Michael T. Hare

In this interview, author Hope Ann shares insights into her upcoming dystopian book, Unbanded, including its inspiration and how she overcame Writer’s Block while writing it!

Welcome to our interview, Hope, and thank you for joining me today! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your upcoming book, Unbanded?

Thanks for having me! I’m a Christian author with nine published novellas, but Unbanded is my debut full-length novel. I’m the oldest of nine children, so I sometimes have a bit of a bossy streak. I love jiujitsu, puzzles, most Sanderson novels, sarcasm, memes, and complicated board games. 

What sparked the inspiration for this story?

Unbanded has been in the works, off and on, for almost ten years now. It started with a picture of a girl hiding and seeing a young man who she recognized from a dream. From there, it (very slowly) developed into a story with replaced memories, emotion-altering drugs, and underground cities. 

Have you written in the dystopian genre before? Do you enjoy it, and why?

Unbanded is my first dystopian novel, though I’ve written some dystopian flash fiction before. My other published novellas are all fairy tale retellings or fantasy. The dystopian was a lot of fun though, because I tended to use a blunter, more sarcastic style while writing it which came more naturally to me.

When someone reads Unbanded, what do you hope to leave them with?

While I definitely wrote Unbanded with a Christian worldview in mind, I wasn’t heavy-handed with the themes. They’re more background than anything else. That being said, some of the values driving characters include the concepts that there is an absolute truth and it matters. There’s also a fairly strong thread of “I can do something to help fix this, so I need to act.”

Did you face Writer’s Block while writing Unbanded? Do you believe Writer’s Block is a condition or a symptom of something else?

Oh, so much. At least, what others would call Writer’s Block. I don‘t believe Writer’s Block is a condition so much as it‘s just part of writing. Sometimes things flow. Sometimes they don’t. And when they don’t, we just have to keep pounding away at the novel, brainstorming with others, and poking at all the things until it starts working again. I’ve gone through these “dry patches” enough times that, even though it’s annoying when they hit, I know I‘ll come out on the other side if I work hard enough at it. 

Were you always sure you’d be an author?

I decided I wanted to write when I was a pretty young child. Eight years old, maybe? Ever since, I‘ve been writing. Though it wasn’t until I was in my later teens that I started taking writing seriously.

What books and/or authors have inspired you over the years?

I loved Tolkien in my teens, and then discovered Sanderson a little bit after that. They definitely influenced my love for fantasy and complicated worldbuilding. I also had a good author friend I beta-read for, and her stories influenced my passion for emotionally deep prose. 

To what extent do you prepare before drafting a story?

It depends on the story, honestly. I used to outline a lot, then realized the novel would change halfway through. Now, I tend to plan out a blurb, the basic outline/characters/theme, and then go ahead with the first draft and see where it takes me. 

Did you choose self-publishing or traditional publishing for Unbanded? Why?

I chose self-publishing for this novel. Partly, to be honest, because the one publishing house I did consider didn‘t work out. And partly because I’m familiar with the steps to self-publication at this point. While there can be advantages to traditional publishing, there’s generally a larger profit margin with indie publishing. Not to mention, I can see all the data. And I’d have to do all the marketing anyway even if I were traditionally published, so why not do everything and be in control of my book, the profits, how everything is angled, etc.?

That’s all the questions I have for today—thank you again for joining me, Hope! Do you have any platforms we can find you on?

Yes! The main way I communicate with readers is via my newsletters. I have one for readers with book news, and one for writers with monthly writing tips. Both can be found here, and come with some fun free resources and stories: Newsletter – Hope Ann

Can we get a final comment from the author?

If you’re a writer, don‘t get discouraged when things get hard. That happens. It’s life. Make sure you have a solid grip on your motivation to write (and that it’s a good motivation) and then keep on writing and pushing through. It will get easier, I promise (then harder again, then easier, then harder…but since when have good things been easy all the time?)