Erin Danehy has recently signed with agent Kate Schafer of Testerman KT Literary. Erin, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations and good luck.



QueryTracker: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you’ve found representation? What inspired you to write it?

Erin Danehy: It's young adult fantasy with a female protagonist set in a diverse city that isn't in our world. (I could be more vague, couldn't I?) I wanted to write a fantasy set in a city, with bridges and trains and skyscrapers and streetlights -- but I also wanted a world that didn't exist. I love high fantasy (fantasy that takes place entirely in a secondary world) but so much of the high fantasy I've seen/read lately involves a medieval or all-too-familiar kind of world. I was in the mood to read something different, so I wrote what I wished I could find on the shelf at the bookstore.



QT: How long have you been writing?

ED: I don't remember a time when I wasn't either telling stories to anyone who would listen or writing them down. I didn't start sharing my writing with anyone, however, until I started attending writing workshops.



QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

ED: I've never wanted to give up. I am a writer, whether I get paid for it or not. I wouldn't have had the courage to send my novel out without the support of my family, friends, and beta readers. The first (or second) thing anyone learns about me is that I write novels, and anyone who knows the littlest bit about the publishing industry knows how hard it is to get representation and be published. I've always been surrounded by support, compassion, and enthusiasm and knowing I have so many willing readers of my future published work always keeps me on track!



QT: Is this your first book?

ED: It's not the first book I've written but it's the first book I've queried.



QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

ED: I knew I wanted to be a novelist from a young age and rather than assuming I knew what I was doing, I sought out writing workshops as early as I could. I attended my first writer's workshop at a Columbia University summer program for high school students and followed that with an undergraduate writing workshop at Yale (also as a high school student). After those, I searched for a college program with a focus in writing training rather than simply an English lit program (though I wanted one of those too). I graduated with college and university honors from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. I've been writing, revising, and learning as much as I can about the industry since.



QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

ED: I write, edit, or read every day. When I am actively writing or revising, it's hard to pull me away from the computer for regular meals and social activity.



QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

ED: Absolutely. Without other eyes, I have no idea if my characters' jokes are funny or if any of my plot logic makes sense.



QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

ED: A combination. I have plot goals, plot points, I know I need to hit at certain intervals along my outline, but the exact details are usually blurry until I've got a first draft down on the page. Once I know who my characters are (usually by the end of the first draft), the actual writing/revising of the book becomes a lot easier.



QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

ED: There's so much advice out there already! Regarding querying, I think it's crucially important for every querier to be polite, professional, and patient. Querying is like interviewing for a job. Although it's a letter, often sent via email, it (and all correspondence) should be as crisp and professional as you would make the cover letter of your resume or how you would present yourself at a job interview.

And it probably goes without saying that optimism and perseverance are essential, especially in regards to agents and queries. Even when I was getting rejections I was also getting requests, so I kept focusing on the positive and it helped pull me through!