Interview with Ava Murbarger

Hey there Ava, thanks for doing this!

Of course! Thanks for having me!

Tell us a little about yourself!

Sure! I’m a homeschooler, PK, author, editor, musician, and lover of all things wolves, coffee, architecture, weapons, music, and mythology. It’s a weird mix, I know, but it works! I live in Illinois and am usually reading, playing my guitar, or writing my next novel.

Tell us about your writing journey and your current projects!

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but I started seriously at about 12 years old. I want to keep writing for as long as I can, though I know I’ll have other work alongside my work as an author. “Finding the light without ignoring the dark” is my branding, and my writing revolves around it.

My main project is my series, Orythian Journeys. It’s a clean fantasy/sci-fi adventure series, mainly YA, though I’ve had adults enjoy it as well, and I’ve even had younger kids use it as a read-aloud.

The first book, Healer, is published, and the second, Outlaw, is coming spring 2025! So far the books have been endorsed by best-selling authors Christopher Hopper and Wayne Thomas Batson. The prequel to the series, Fang and Storm, is available for free through my newsletter!

Who inspired you most to become an author?

That’s an incredibly hard question, mostly because I’m not sure it can be attributed to one person in my case. I’m constantly inspired in different ways by different authors. People like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, but also N. D. Wilson, Rick Riordan, Andrew Peterson, Gillian Bronte Adams… countless names.

Most recently, Nova McBee. She’s incredibly hard-working and skilled in and out of the writing world, and it would be difficult not to be inspired by her.

Tell us a bit about your blog and your published works!

Like I mentioned before, Orythian Journeys’ first book, Healer, is published. It came out in July 2024 and has sold over 100 copies (though I don’t know how much more than that, haha)! Here’s the blurb to Healer:

The Serpenree have been at war with the Lupinari for what seems like forever.

Prisoners work under horrible conditions, forced to bend to the Serpenree’s will. The Phoenix, supposed creator over all of Orythia, is silent to their ears.

There, on the Serpenree planet of Lacertilia, Rina is a halfling where halflings are hated most. Her closest thing to a friend is a Serpenree guard who hardly shares her feelings.

When an unexpected opportunity shows itself, will she take it? What will become of her secret, which she believes no one, including herself, holds?

Old rivalries rise to the surface. Each of the planets has their own story to tell.

Will the Phoenix remain silent?

What are some fun/unique experiences you’ve had after being published as a young person?

I’ve had a lot, actually! First off, plenty of local events where I get to sell Healer and meet some awesome people. 

I’ve worked as an editor for Havok Publishing, where we got some very interesting flash fiction stories. We edited both accepted and rejected stories so that the writers could learn whether or not they got published with us.

Currently I’m interning for Nova McBee, author of the Calculated series, which is a whole lot of fun. Meetings, brainstorming, writing, editing, etc. I’m on the newsletter team along with some amazing others, and we all get to work together to create something great as Calculated gets closer to becoming a movie!

Do you have any advice for other young writers? Mistakes that you’ve made that others can avoid?

Write something every day. There’s always the excuse of not having time, or hitting writer’s block, but when you really think about it, there’s always something you can do. Write a short entry in a journal, or flash fiction, or freewrite. No matter what you write, you’ll find that your flow and style improves.

Know your why. You’re more likely to stick with something when you know the reason you’re doing it. If you don’t know why you write, then it doesn’t feel important, even if it is in reality. Once you figure out what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, you’re already ahead of plenty of other writers.

Read. Read as often as you can, because as a writer, it’s research at its core. You’re finding new ideas, styles, tropes, techniques, and even when you’re not actively searching for the knowledge, your brain will latch onto some of it. I also challenge you to really look at what you’ve read, because looking at how others have done things in the past can be huge in moving forward with your own writing.

There’s plenty more I could say, but I’ll leave it at that for now!

What are some resources you recommend to young writers?

There are so many. I’ll try to limit myself, haha.

If you’re looking for podcasts, Author Media and The Jed Herne Show are great. I also listen to the Writing Excuses Podcast from time to time, and it’s got some good stuff.

Books? Write Them In by Bryan Davis is great in learning The Hero’s Journey plot structure, Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson is perfect for any kind of artist/creator, and Building A Storybrand by Donald Miller is great for both understanding story and business.

Write The World offers plenty of contests, and The Young Writer’s Workshop is great for learning and making connections!

Where can we find out more about you?

The best way is by joining my newsletter, and that gets you Fang and Storm for free. The sign-up is on my website avamurbargerauthor.com, which also has links to my published work so far.