Meet Arden Coutts | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arden Coutts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arden, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been creative, and after years of trying out “normal” jobs, I finally figured out that maybe a creative field would be a better fit. I get to make my own rules, do what I love, and feel like I’m doing something with a purpose. That being said, I do still have a 9-5 that helps me support my creative career, and sometimes it can be a lot, but knowing that I’m working to support doing what I love makes it totally worth it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think what sets me apart from other writers is that my books are heavily influenced by my own personal experiences. As a trans-non-binary individual, I use my own experiences and those of my peers to enhance my work. In my varied and diverse writing, my goal is to share the queer experience with readers, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Writing has allowed me to explore and express my gender and sexual orientation journey, and I hope to continue to explore and share with readers through my characters and the stories they tell.

While I love writing, it has been a bumpy road to where I am today. I’ve overcome years of writer’s block, depression, and anxiety over sharing my work. In the end, overcoming these things has made me and my writing stronger. I was able to move forward with my writing because of the encouragement of others, sheer determination to do what I love, and the desire to share the stories of characters that are underrepresented in traditionally published works.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would start by hitting some of the local bookstores like Blackbird Books & Coffee and So & So BookStore. I would also take them to a First Friday or a Market in Moore Square to enjoy the local makers in Raleigh.

From there, we would continue our exploration of the arts by visiting ArtSpace and the rest of City Market.

We’d have to visit the Alamo Drafthouse for a movie night because it’s one of the best places in Raleigh, in my opinion!

I’d also likely take them to visit Wilson, NC, which is about 45 minutes away, so they can experience historic downtown Wilson, which is full of amazing visual artists!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out a couple of different people.

To Tara and Katie, my besties, for supporting my crazy ideas and being there for me when I needed you the most.

To my Mom for instilling a love of books in me at a young age.

To Monique and Montrez, for helping and coaching me through my writing journey.

Website: www.ardencoutts.com

Instagram: @ardencoutts

Facebook: @authorardencoutts

Image Credits
Amanda Duncan