Author E.C. Hibbs

Please tell us about yourself using 3 adjectives, 1 quirk and a pop culture addiction

I’m slightly obsessive, caring, and wacky, and I love The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver. I guess my quirk is keeping everyone guessing what I’ll be wearing the next day (I never wear the same style two days in a row! Goth, hippie, steampunk, fairy, Wednesday Addams… the list goes on!)

Top 3 Pet Peeves

When people interrupt or cut across other people while they’re talking.

Stickers on the backs of books… or when people read a paperback and break the spine!

Being told important things or deadlines at super short notice.

Who do you consider the most swoon-worthy man/woman in the literary world? How about on tv/in the movies?

Literary, I’ll say either Murtagh from Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, or Roen from Selina Fenech’s Memory’s Wake Trilogy. For TV, Nick Burkhardt from Grimm or Leo Wyatt from Charmed. And… I honestly can’t just pick one from movies! Argh!

Top 5 Favorite Things

Hiking up a mountain and that amazing feeling (and view) when I reach the summit.

Having a good play with my moggy Millie Moo.

Playing in the snow (Yes, I am a big kid).

Chocolate!!!

Drawing, writing, or anything that gets the creative juices flowing!

What are your thoughts on book covers- in your opinion do they make or break a book?

As a book cover designer myself, I think covers are extremely important. If they weren’t, there wouldn’t be as much hype for cover reveals! Since they are the first thing potential readers will see, they need to be able to convey a lot of information very quickly. A bad quality or cheap-looking cover can make a big difference to whether someone will pick up the book in the first place – but saying that, I think the story itself is the make or break factor. A book can have the prettiest cover in the world, but if the story itself is weak – or even seems weak from the blurb – then people may not finish it or not open it at all. The old saying of not judging a book by its cover is very true – but a nice cover always helps!

What’s the last song you listened to?

Monstrous Child by Bad Pollyanna.

How do you come up with character names?  How do you come up with novel titles?

Character names depend on the story and its context. I do sometimes make them up, but when I do that I tend to use a predetermined fictional culture/language that I’ve invented to make them sound legitimate. But in other stories, I might use ‘real’ names that relate to when and where the story is set – in the past I’ve used Biblical names, the names of historical figures who might have had some influence on the book, or foreign names such as Hungarian and German. As for titles, I tend to prefer more subtle-sounding titles that do relate to the story but can also be open to interpretation. I rarely give a ‘label’ title which states specifically what the story is about.

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

There are so many different levels to writing professionally; finding your own voice, really diving into characters’ psyches, researching everything properly… but a technique a lot of writers can forget about is believing in what they are doing. Most people will both love and hate whatever they create, but maintaining a firm belief in themselves can sometimes fall by the wayside, and that is just as important as good literary technique. A confidence technique can really make the difference between how an author sees themselves, and in turn, how their story will turn out. When you write, try to always have a middle ground, where you can see the story’s full potential and run with it, but also hone yourself in enough to rip it apart and make it better. And always believe in yourself!

This or That-

*Morning or Night?

Night. It’s usually when I’m most productive!

*Vanilla or Chocolate?

Chocolate!

*Summer or Winter?

Winter!

*Ebook or Paperback?

Paperback – I love the feeling of a physical book in my hand; the smell of them (I know that sounds a bit weird!) and seeing them all on my bookshelves. If I can get a book in paperback then I will; I tend to only go for ebooks if they aren’t available in paperback or are way too expensive to ship!

*Fantasy or Paranormal?

I love reading and writing both genres, but I’m a fantasy nut at heart. There’s just something about other worlds and epic stories that really calls to me.