About

Official Author Bio:

Isabelle Knight is the middle-grade fantasy author of the Enchantria series, which she began writing at age ten and published during her middle school years. A lifelong book and cat lover, she now resides somewhere in a book-filled apartment, surrounded by an unimaginable number of stuffed pandas and enough books to start her own bookstore. When she’s not writing about creepy shadows, daring heroines, and magical adventures, she’s talking about books, writing, and other writerly ramblings on her YouTube channel! She is also the co-founder of The Society of Ink and Stars, a secret society of young, teen writers. You can find her books on the Books page of this blog. (Please scroll down to the end of the page for all press interviews)

Much Less Official Bio

Welcome to my blog! I’m Isabelle Knight, a young author of MG fantasy and obsessive collector of notebooks and stuffed pandas, and I’m ever so glad to have you on my blog! 🙂 This is my little corner of the internet where I hope to share inside looks behind my writing and publishing process (and also perhaps post a few occasional writerly meltdowns. They happen, er, more often than I’d like them to).

I love writing and reading (though sometimes writing makes me wish to pull my hair out in frustration!), and writing is one of the things that has continued to bring me both joy, hope, and also stress. Do those three things contradict each other? Yes. But writing often does, I suppose.

I write because I believe stories are everywhere (including inside me), begging to be told. They can make the world bigger, kinder, and much, much more magical. I truly believe that the stories I grew up with are what have shaped me both as a person and as a writer, and they have helped me find hope through the darkest times.

And this is what I hope to do with my own writing.

I truly do believe that stories are so, so powerful. They can bring hope when it seems all is lost. They can give you a little nudge in the hard times and inspire you to keep going. They can give you a mirror to see yourself, to understand yourself, and they can guide you back to who you are. They let you take a step in someone else’s shoes and see the world from the perspective of someone very, very different.

They can build bridges and connect us, across countless oceans and lands and cultures and languages. They whisper in our ear and let us know that we are not alone.

They build empathy and kindness.

They can give hope for a better future, for all of us — hope that can inspire change.

This is why I write. To keep building and telling the stories that connect us all.

And on this blog, I hope to give a peek behind the curtains of my writing process. My highs and lows. And I’m excited to have you along the journey! ^^ I love building a supportive of book lovers, writers, daydreamers, and professional procrastinators. So please don’t hesitate to comment your thoughts on any of my posts! And stay tuned for writing/author updates, author interviews, guest posts, and a meltdown or two (or 100) along the way!

And while you’re here… perhaps you could snag a copy of one of my books along the way? 😉 (okay, you don’t have to, especially if MG fantasy isn’t your cup of tea. But if is, buying a copy and also leaving a review can help a ton, especially for indie authors like me!)

Random Facts About Me

Am a wannabe gardener. Have yet to successfully grow ANYTHING…. at least, anything that lives beyond sapling-hood.
I once crashed my kayak into the rocks in Thailand and made it out very much unscathed.
I would like to someday learn to speak Irish and French and sign language Cantonese, despite the fact that since I do live in China, I probably should be perfecting my very terrible Mandarin.
I think Tae Keller is the best author ever and no one can shake my opinion.
I don’t understand people who hate pineapple on pizza.
I am a cat person.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on every story! Each story is unique and some are more complex than the others. It took me six months to write the first draft of Enchantria: Guardian’s Heir and it took another three months for me to revise and edit. The other books came way faster, often in around three months which I still cannot believe, and I was only able to publish so fast because I was independently publishing with KDP.

For my current work in progress, I suspect that it’ll take me way longer, though. My plans for this book and for some possible future books are to traditionally publish, and so that’s a much longer process, but one I am actually very much looking forward too! ^^ I don’t mind a bit of a wait if it means polishing and refining Ani’s (she’s my MC) story!!

Do you write every day?

Yes. Yes, I do. I love writing so much, I couldn’t ever imagine a day when I don’t write! Plus, building consistency is really important!!! It gets you in the flow of things and gradually, writing just becomes a part of you!

What’s the editing process like for your books?

Oof. (winces). I have mixed feelings about the editing process. On one hand, you really get to shape your story into something magnificent! On the other, that’s where everything really starts to become less free and explorational (for me, at least) and more nitty-gritty. I have to worry about plot holes now, character arcs, character inconsistencies. And all those do need to be fixed. But it can be a grueling job.

How do you get over writer’s block?

It usually happens when I’m pushing the story in a direction it really, really doesn’t want to go. If that’s the case, then I usually step back and try and let go of my expectations, even when it’s the editing stage. Mainly because the story still needs space to grow and become just the right story! If the writer’s block is because I can’t think of what to happen next, I usually write down a list of ideas of what could happen – even the most outlandish ones – and I tell myself I will not stop until I get to 12! Usually that helps. If not, then I let myself take a break.

Do you have a favorite character in the series?

I feel like this is a classic question haha. And the answer is: Yes, I do! Well, I have several favorites, but I especially love Elenora, Arabella, Thalia, and Rani! I think they’re amazing! Elenora because, well, she’s the main character, and she goes through a really deep change throughout the series and a lot of her fears and worries reflect mine! Arabella because she’s always so stubborn and indignant on the surface, but as you progress through the series, you realize that there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. And even though with that cliffhanger at the end of book three, I think you can tell she’s not plainly evil either. Thalia because… Well, I just love her! Her past was really interesting to delve into, and it really makes her a way better character! Rani… I don’t have a complete exact reason for her being one of my favorite characters, but I think she’s just so endearing!!!

What’s your advice for young writers?

My advice is the simplest advice possible. It’s so simple but so true and the absolute most important part of being a writer. Write. You hear me? My advice for all young writers is to just write! You don’t have to worry about the quality, you don’t need to worry if others are gonna like it. Maybe those will come up again. But that’s later in the process. For now, focus on writing and creating something you love! Write and have fun with it! Write what you love, what you want to write, and what you know you just really have to write! And keep doing it! Don’t give up. Because the world can be harsh. There are people out there who simply don’t understand and people who’ll try to discourage you. But when that happens, keep going!!! You’re never going to achieve your dreams if you quit. The only way you could possibly fail is if you gave up.

Why do you use that dragon picture?

You mean Misty? If you guys don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s the dragon/avatar that’s basically my profile picture for this blog! Her name’s Misty, and I designed her with Canva! When I first started out, I wanted to remain perfectly anonymous which I now realize is actually rather hard if you want to become a well-know children’s author! But I love that avatar nonetheless — it feels perfect for a fantasy writer, does it not?

Do you accept book review requests?

I do, actually! If you have an ARC of a middle-grade book that you’d like me to read and review, whether you’re a publicist or an indie author, you can try and send it my way! I can get really swamped at times though, because of course, I do have my own writing and life to deal with, so I can’t take on too many!

Can you visit my school?

Aww! I’m honored that you’d think of me! But I’m afraid that due to my location (other side of the world here!), I’m currently not able to visit any schools in the US, UK, or any other country. However, I’m happy to do virtual school visits via Skype or Microsoft Teams! Just try and mind the time – again, I’m on the other side of the world, so if you’re in the US, afternoons are the middle of the night for me.

Can you critique my manuscript?

As much as I’d love to critique and help every single writer out there, my schedule doesn’t really allow me too. I have enough writing projects and whatnot going on already. However, I might be open to manuscript critiques as a giveaway or something in the future, so maybe you could keep an eye out for that? In the meantime, if you’re looking for a beta reader, I highly recommend storycraft.cafe, which is a great writing community for aspiring authors!

Can I interview you?

That really depends on my schedule at the time. Again, I can get really busy, but I do try to see and respond to all emails, so if you do want to interview me, feel free to email me!

Is there somewhere I can buy signed copies of your books?

First off, yay, I’m glad you like my books enough to want a signed copy! But again, due to my location, I can’t really sell/send any signed copies at the moment! So sorry! I wish I could – honest! But I have done a giveaway of digitally signed copies of Enchantria before, and I might do that sometime in the future, so you can keep an eye out on my blog for that!

Is Isabelle Knight a pen name?

I’ve mentioned this a couple times on my blog, but looking back now, I think I was rather, well, not that clear about it, so here’s your official answer! Yes, Isabelle Knight is a pen name that I chose when I first decided to publish my series, and it took quite a while to come up with it! But I just feel like it’s perfect for a middle-grade fantasy author, memorable, and it was fun coming up with it! Besides, so many people by now know me as Isabelle, so it feels like a part of my real name actually!