Writer's Tag
At this rate, I'll need a separate Tag book. Yeesh.
Anyway. Oceane_Breeze tagged me to do this interview as a writer. I don't know what she was thinking, (Me a writer?), but here it goes. I'm uploading this before my next chapter because of...reasons.
When did you first begin writing?
The first time I can remember writing short stories from my imagination goes back to kindergarten when I learned how to write, but my relatives tell me of all the little stories I would come up with in preschool-elaborate adventure/fantasy stories for me to act out. From very early on, I was either daydreaming about a story idea or writing it down during my free time.
What was the first book you read (or wrote) that made you cry?
The first book I read that made me cry was actually a book I had been read to many times called, Siempre Te Querre. When I was 10 years old, I found out in my parent's book collection, read it by myself at night and found myself bawling my eyes out. I recommend it for anyone who has kids or is a kid at heart themselves.
The first book I wrote that made me cry was The Master's Apprentice because of an emotional scene with Tomas, the main protagonist. I can't give any spoilers right now because it happens in the next chapter I upload tonight.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both. When I get in the flow of writing, I rarely notice, but writing/editing is mentally taxing on me. On one hand, it takes a lot of time to come out right, but on the other hand, writing is so much fun!
What is your writing kryptonite?
Editing. Wattpad has been a blessing because I can write the chapters, publish them and then edit/view feedback. I have been told I can write, but I have a habit of extensive editing while writing so my author's voice ends up being lost in the process. Now that I'm revising after I publish, I can read the chapter out loud and edit it. It's a work-in-progress really.
Do you try to be original or deliver what readers want?
I write most of my stories based on original dreams or pre-conceived ideas, so I can't really mess with the plot that much as it's already set once I start on a story. However, I do listen to feedback from readers and construct the minute details in a story by gearing it to a potential audience. On Wattpad, a writer is not writing in an echo chamber so recent events/attitudes/research does guide the process a bit.
What authors are you friend with on Wattpad and how do they inspire you as a writer?
I'm a reader before a writer always so reading other's stories and being inspired is essential as a writer. When I began writing, the Wattpad community members started to reach out through comments and replies to conversations which shocked me a bit as I've always been the solitary reader going through fanfiction and then ultimately deciding to stop being afraid and writing. Acquaintances on Wattpad have supported me, given me feedback and motivated me to keep going on days when I want to give up. All these wonderful people are authors on their own right, but if I'm referring to published authors, the one who has given me the most advice would have to be Marjoryk who is an outstanding published author and caring rolemodel. Like the saying goes, she's someone I would like to be like when I grow up. Charlay Marie has also been a great influence on my writing and has chatted with me often about writing/non-writing related matters. Her writing is sublime and inspired me to write more than fanfiction which was my original goal.
What would you like to tell your writing self?
Leonardo DaVinci is attributed saying, "Art is never finished, just abandoned." Writing is like that-it's a process. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process!
What's the best money you've spent as a writer?
I usually read books of various genres from the library to learn and gauge style. However, books on grammar/how to write are excellent purchases to make as references while I write.
What's your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass. I don't read books by her often, but this novel is a rare find. A blend of reality with a touch of science-fiction, a bit of adventure and mixing three different viewpoints amazingly to create a coherent story with messages of growing up, right and wrong, overcoming obstacles, friendship, etc. is a feat in itself. Every time I read it, it's like reading it the first time. Every Soul A Star contains superb storytelling while conveying a whimsical style to make ordinary events seem like life-ending experiences and the cliffhangers are to die for. Hopefully, I can write a novel like that does not feature romance as a plot driver and offered a fresh perspective on the young adult genre that defied clichés and scoffed at stereotypes.
How many unpublished or half-finished books do you have?
In my head or written down? I've written quite a few short stories and completed them. However, the unpublished/half-finished books are too many to count.
So a lot.
What kind of research do you do and how long do you research for?
Depends on the story, honestly. For Bright, a novel I'm not publishing on Wattpad, it has taken years and I've watched documentaries/movies on various subjects, scoured Google Maps and visited the location of the novel to set the story in reality, documented news events, looked up crime statistics, experienced high school, read books on scientific subjects related to the plot, interviewed police officers and all but spent days on end fact-checking the possibility of the events in the story happening. I can get very thorough if I want to be.
For the stories on Wattpad, I've only had to briefly check for somethings such as the name of certain powers for World Gone Mad and some Scottish slang/names for The Master's Apprentice. That takes only a few minutes at most.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a character of the opposite sex?
Lack of experience as I have never done it before. I've had to get into a character's mindset real well to write their perspective and even then I don't know if I can get it right. Writing the character James of World Gone Mad has been a pain because of it. Can someone please tell me how to get better at this?
How do you select a character's name?
Sometimes the names come to me in dreams like Marcos/Rush. Mostly, I just look up someone's ethnicity, see all the names and choose one that has a meaning somewhat related to the character. I like names that aren't very popular so it takes some time to do this.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few readers will find?
Hehe. (evil chuckle) Yes. I hide foreshadowing and references to something related to the story a lot, especially in the GEAR Universe stories. I put things in that will come in for that story or for another possible story in the future to see if the readers can find it. Master's Apprentice has so many of them since it is a prequel to World Gone Mad.
What is your hardest scene to write?
Scenes that I'm making up as I go and I did not plan to add in the story. I'm usually a planner, but sometimes I'll improvise and then have to arrange somethings.
Action scenes are the toughest for me to write though.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Getting into the flow of it and starting to write a chapter. Once I get started, then it's easy to keep writing.
On average, how long does it take you to finish a book?
I've only finished short stories and two novels so the time varied for all of those. Right now, I've finished the rough draft of Shadows on Wattpad so that took a few months and I still need to rewrite the beginning and upload the very last chapters.
Do you believe in writer's block?
Yes, but I do not suffer from it. I have a lot of ideas and written a lot of stories; my problem is not writing a story but having the time to write it all down and the motivation to revise the story.
Which of your characters do you feel closest to?
None of them are based on me, but I like Aila from MA because she's an optimist and knows how to defend herself. The character that I feel closest to is Marcos which is a character that is has a rich inner struggle and has felt both the darkness and the light at times. He will be the main protagonist in the follow up to World Gone Mad, Imposter, and has a story arc that doesn't feel forced or contrived, rather, he is my favorite character because even though the other characters see him as a lone wolf, he feels the weight on his shoulders and is not afraid to bare it. Under his silent exterior lies a gentle soul that has been misguided and that makes good on his second chance. After I finish writing WGM, Imposter will be quite a project to undertake on and hopefully show humanity at its best and worst.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to aspiring authors?
Three things you need to do: Read, Write, Live.
Oh and find company along the way because writing is not a solitary process for most of us. Reach out for feedback and be appreciative. We never stop learning in life and writing is not an exception to that rule.
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