Q. What kind of books do you mostly write?
A. My preferred genre to read and write is fantasy, though I have been branching out into horror and sci-fi. I'm also a huge fan of poetry. My poetry books are small and simple- some are fun and light-hearted, others... not so much. All have been a catharsis for me. Hopefully, they make you feel... something. <3 (See Extra Life & Circles of the Soul on Amazon today!)
Q. How long have you been writing?
A. I've been creating stories for as long as I can remember, though I do distinctly recall the day I began to write them down. My mother came home from work and I, at about five years old, had concocted a glamorous tale about our cat and how he'd actually flown through the air, like magic! As I continued to relay the fantastical details of the saga to her, my mother became exasperated with my tall tales and suggested I start making them into storybooks. My passion for writing and the depths of my imagination have only grown and become more honed over the years. I'm amazed at all I've already accomplished... and this is only the beginning!
Q. Do you have any mainstream or professional credentials and/or have you won any awards for your writing?
A. I won the Young Authors Best of School award in 6th grade at Henry Raab Elementary and have had a poem published in an anthology by Writer's Assembled's Casey Laine.
Q. What motivates you to write?
A. I love it. Writing is part of who I am. It's not a hobby or even just a talent. It's so much more than that. My writing is an extension of my soul. It's my mark on the world. It's the magic I saw in books when I was a kid and creating magic for future generations. I'm not motivated to write. Writing motivates me to LIVE.
Q. Do you have any weird or odd writing quirks?
A. One strange-ish thing I do: When scrolling through Facebook or Twitter, procrastinating, of course, I try to get myself in the writing mindset by imagining how my characters would react to the posts in my newsfeed. It's an... interesting exercise.
Q. What advice would you give to another writer after they've received multiple rejections from agents or publishing houses?
A. Everyone likes different music, ice cream, cars, colors, clothes, etc. We all have different styles and various reasons why we like what we like. Most of the time, we don't really even fully know why we like it or not. Just because your book wasn't appreciated by the mint chocolate chip lovers, doesn't mean it won't be appreciated by the butter pecan lovers. Find your niche. You may need to start small. Get a close-knit group of friends who are into the same things as you. If you're wanting to be published by a specific PH, make sure you thoroughly read their query submission guidelines. Don't publish your main work until you publish with who you really want. Until then, self-publish smaller works, build up a decent following, learn as much as you can, and then approach those bigger PHs.
Q. Best advice for other writers?
A. Ask and answer questions & give/take advice with patience and humility. Give honest, useful feedback when working with other authors. Never treat a fellow writer/author like they're competition. Always be 100% genuine. Read books by great authors in their genre. Be ready to devote to your work and give it your all. Most importantly, write, write, write, as often as possible. Even if you're not writing your book, write something at least once every day. It can be a few sentences but keep it fresh in your mind. If you write, you're a writer.
Q. What are some of the pitfalls and drawbacks to being a writer?
A. Especially in today's digital world, I have to warn against marketing scams and pirating. Both are big problems in the industry, so make sure to really double check everyone you work with. Also, once you start getting noticed and getting reviews, you WILL get people hating on you. DO NOT RESPOND. Report and/or delete the user and comments if at all possible, but do not engage. Most of the time, it's simply people trying to get a reaction. Don't react (directly), and they'll move on.
Q. Have you experienced any incidents or negative people when dealing with your writing?
A. I've dealt with my share of bad marketing experiences and rude internet trolls. It comes with the territory and I just constantly remind myself to be vigilant and try to have empathy for those on the other side.
#AskMeAnything!
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