Author Visit: Isabelle Wood

---

Young Author Visit with Isabelle Wood

Q: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: I’m twenty years old (well, in a couple weeks 😉), a Catholic-Christian, and a proud homeschool graduate. I still live at home and am working for my dad’s non-profit ministry while I work through an online, college-equivalent writing and business program. I love spending time with my family and am currently dating Christopher, an amazing Catholic-Christian young man who’s as much into stories as I am. It’s my dream to write stories that shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of this world, in the spirit of John 1:5 – The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Q: When did you start writing?

A: Umm…since before I can remember, lol. I’ve dictated stories to my mom since before I could write, and when I was in grade school, I had a short story writing club with my sister and some friends where we would each write a short story every month, vote on a winner, and award a little handmade prize. Once I reached middle school, I started tag-teaming a longer story with my sister and a friend about some kids who had some sort of time/space travel powers involving animals and duct tape (kind of silly, but hey, it was pretty creative, lol 😂).

Then, the summer before my freshman year, I started writing this “epic” fantasy book with my sister, brother, and cousin. That was the project that kind of pushed me to take several creative writing classes in high school and actually start to pursue writing as a career.

Q: What made you want to become an author?

A: There are probably two main reasons. First, I’ve always loved reading. I can’t really pin-point when that love of reading grew into a desire and decision to write my own stories—it just sort of happened—but I’m sure that had something to do with it. I’ve just always loved something about good stories, so why not write my own? 😉

The other reason is probably my dad. He’s actually an author with ten books out now, but his first book—kind of the foundation of his ministry—came out back in 2012, so I’ve always kind of dreamed of helping him with his ministry and, as I realized I really enjoyed writing, of becoming an author like him. He and my mom (and my whole family) are super supportive of me pursuing my writing dream, and I probably would’ve given up long before now if it wasn’t for them.

Q: What was your writing process for Endure?

A: So, funny thing, it actually just started out as a fun little short story to give me a break from my current longer writing project. I handwrote the whole thing on notebook paper, and I wasn’t really expecting it to be any different than any other random, “just for fun” short story or scene.

But then all these little pieces in the plot really started clicking together, and it ended up being novella length instead of a short story. Somewhere along the line in the six or so months I was writing it on and off, it started to cross my mind that I might actually be able to do something more with this story. I was really loving the story—and after 6+ years of working on the same, super long project, I was really just hankering to finish something I could actually not wince at.

So, I asked my friend Christopher (my boyfriend, now) if he would at least design a cover for me, since he designed the covers for my dad’s most recent books. Chris really swept the project up and not only designed the cover but also helped me through designing the internal pages and actually getting it published, which I’d felt was maybe a little too ambitious, lol. But here we are. 😊

Q: Tell us a little bit about Endure.

A: It is a YA medieval fantasy set a couple years after a major war (the focus of the main project I’m currently working on, actually), and it follows Prince William as he kind of navigates what his role is in the aftermath of the war. Here’s the back cover blurb, (written by my sister):

The queen is pregnant with the kingdom’s heir. The subjects are suffering under hidden tyranny. Prince William Ardoraer is called to protect them all, but evil hardly cowers from a teenager with a century’s worth of scars. William has already accepted that he’s no knight in shining armor, but when he is called to the task of one, can he remember his strength? Can he accept his calling? Can he endure?

(Author’s disclaimer: It is a YA fantasy, so—while most of the themes are no more than what you would find in the Circle C Milestones—there is quite a bit of violence, as well as some PTSD from events in the war.)

Mrs. M’s response to the author’s disclaimer: Isabelle is being careful and considerate with her disclaimer. I personally did not find the violence/PTSD regarding the MC to be of a major concern to me. She handles it quite well.

Q: So, Endure is connected to the main project you’re working on. Will you share some about that?

A: Of course! 😊 It’s actually the same project I started just before high school with my siblings and cousins. I (unofficially) got elected as our “scribe,” in charge of writing down the story we’d already made up, but gradually, they kind of dropped out and I ended up with the project. It started out as one book, but when the second draft ended up at 362,000+ words, I decided to break it into a trilogy: The Twelfth Heir trilogy.

The main character is Princess Samantha (William’s older sister), and it follows her during the war as she tries to find an ancient and powerful sword, shield, and sheath before the enemy king in order to defeat an evil dragon.

I’m still working on this project, but my (tentative) goal is to finish the current draft (draft number three) by June 2025, then get some major editing and beta reading in time to get it published by January 2026. But we’ll see how that goes 😂. If any of you are interested in beta reading in about six months, let me know! 😉

Q: Do you have any other writing projects planned or underway?

A: Yes, actually, lol 😂. I have an entire list of ideas I’d like to do someday, some of them closer to happening than others, but the other project I’m currently working on is actually part of my schooling program. A couple weeks ago, I finally made it through all the pre-writing steps and got to start drafting. It’s actually also set in the same world as Endure about nine years later, and (surprise/not surprise, lol) William is the mentor character.

I promise, I do actually have story ideas not set in that world and revolving around these characters. 😂

Q: What is your favorite part about writing?

A: The characters, hands down. I love creating them, watching them get minds of their own and “overtake” the story, and putting them through the fire to bring out their truest and best selves.

Q: So, what do you do when you’re not writing?

A: When I’m also not working for my dad or doing my schooling work, most likely…reading! ☺️ I also enjoy hanging out with family and friends, watching good movies, and hiking out in my grandparents’ woods.

Q: What are some of your favorite books and/or series?

A: Ooh, it’s so hard to narrow them down! First off, I have to say the Bible, particularly the Gospel of John. Fiction-wise, though, The Lord of the Rings is definitely a favorite, along with The Chronicles of Narnia and Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga. I also more recently enjoyed the God’s Forgotten Friends series by Susan Peek, the West Brothers series by Theresa Linden, the Fairy Tale Novels series by Regina Doman, and the I Am Margaret series by Corinna Turner. And, of course, the Circle C books are always a favorite, especially the Milestones. ☺️

Q: What is your favorite genre to read and/or write in?

A: Writing-wise, definitely fantasy. It’s the easiest and most fun for me, as I can get started with the characters and plot without having to do a ton of research for the setting, lol.😂 Reading-wise though, I enjoy pretty much any genre—historical, contemporary, dystopian, science fiction, romance, etc.—except for horror. To a degree , I don’t care how “dark” or “clean” a story is (obviously, that can be overdone, though), but it has to have the right morals; and I feel like horror is the hardest to get good morals in.

Q: What advice do you have for other young writers?

A: Write for God. Writing takes hard work, perseverance, endurance, and tenacity, and if you’re only doing it for yourself, you’ll quickly get tired of it or burn yourself out. If you do it for God, to share God’s truth in the world, He’ll give you the strength and motivation you need to finish and do great things.

Another, more practical-like tip: make sure to have a good balance of the different writing elements (dialogue, thoughts, action, description, etc.). I’ve struggled with this in the past, and this was one of the most helpful things to make my writing so much better.

Q: Where can readers learn more about you and your novel, Endure?

A: On Amazon > or on my website IMJWood.com (stay tuned for a special offer when the winner is announced!

Quick review on how to enter a giveaway on Andi’s Blog using comments. Click “Leave a Reply,” as always. Write your entry as a comment. Then click the blue envelope icon. Write your first name and your email in the boxes. Anonymous entries will be deleted. (Isabelle can’t contact you without your “hidden” contact information). If you are already a WordPress user, you just click the “W” icon. Easy-peasy. Good luck and have fun!

This Giveaway Has Ended! “T” is the winner. I will announce it and post Isabelle’s special coupon code as soon as I hear back from her. Stay tuned!