Author Interview with A.M. Shilling

Laken Honeycutt
6 hours ago
6 min read

In this week’s Author’s Nook interview, debut author A. M. Shilling delves into the dark and compelling world of her novel The Devouring, a genre-blending thriller that weaves together crime, occult intrigue, and cosmic horror. With a focus on morally complex characters and the psychology that drives them, Shilling shares her approach to crafting deeply human stories where love, loyalty, and ambition collide in dangerous ways. From her writing process to the realities of self-publishing, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at the art of storytelling—and the shadows that make it unforgettable.

Writing Origins & Voice

You describe yourself as someone drawn to morally questionable characters and the circumstances that shape them. What first sparked your interest in exploring this part of humanity?

It was an interest I developed when I was a child. At some point during my preteen years, I stopped being satisfied with the archetypal good vs. evil morality in stories. I wanted to read less straightforward stories with more complex characters. As a teenager, I gravitated toward stories with antiheroes and sympathetic villains, which persisted and became more refined as I matured.

As both a storyteller and artist, how do visual storytelling and narrative writing influence one another in your creative process?

I admit I don’t do much visual storytelling these days, since all my free time goes to writing. Years ago, I had aspirations to write my own comic with a friend, so I studied a lot of sequential art in my free time. Though that project fell through, I internalized a lot of what I’d learned, and now it translates into how I write dialogue and pace my stories. I’m also a visual thinker; everything plays out as a movie in my imagination. I’m drawn to particularly cinematic shots in films and try to capture that same feeling in my prose.

The Devouring

Your debut novel The Devouring blends crime, occult elements, and cosmic horror. What inspired this particular mix of genres?

I really wanted to write a book I’d love to read, and I love both cosmic horror and crime thrillers as genres, so that was a no-brainer for me.

Jason and Ayana begin as a couple living parallel lives. What drew you to explore a relationship like that, and how does their dynamic evolve under pressure?

Going into my brainstorming, I knew I wanted a particular dynamic to the marriage between the main characters—that is, I didn’t want to depict a relationship fraught with interpersonal conflict. It’s a common trope, especially in horror fiction. Instead, I wanted Jason and Ayana to exist harmoniously, to work together. While this meant she had to be his accomplice from the beginning, I set them up as living parallel lives so that the payoff of them teaming up later could be character development for them both.

The story introduces both human and cosmic threats. How did you approach balancing grounded tension (crime, conspiracy) with larger, more existential horror?

While writing, I made the conscious effort to ensure the crime and conspiracy elements were as realistic as possible. That way, the occult and cosmic horror elements could be as fantastical as they need to be.

Character Psychology & Morality

You’ve highlighted character psychology and morality as central to your work. How do you approach writing characters who may not always be “good,” but are still deeply human?

Regardless of a character’s morals, they always have personal goals and motivations. Making them relatable to the reader is key. Jason wants to avenge his brother’s death—who wouldn’t? Ayana is driven by curiosity to investigate the truth behind a mysterious phenomenon, a very human impulse. And aside from all that is the trust and passion they have for each other. Their relationship is key for humanizing both characters in a way that hopefully makes readers want to root for them, regardless of the morality of their deeds.

What does “the monstrosity of man” mean to you in a storytelling context, and how does it show up in your characters?

The idea of humans being the true monsters is a classic literary trope that I can’t help but love. I’ve always been a fan of media where the beastly characters are the heroes and the villains are often humans, like Disney’s Gargoyles. That’s why character morality is so interesting to me and why I like to write from those characters’ perspectives. Their complexity adds an exciting layer to stories.

Do you find yourself empathizing with your more morally ambiguous characters? And do you hope readers will too?

It’s a fine line to walk. I try to make them relatable, but I never want to apologize for, sugarcoat, or justify any horrible acts. I hope my readers recognize this, too, even while they’re rooting for the protagonists to succeed. I want them to come away from my books contemplating if they agree with my characters’ actions and decisions—and it’s okay if that answer is no.

Craft & Technique

Plotting and outlining are part of your process. How do you balance structure with allowing your characters to surprise you?

The way I see it, every iteration of an idea is my brain working through all the alternative possibilities before it reaches the best one for a story. Outlining simply purges an earlier version of the story from my brain. When I’m drafting, new and better ideas will occur to me, including character motivations and dialogue. I welcome these, because they always, without fail, improve on the story I’d outlined.

When building your world, how do you ensure it supports both the emotional and thematic weight of the story?

I write my stories on Earth or in Earth-based settings, so I’m often limited by what exists in real life. For every story, I choose a location I feel will best support the emotional and thematic weight, whether that’s a megacity like in The Devouring or a smaller, more out-of-the-way locale.

Process & Growth

As a debut author navigating self-publishing, what has surprised you most about the process—creatively or professionally?

I was surprised by how many moving parts are involved in publishing any novel. Self-publishing requires you to take on many other roles besides “author,” and I understand now why many choose to pursue traditional publishing—so they don’t have to be all those things. And even though I prepared myself by researching all the steps necessary for self-publishing, I still didn’t expect to debate the benefits of starting an LLC, or register my copyright, or make a sell sheet so I can ask bookstores to stock copies, or figure out how to put together a media press kit.

What advice would you give to other writers preparing to self-publish their first novel?

Take your time. Seriously. Give yourself plenty of lead time before the actual launch date so you can make mistakes and fix them. I found dozens of typos in the first proof copy of my book and six more in the second. I also had to make slight adjustments to the cover’s text and color and resubmit those files. Author copies can take a few weeks to be delivered, so there’s no need to rush. You can use the time to figure out your marketing strategy, prepare paperwork, recruit ARC readers, and make sure everything is in order.

How do you maintain your writing routine and push through creative blocks, especially when working on emotionally intense material?

Creative blocks, for me, typically mean I haven’t come up with the right solution for a plot or character problem. When this happens, I’ll take time away from the keyboard to brainstorm ideas. I’ll read a book or watch a movie. I consider all of this part of my writing routine, even if I’m not adding new words to the manuscript. In this way, I’m always writing.

Closing Reflection

Your work explores love in difficult, even dangerous circumstances. What do you hope readers take away from these relationships?

That love is a choice. My characters will always choose each other, regardless of the difficulty or danger, without any hesitation or doubt. Sometimes it will come with a cost, which is what I want to explore. Is the cost worth it? The characters certainly think so. Will readers think so, too?

When readers finish The Devouring, what feeling or question do you hope lingers with them most?

I hope readers finish The Devouring with a sense that the ending was inevitable. That it is the only sensible outcome of everything that’s happened. I hope it fills them with both curiosity and dread for what might happen next.

A.M. Shilling is an avid storyteller and artist interested in morally questionable people, their terrible circumstances, and how they manage to love one another despite it all. When she’s not contemplating her favorite villains like a sommelier appreciating fine wine, she enjoys roleplaying games and watching cooking shows with her husband. She recently self-published her debut novel, The Devouring.