Inside The Indie Author: A Conversation with Amy Klco

April 2025

Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not?

Probably not, but I would if I had something to share that did not match the feel of my other works.

What is your “go-to” method for working through or around writer’s block?

You’re supposed to have a method for getting through that? Oh, that’s what I’ve been missing!

From your perspective, what are the most important elements of good writing?

For me, the most important part of a good story is believable characters. If you don’t care about the characters one way or another, you won’t care about what happens to them.

What comes first – the location, the plot, or the characters – and why?

I generally come up with the basic idea for the plot first, then the characters and finally location.

What are your least favorite and most favorite things about publishing a book?

My favorite part is seeing an idea that existed only in my head become a real, tangible book. My least favorite part is marketing that book.

What is a significant way your book changed from the first to the final draft?

A silly, small thing, but important. In one of my young reader fantasy novels, I had two merman come to land to bring their empress back to the sea. When they came on land, of course, their tails became legs. It wasn’t until my editor pointed it out that I realized I never said anything about how they were dressed. So I had two naked men come and throw the empress and the main character (a teen girl) over their shoulders. Not the image I wanted in my young reader book!

What was the inspiration for your most recent book?

Working with LGBT+ students who were not able to be themselves with their own parents.

What is a “darling” you’ve killed in a book that you’d like to resurrect in a future book?

I can’t think of any examples right now. (Maybe I’ve blocked those traumatic experiences from my mind!)

Where are your most productive writing spaces, and what elements are important about that space to keep you focused on writing.

In front of a window, so when I look up, I have something to gaze at (instead of being tempted to scroll the internet.)

If you were to give one of your side characters a novella of their own, who would it be, and why do you think they need their own story?

Vivian Velencia. She is a very strong, older, bisexual woman in my (yet to be released) novel, Sins of the Daughters who worked at the Willow Run Bomber Plant during WWII . We hear just a small tidbit of her life story in the book, but I am sure she has so much more to tell!

What risks have you taken with your writing that made the book better?

The biggest risk I take, with all my writing, is to be as open and honest as I can (even when writing non-fiction, I like to think that who I am still shines through.)

What’s the best monetary investment you’ve ever made with regard to your writing practice?

Does divorcing my kid’s father count? It was definitely a monetary investment, and it made a huge difference to my writing (in that I was actually able to do it again without fear of his criticism.)

When you first began writing, what was a common procrastination trap you encountered, and how did you overcome it?

Starting a story and not finishing it (don’t we all at first?) The bets thing I did, I think, was write my first full-length novel. It wasn’t very good, perhaps, but it did show me that yes, I could stick with something long enough to finish it. Just knowing that makes it easier the next time.

What is your writing software of choice, and what is its best feature?

Google Docs, because then beta readers can add suggestions that I can choose to accept (and not have to retype) or decline.

Do characters’ names come immediately to you? Do you add them in a final draft? Where do you find names, and how do you make a final decision about the names you’ll use?

No, not really, but I have to get them figured out fairly soon in the process, because the name does affect who the character becomes. I use baby name websites or just scroll the internet for inspiration. Often the names I use have a second meaning that brings up an image of the character’s personality (Ms. Birch, Mr. Foster, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Caine, etc.)

Tell us one of your favorite novels, and why this book is a favorite.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. There are so many layers to it and it helped me to see life on a deeper level. Plus, it is what inspired me to write my novel, It Takes a Forest.

Think of the title of a hugely popular novel. What is one major thing you would change about the book?

Maybe not a hugely popular novel, but when I read “The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert, I didn’t like the ending, so I wrote my own. (Now I just have to get to know her well enough so I can share it with her.)

What are you reading right now?

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

If you could take on the identity of a character in one of your favorite books for twenty-four hours and retain the memory of that experience, which character would you choose? Tell us the title, author, character name, and why you would want to be that character.

Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, because I would love to live in such a beautiful time and place as Prince Edward Island in the late 19th century.

If you could save five books from being destroyed in the apocalypse, what books would you choose, and why?

I can’t answer that. I don’t even want to think about that possibility!

Tell us a little something about your current WIP. When do you expect it to be released?

My current WIP is very much in the “in process” stage, meaning it only exists right now in my mind. But it has to do with a “love bot” who learns how to overcome her programming.

What are the titles and genres of each book you’ve written?