1. How old are you and what grade level?
I am fourteen years old and a freshman in high school.
2. Could you maybe include a picture of yourself unless you feel uncomfortable with that.
Here you go!
3. What are your other interests or anything else you would want people to know about you, maybe even a random fact :)
I play a lot of piano and bass guitar. I also draw a lot, and I'd like to get into photography.
4. How long have you been writing? And if it hasn't been more then three years what made you decide you wanted to write?
I've been writing for almost a year now. Believe it or not, before then, I hated writing! In 8th grade, there was this project where we had to write a sequel chapter for a book we'd read, and naturally, I left writing it until half an hour before it was due. So I wrote it really fast and handed it in, and somehow got a 100. And I figured it was the first time I'd written creatively, and I'd had tons of fun, so why not try it some more? It turned into an addiction.
5. Is there a certain genre you have been writing or do you write all genres?
I lean towards horror/fantasy, but I will occasionally write things in other genres (example: "Salvaged" was a historical fiction drabble). I like the freedom the genre of fantasy gives to create an entirely new world where anything is possible.
6. Where do you plan do go with your writing? (Self publishing... finding an agent...etc.)
Ideally, I'd find an agent and get published, and be successful to the point where I'd be able to be a full-time author. Until then, I'll probably also use my writing to develop a career in journalism.
7. Where does your inspirations and/or ideas come from?
There's a lot of influence from movies, music, other books, etc., but I also try to find inspiration in everyday life. I use a lot of conversations I have with friends or overhear to develop my characters' personalities. I'll occasionally think, "Okay, I want this character to sort of be like ________,". It's kind of creepy, but I figure everyone has their own sort of creeper-factor.
8. What have you been doing to practice/develop your writing skills?
I try to write every day. If I don't work on my book, I'm working on something else. Recently, I've had to put everything on hold, though, since my first exams are just around the corner.
9. Do you see writing as a possible future career, if not what do you plan on doing as a career?
I see it as inevitable that a career will come from my writing. I don't really want to do anything else.
10. As a new (Or maybe long time author) what is your advice for anyone that has just decided they love writing and want to pursue it?
Practice and commit. You won't be a good writer if you only know how to write the beginnings of stories, and you definitely won't be a good writer if you don't practice writing!
I would like to ask questions that don't particularly pertain to anything imparticular.
1. Do you have any favorite characters? (Characters you have written about)
I found Vincent Valentini so interesting, that I've been debating writing a spinoff just about him. I experimented with how it felt to be completely focused on his actions in "Nox", and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
2. What character would you invite to dinner and why?
From my book, definitely Abigail Wright. She's hilarious! I think we'd have fun being excruciatingly weird and awkward together over food.
3. Which character do you find is the most like you?
Definitely John Lareos. He was actually named after a close friend who he was actually supposed to be like, but he ended up being a lot like me. He's very quiet, but when he does talk, it's with killer sarcasm.
4. Do you read a lot?
Of course I do!
5. What kind of books do you read?
A lot of horror/fantasy, because I think that allows the reader's imagination to run wild with possibilities. But I'll occasionally read out of the genre.
6. Do the books you read inspire you?
Very much! Mostly because books--even the types of books I read (horror/fantasy)--spread information. If you look it up, a lot of these books carry ancient folk tales or myths. It's easy to draw inspiration even from the old stuff.
7. Do you remember the first piece you ever wrote?
I think I was in first grade, and I wrote a story about chicks escaping a farm. Somewhere in there I think I even included a Hispanic dragon. I might've been a little too creative as a kid.
8. How much do you feel you have improved since you first began writing?
I think I've come a long way. Sometimes I'll read things I wrote just last year and think, "How the hell did I think that was a good idea?" That's because I'm always looking to improve. I look at my own writing with a critical attitude and think about what I definitely don't like, and what I definitely do. I think it's important, as a writer, to not assume that your writing is fine the way it is. I'm constantly adapting my writing style.
9. What room is your favorite to write in?
My bedroom. Both my dad's house and my mom's house are always extremely noisy and busy, and it's very hard to concentrate. It's much quieter in my room.
10. Who was your favorite childhood author? What about your favorite author today?
As a kid, I really liked Andrew Clements after reading "No Talking". Now, I really like Stephen King and Darren Shan.
11. What is your favorite thing you've written?
Well, aside from my book, since that's a no-brainer, I'd have to say my favorite thing I've written is the short story spinoff, "Nox"
12. How do you choose the names for your characters?
Occasionally, I'll name them after people I know (i.e. John). Sometimes I'll think, "Hey I want this guy to be Italian." (Vincent Valentini). Other times I'll look up what certain names mean and pick one based on the character's personality. On the rare occasion that I write historical fiction, I'll first decide whether or not the time and place of the story would increase the likelihood that the characters' names would sound a certain way.
13. what do you think makes good writing?
I think it's a collection of things. I mean, if you don't have a good plot, your story's going to suck. If your characters aren't vivid, your story's going to suck. If you don't have a style of writing that engages the reader, your story's going suck. It really is a combination of different things that have to come together to make an awesome piece.
14. What made you fall in love with writing?
Writing is one of the few ways that you can be the god of a universe you created. In writing, you can decide when it rains or what people are like. Your characters can live out a life you'd never experience otherwise. The laws of science don't even apply, if you don't want them to. It's just an interesting tool, I think, to explore things that other people would have never imagined.
15. How do you beat out your writers block?
I usually read or watch a movie. For some reason, seeing other people's ideas come to life makes me want mine to come to life, too.
Now I want you to choose a specific book you want to get the most attention and answer the following questions:
1. How did you come up with the title?
The title was easy. The book was about an assassin, so I literally just named it, "The Assassin". I guess you could say I lack creativity when it comes to titles. However, before it's published, my titles (as well as character names) are always subject to change.
2. Summary of the book?
Ancient legend has it that a mirror, given to the people by the gods, "will both create and destroy the holder's enemies." Never was the verse understood by those who hadn't held it themselves, people who lived thousands of years ago. When the beings of these civilizations disappeared, the mirror was assumed to be lost forever in the ruins of an ancient kingdom.
At least, it was until curiosity stepped in.
In Orldea, everyone struggles. They struggle to abide by the rules of their government, to find work, and to keep their families safe from the all too frequent crime. But in The Association, the people struggle to kill without remorse, to stay hidden, and, for one girl, to keep a secret. Raven Noire is in trouble, and she knew it the second she'd taken the damned thing from the ruins years ago. Now, a mistake made as a curious child has turned into a lethal secret that could turn their country into one of chaos and war, should it escape... and somebody's let the cat out of the bag.
3. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Bad things happen. Sometimes they happen for no reason at all, and sometimes they've been building up, but the important thing to do is take responsibility for your actions and deal with it, rather than focusing on how things could've been.
4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Absolutely. There is a lot of internal conflict within Raven that I think everyone can relate to, but there are some other personal things that I've thrown in there.
5. What has been the hardest thing of writing your book?
Definitely getting through the length. Whenever I would try to write a book before, I'd always stop for some reason a few pages in, even though I knew exactly where I wanted the story to go. I lacked the ability to seriously commit to my story.
6. Do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers?
Thanks for reading! Seriously, I don't have many, so I really appreciate it.
7. What can readers expect from you in the future?
A hell of a lot more than I've been giving them! I'm moving on to bigger and bigger things every day, so expect a book soon, rather than a few short stories now and then.
Read her work here: http://www.wattpad.com/user/HauntedSong
