Meet Abigail Hobbs | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abigail Hobbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abigail, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Consistency and doggedness are two things that have helped my writing career the most. Consistency in craft — making writing a daily priority. Doggedness — not allowing the vagaries of the industry to discourage. Writing is a skill, just like any other creative craft; so practice does make the writing process easier over time. My first book took nearly six years to write, but the book I’m currently writing has only taken a year to draft. That change comes from learning about storytelling and storycraft, as well as discovering my own routine and weaknesses. Doggedness is also important in this industry. For every yes, you get dozens of no’s. And you have to learn to let rejection roll off your shoulders like water off a duck’s back. You have to believe in your own work more than anyone else does.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
SCYTHE AND PEN is a dark fantasy retelling of the Hades and Persephone legend, set in the Jazz Age. Imagine the hit show Peaky Blinders meets Interview with the Vampire. I adore gothic literature; so I set out to write a gothic fantasy that would blend elements of literary fiction with contemporary thrills. The road to publication was not easy, but usually if you refuse to give up, pieces eventually fall into place.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We love to give friends a tour of Greenville! We would take them downtown to Falls Park to see the bridge and pop into the Grand Bohemian Lodge. The lobby’s art gallery is absolutely stunning! Then we head to Neat Bourbon Bar for drinks on N. Main and finish the evening off at Trappe Door with the coconut curry mussell pot. It’s so delicious!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would never have written my novel without the support of my husband Mark and my parents Debbie and David. They are my biggest cheerleaders. I also owe great thanks to Hannah Parker, the powerhouse behind Counterpoise Press. Partnering with Hannah to bring my novel to life was an excellent career decision. Because of her dedication to good stories and to the writers behind those stories, publishing my first novel was everything I hoped it would be!

Website: https://achobbsauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achobbsauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACHobbsWriter

Other: https://abigailhobbs.substack.com/

Image Credits
Hades (villain art) by @chicklen.doodle Cover design by Franziska Stern @coverdungeonrabbit