Amy Michelle Wiley is a well-known name around FaithWriters. Not only is she an active member of the boards and the Writing Challenge, she heads up the FaithWriters conference. She also started her own company, Peculiar People, which has so far involved many FaithWriters members. Join interviewer, Lynda Schab, as she talks with Amy about all of these things and more…

LYNDA SCHAB: This is the second time I've had the privilege of interviewing you, Amy. For those who didn't read the first one or would like a refresher, visit: http://www.faithwritersmagazine.com/March06/index-featured-article2-3-06.php. Start by telling us a little about yourself.

AMY MICHELLE WILEY: I grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest as the youngest of three girls and was home schooled K-12. My family is very close-knit and actively encouraged creativity. I started writing even before I could technically write--I would dictate the words to Mom and then illustrate the stories myself.

I've always been busy in my own little world of creative thought, though I was more than happy to invite others in to play with me. When I was young I was infamous for taking forever to do my chores because each job turned into something quite different: when raking the grass, I was mentally a poor Hebrew girl, gleaning in the fields; if I was picking up around the house, in my mind I was delivering mail to a friendly little town; and while washing dishes I was a Christian during the Holocaust, smuggling soap and food to the Jews. My sisters and I spent many hours in the woods behind our house, reenacting history, inventing the future, and just having fun in the winding paths and waters that hid among the trees. Now that I'm an adult, that imagination has turned itself to creating worlds on paper.

Something else that is a large part of my life is my chronic health problems. I've had a low immune system, stomach problems, and allergies since my infancy. During my senior year of high school in 2000, I began having more kinds of health issues that have continued to date. It seems my body easily goes out of whack, and I've more or less accepted the fact that I'll likely have problems for the rest of my life. I am learning to make the most of my good days, and give myself a break on my not-so-good days. It has been neat to see how God uses my experiences to let me reach out to others who have chronic illness.

LYNDA: Well you certainly don't let those challenges affect your activity level! You are a very busy girl! One thing you dedicate yourself to is FaithWriters, including heading up the now-annual Writing conference. How did you get involved with FaithWriters and, especially, this aspect of it?

AMY: I found FaithWriters just as I was coming out of a particularly bad health struggle that had affected me emotionally with OCD and depression. As I began to pull out of that, I'd begun concentrating more and more on getting my imaginary worlds out of my head and onto paper and was looking for somewhere to post them. I found that and so much more in FaithWriters.

FW has become a second home to me. The people I found there have come along side me, encouraging, supporting, and teaching me both in my writing and in my health.  Some of my dearest friends are FWers.

In the summer of 2006, the topic of a conference came up as it had periodically for as long as I've been a member. The thought of meeting face-to-face with so many of the dear people that had become my friends was almost unbearably exciting. I like to say, "One day I got tired of hearing someday and I said this day!" Deb Porter had mentioned on the message boards that she and Scott Lindsay felt that the time was right for a conference, but someone needed to volunteer to do a lot of the organizing.

I love organizing and had some experience with church retreats and the like. I was already heavily involved in FW, so I jumped at the opportunity. The amazing blessing of the first conference more than paid off the hard work of the planning. So many of the attendees exclaimed over how different and lovely that conference was compared to others they'd gone to, and many called it a "family reunion".

LYNDA: And I will attest to that! The conference was better than I could have imagined and the "family" aspect was so special. Learning a thing or two about writing was simply a bonus!

What changes have you made for this year's upcoming conference in Nashville to make it even more appealing to writers?

AMY: The most exciting addition to this summer's conference will be the presence of a few agents. Agents have become necessary in the world of big name Christian publishers. It is important to us that we do what we can to help writers connect with an agent who is just right for them, who in turn can connect them with the perfect publisher.

This year we've also expanded to Friday evening, in addition to all day Saturday, so we can offer even more workshops and teaching sessions. We have a really wonderful list of speakers and topics that will be applicable to writers of all genres and skill levels.

However, even with the new things we are adding, Scott, Deb, and I are committed to keeping the special touch the first conference had. FaithWriters' conferences are unique because of the close connection so many of the writers have through the message boards. People are coming from all over the world to gather together not only to build their writing skills, but to fellowship with a like-minded family of Christian writers. Those who have built relationships through the message boards will find joy in meeting their friends, and those who have not yet been on the boards will find acceptance in this wonderful group.

Our slogan for the conference is "Nurturing the Whole Writer."

LYNDA: Now on to another huge part of your life - the collaborative fiction company you've started. Explain what Peculiar People is all about.

AMY: Peculiar People is about bringing writers from all over the world together to have fun creating fiction while spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. As far as I know, it's the only organization of its kind. PeP, as we call it, is so unique because of the way all the writers work together to form one piece of fiction. Writing can be a lonely job, and it's so cool to be able to do it as a group.

Our first book, Struggle Creek, is a small town mystery novel written by twenty-seven authors from three countries. Each author wrote a chapter from the view-point of a different fictional town member, but they tie together to form one story. The beautiful cover was created by three separate artists.

We have two more projects in the works right now, and I hope to do one to two every year. The next one to be published will be a collection of short stories following a bundle of postcards that have been scattered throughout the world. The cards read simply, "Let me pray for you," and the fictional stories show glimpses of how God used the postcard to work in the character's lives. Each of the PeP projects is completely different, and I'm eager to see what happens in the future.

I've been accused of starting PeP because I have too many ideas to write all by myself (laughs), and I suppose there is some truth to that. When I was young I had many grand schemes and was often hard-put to get my friends to agree to join in them, so I must admit that it's a delight to have so many authors just as thrilled as I am about charting new territory in the writing world.

The original conception of this organization came, however, from an idea of creating strong characters. I've always admired writers who could create characters with personalities so strong that you knew who was talking without being told. It occurred to me that if you had several different authors each concentrating on one character, then you would definitely achieve that.

Our very first project was a grand sci-fi adventure which is waiting backstage to be turned into a radio drama or screen play. I hope someday Secrets of the Ice will make it onto the big screen to be enjoyed by all.

I already have ideas brewing for next summer's project, so writers can look for the guidelines to come out around the end of June. PeP now has contributing authors from six countries and I look forward to growing even more.

LYNDA: Struggle Creek was published this past year. What kinds of feedback have you gotten so far on the book?

AMY: A few people have found the format a little too different, but most of our readers are delighted with the unique approach to a novel and enjoy the way the whole town gets to tell the story. Those who know the authors love the little bits of ourselves we slipped into the story, and those who are meeting us for the first time are getting a special introduction to the town of Struggle Creek.

The book quickly caught media attention and has been featured in my local newspaper and on a Kansas radio station. I hope we'll have some more interviews soon.

I definitely learned a lot from that first book and I know PeP will add strength to strength to make each book the best yet.

LYNDA: Personally speaking, which types of writing do you enjoy most? And, besides Peculiar People projects, where else has your work been published?

AMY: I love pretty much every fiction genre there is, plus some! I do dabble occasionally in poetry and non-fiction, but the majority of my writing is fictional short stories. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be writing a fictionalized account of true happenings--anything from Biblical fiction on through history to current events. I love to take a story and tell it from an inside view, from a minor character that no one really thinks about, and let the events come to life through their eyes.

I'm really bad about getting around to submitting my stories to publishers, so haven't been published in very many printed paying markets. Despite my laziness in submitting, my work has appeared in many of the FW challenge anthologies, Lucy Cain's award-winning Secure the Fort, and Lorna Owen's Everyday Grace, Everyday Miracles. I've also had stories in a number of e-zines and websites including Riders & Reapers, "Journey" Woman of Passions, and Miriam's Christian Family. I've even been in various church newsletters around the US. I occasionally have editors contact me to request use of a story or poem and recently had a school teacher ask to use a story in a reading comprehension test.

The last few months I've been determined to actually get some submissions sent out. So far I've been rewarded with a magazine geared toward crisis pregnancy center workers which is very interested in one of my short pieces.

LYNDA: On a different note, tell us more about your aspirations of becoming a sign language interpreter. And what made you decide to pursue signing?

AMY: I think both writing and interpreting were born naturally out of my love for words and for people. I've played around with sign language most of my life, and a few years ago I attended a Christian signing camp in Tennessee. It was there that God began nudging me toward becoming an interpreter.

I discovered there was an interpreting program at a community college within driving distance (kind of…it's one to two hours each way, depending on traffic). I began checking it out and doors kept opening for me to enter it. It turns out this has been named as the fourth best program in the US.

It's a very intense program and can be very grueling. Adding to the challenge is the fact that I have an unusual learning problem related to the way my brain and eyes interact. There are times I wonder why God called me to this, but I do truly enjoy signing and the Deaf and look forward to the time when interpreting will come easier. I'm finding the linguistics and culture classes fascinating and it always amazes me how many of my writing skills are applicable to interpreting.

I have a lot of hopes for the types of interpreting I'd like to do. I'm very interested in drama and music, and would also like to ensure that homeschool events and writing events are available to the Deaf. Most of all, I'm just open to going in whatever directions God leads.

LYNDA: What do you like to do for fun?

AMY: I enjoy crafty things such as scrapbooking, card-making, crocheting, and cross stitching. Especially when I'm not feeling well, I often spend my evenings cross stitching as I watch a movie with my family. I also enjoy nature: hiking with friends, or just wandering around our country home playing with my cats, bird-watching, and admiring God's creation.

I also love playing games with my family and friends. Oh, and I spend quite a bit of time chatting with my FW friends on the message boards or over instant messaging!

LYNDA: I'm sure you must have many goals for the future. Have you set any specific short-term goals you'd like to reach this year?

AMY: Right now my main goal is rather boring: get well enough so I can take on a full load of college classes next term. Lack of energy is a big problem at the moment. I think I have a low thyroid. I trust God will be able to use my naturopath and general care doctors to help get it back on track before March.

That aside, I have a PeP book in the editing stage that I'd like us to have ready for publishing within a couple of months, and another that I'm hoping to have a rough draft ready to present to agents at the FW conference. As I mentioned above, I'm also determined to continue dusting off some of my stories to submit to magazines.

I had some other grand plans for this year, including taking a screen writing class and writing a movie, but I took a reality check and decided I better hold off on that until after college graduation.

God has a way of sending unexpected and exciting things my way, so I'm looking forward to seeing His plan unfold.

LYNDA: Well, as someone who was involved in the Struggle Creek project, I have seen, firsthand, how God is using you. It is clear He does, indeed, have a wonderful plan for you, Amy. Best wishes to you as you pursue the things God's called you to do. I look forward to seeing you again in Nashville!

To learn more about Amy and read her work, visit her FaithWriters profile: http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=12276
For more information about Peculiar People or to find out how you can be a contributing author to future projects, click here:  http://www.peculiarpeoplebooks.com