to a cis man so I do my best to speak up and use my privilege to bring awareness to the queer community, the neurodivergent community, and the disabled community. 

Q: Does this impact what you write about? If so, why and how?

A: Yes. No matter how many people complain about my characters not being “cured by love” in the end of my books, that will never happen. Reading can be an escape, but not erasure. My disabled characters find love just as they are. That is the point. Acceptance is what we need, not erasure.

Q: What do you wish you found more of in books today? Why?

A: I find that whenever I want more of something in a book all I have to do is look hard enough and I’ll find it. It’s out there, someone is writing it, I just need to look past the popular books and dig deep to find what I’m looking for.

Q: What does representation in literature mean to you? Is it important to you? How so?

A: To mean it means stories that help people feel seen or help others see what life is like for people different from them. I think representation in literature provides education and empathy that we desperately need.

Q: How do you think representation in literature affects culture? Does it?

A: I think it helps people understand the world around them (hopefully) and it can open our eyes to things we never considered before. It can make us better people if we let it.

Q: Does representation play a role in what or how you write? Please talk about why or why not.

A: Yes. I write characters like me and my friends. Those who struggle with personal health, mental health. I give us the happy endings we deserve.

Q: What advice would you give to new writers?

A: Keep writing. Remember why you started writing in the first place. Somebody out there needs your story.

Q: What do you wish someone had told you when you were finding your path?

A: It’s okay to fail. This is a rollercoaster not a ladder. There’s ups and downs and that will never stop. Enjoy the highs and learn from the lows.

Q: Do you have any work already out there that you would like to talk about? If so, please tell us about the project, why you wrote it, and what you hope readers will take from it.

A: My upcoming release Can’t Help Falling In Love features a heroine in her 30’s with undiagnosed ADHD. I was in my 40’s when I got my autism diagnosis and so many things about my childhood and the way people treated me became clear. This book is my love letter to every woman who was dismissed as being neurodivergent because she was a girl and “girls don”t have ADHD/Autism.” We were labeled, annoying, weird, bossy, problematic when in reality we were neurodivergent and not getting the help we needed. Charlie is for all those little girls inside us who were told we were broken. We’re not. The system is.

Q: Where can readers find your work? Please share links and pertinent information.

A: You can find links to all my book on my website: http://mariahankenman.com/ 

Q: What would you like to share or say to the Underground Bookshelf audience that hasn’t already been brought up?

A: Read diverse books all year round!

Q: Thank you for sharing your thoughts, today. Any final words?

A: Happy reading everyone!

About the Author

Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books.

To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website, http://mariahankenman.com/, or follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.

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