Author Interview: Sera Amoroso

Let's discuss To All The Girls I've Loved Before - a book about autism & friendship

Dec 16, 2025

Today we’ve got an author interview with Sera Amoroso to talk about To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, a collection of poetry about autism and friendship.

To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before has
- has been described as feeling “diary style”
- interpersonal relationships
- chronic pain
- difficulty communicating due to autism

In her debut collection of poetry and prose, Sera Amoroso explores growing pains as an autistic girl. Blending themes of difficulties with friendships and learning how to live with chronic pain, To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before tackles family, friends, and faith through the eyes of an adopted military kid.

Thank you to Sera Amoroso for taking the time to do this interview with us!

When did you first come up with the idea for To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before?

I’ve always written poems, and I had a collection of them in a folder on my phone. I went through them for a writing group, and found a common theme. It was during a pretty bad point in my life, when I was struggling with finding community and having issues communicating with my friends, and I was reminiscing on high school and when I first got diagnosed with autism and how I was slowly learning how to integrate into a neurotypical society. Honestly, I sucked at it; learning how to be a good friend is tough. I put the collection together in six months, and published it when I was having a huge fight with a person I’m no longer friends with. It was really weird to sign those books and put on a brave face knowing I was going through the exact same thing I talked about in the collection again.

Do you have a favourite line you'd like to share?

It’s hard to pick a line out of context, but I think the one that really fits the theme comes from Little Girls Who Don’t Know How to Communicate and it’s ‘I think I’m kind and sweet and caring and you think I’m brash and rude and angry.’

If you could pick one poem people would read, which one would it be?

The closing poem, Cheyenne. It’s a love letter to the person I never was. I was adopted very young, and my birth name was Cheyenne. I know that it gave me a lot of opportunities, and that I wouldn’t have been the same person if I wasn’t adopted, but I still mourn not knowing my family or my culture. I think it’s difficult to reconcile, because I do love my adoptive family, they’re all I’ve ever known, but I think there’s space for both. Grieving my birth family and wanting to know where I came from doesn’t take away from the love I have for my adoptive family, mainly because I always just think of them as my family. I only ever make the distinction when I’m referencing where I came from. Our circumstances greatly shape who we are as people, and I’d say names do too, in a sense. I have a different sort of persona when I call myself Sera, as it’s a pseudonym, than I do when I use my legal name. I wouldn’t call either my ‘real’ name; both are very real to me, and very special. But there’s a difference in who I am and what’s expected of me depending on which name I’m called, and I think that feeling is really exemplified in this piece.

Who would you recommend To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before to?

I wrote this collection for myself, so the primary audience is autistic girls. But I’d say it’s best for anyone who’s had difficulty finding a place where they fit in, and feels like they’re losing a piece of themselves whenever they do.

What is your favourite thing about this book? What’s something that makes it special or interesting?

I don’t really have a favorite part of the collection. I was intentional with the poems I chose, but that makes it difficult to really pick a favorite. Though, I will say that I adore the cover. I put the cover together, but the art on the front and back was done by Erelah Emerson, and there are such cute details on it. She wrote my name in morse code into the vine on the back. It’s such a fun secret that I get to point out whenever someone picks the collection up.

Do you have a favourite part of the writing process?

A little cliche, but I like the editing process. Specifically, I like the second or third round of rewrites, before anyone ever sees my manuscript. I usually let things sit for a while before coming back to it, and it helps me catch things I otherwise wouldn’t. Re-wording things is really fun for me. I’m extremely intentional with the way that I speak. Since I’m autistic, I mean exactly what I say, with no hidden meaning, so while I can come across as rude or mean due to my straightforwardness, I don’t intend to be like that. I like crafting sentences in a way that get my intentions across in a very specific manner, so I talk a lot. I feel sometimes like I’m talking to a malicious genie and I have to word my wishes carefully so that it doesn’t have any room to misinterpret me. I write in the same way.

Do you know what your next project will be?

I am currently editing my third novel: Zenosyne. It’ll be out in 2026! Every so often I get sick of my own writing, so I had to take a break and just chill and read and absorb good writing, so I’m glad I’m able to get back into it.

Have you always wanted to be an author? What inspired you to start?

Yes. I was homeschooled, so all I did was read and write. There are pictures of me as a kid wearing pyjamas backward because I put them on while reading. My brother broke his arm and went to the hospital, and I didn’t move from my spot on the couch because I was so absorbed in my book. The first time I told my mother I didn’t want to read, she asked me if I was sick. I can’t really pinpoint the time I started writing, because it was just something that I always did.

How long have you been writing?

I would say that I’ve been seriously writing for almost twelve years now, because that’s when I attempted my first novel, though I seriously hope it never sees the light of day. My debut novel came out in 2021. I did writing contests in high school, so that definitely made me more confident. Maybe a bit overconfident, since I had to write a second edition of my first book.

How much does your own life influence your work?

I’d say my life influences my poetry, though there are definitely some exaggerated details, and some fictional poems. I also tend to write characters with autistic traits into my books. But that’s about it. I like my fiction to be fiction.

Is there anything interesting you’d like to share about yourself? A little author fun fact, perhaps?

It’s in the blurb for this collection, but I’m a military kid! My family moved around a lot, and I picked up a lot of pieces of different cultures. As it stands, I’ve currently visited eleven countries. Hopefully, I will have the chance to visit many more.

What made you decide to self-publish?

My biggest issue with traditional publishing was the lack of control that they give to their authors. Ultimately, when you’re a trad author, your book is a product. This is a business. I liked getting to decide how to do everything. That being said, it’s always good to have outside opinions. There are pros and cons to each path, and I have some projects I want to go the traditional route with, simply because I don’t have as clear of a vision. Trad opens a lot of doors for people, and closes others. Self publishing is the same. Whichever you choose, make sure you do your research. Going into self-publishing blindly did actually set me back a little bit. Though, I don’t think I would’ve changed anything. I liked the process, and I learned a lot from it.

Who was your biggest influence as an author?

I grew up reading classic fantasy and sci-fi, so stuff from Tolkien, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, etc. They influenced my writing style a lot. I get inspiration from movies, too. It varies depending on how I’m feeling. My writing is a lot more my own, now. I actually have a recognizable writing style. I think it’s important to make writing your own, and to have a specific voice. That’s how you stand against time.

Do you have any favourite poets?

I read a lot of poetry, but I must confess, sometimes I don’t pay attention to the actual names of the poets. Though, the last poem I read did come from bell hooks, and I believe it’s in Appalachian Elegy.

If you could recommend one book aside from your own, what would it be?

I love The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I am a Christian, so this hits hard for me specifically, as it’s stylized as series of letters between two demons, discussing the younger’s first target and how he’s trying to claim his soul. But, if that’s not up your alley, I also really like Scythe by Neal Shusterman, and The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. My favorite books are The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, but those get recommended enough, I think.

What advice would you give to other writers? Is there anything you wish someone had told you?

I always say that the best advice I got is to write first for yourself, or you will burn out, but that advise can be old fashioned, especially for people who write full time and need to follow trends to sell their books the trad way. The thing that helped me the most is that your books are not for everyone. People are nitpicky, and what works for some, won’t work for others, and visa versa. Everyone disagrees on what makes a good story or a good writer, and not everyone is meant to be a writer. It is best to be passionate about what you do, as that translates well into your books. Talk about it, get criticism from other writers, and don’t give up. Everyone’s path is different. You’re not falling behind if you’re old, and you’re not ahead if you’re young. You’re exactly where you need to be, no matter what part of the journey you’re on.

Thanks so much to Sera Amoroso for joining us today, and for answering our questions! It’s been great to have you here and learn more about your book!

About the Author

Sera Amoroso is a full-time tea enthusiast and nap enjoyer. She founded Beyond the Stars Press, and works as a freelance copy editor and conlanger while pursuing a graduate degree. She has been writing since she was ten years old, and ever since she got her hands on books such as The Lord of the Rings, and Ender’s Game, she wanted to publish one of her own. Torsion, her debut novel, kicks off The Makria Cycle. She’s also been featured in the anthology Aphotic Love, and the 2024 edition of The Dragon Bone Journal. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, chilling with her dog, creating languages, and playing games with friends.

Content Warnings
✘ grief
✘ depression
✘ suicide ideation

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