Alas, I haven't been keeping up with this meme, and additionally I have not been writing much at all lately. I hope that will change soon, seeing as I have a new story brewing in my mind that I've been working on planning out.
The beautiful people meme is hosted by Paper Fury if any of you would like to participate!1. How many years have you been writing? When did you officially consider yourself a ‘writer’?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. My Mom claims in one of her journals that I wrote my first story when I was about two years old (a bunch of scribbles that I muttered out loud in baby babble). Most details are unknown; but it had the word "dog" in it.
2. How/why did you start writing?
Both my mother and my grandmother (my two biggest idols as a kid) had wanted to be authors. They had books strewn everywhere, always feverishly writing in journals, and me, being a kid, wanted to be exactly like them.
3. What’s your favorite part of writing?
3. What’s your favorite part of writing?
I love the rush you feel when you're getting something right. When you lose yourself in the words of this book, and you forget reality exists and you disappear right into the story itself, beside the characters in this world you've created.
4. What’s your biggest writing struggle?
4. What’s your biggest writing struggle?
Well, there's the actually writing bit. I tend to do well when I force myself onto a schedule, like NaNoWriMo, but other than that I have difficulty sticking to one story, and tend to hop to another one before I finish the one at hand. And I, of course, deal with the crippling self-doubt of all authors. (And editing. Can I just say all of it?)
5. Do you write best at night or day?
5. Do you write best at night or day?
Night! That's the only time I get the peace and quiet to actually focus on my writing. During the day there's always something going on or someone talking rather loudly downstairs.
6. What does your writing space look like? (Feel free to show us pictures!)
6. What does your writing space look like? (Feel free to show us pictures!)
Sadly, my camera isn't working currently, but my favorite writing space is my desk, on my laptop. It's a very messy desk with lots of notebooks, papers, and pencils. And because it is a white desk I doodle and jot down notes on the desk itself... I need sticky notes.
7. How long does it typically take you to write a complete draft?
7. How long does it typically take you to write a complete draft?
A long time. I've only finished one draft (one real draft, I should say) before, and I have one that's a bit over 100k words right now. About a month seems to be my general time frame (interesting that both of these were written during NaNoWriMo, isn't it?)
8. How many projects do you work on at once?
8. How many projects do you work on at once?
Only one at a time, since I find it hard to concentrate on different characters and worlds and sometimes mix them up. However, I do quite easily, which is a habit I really need to get out of. (*glares at unfinished ~30k drafts*)
9. Do you prefer writing happy endings, sad ones, or somewhere in between?
9. Do you prefer writing happy endings, sad ones, or somewhere in between?
I like both of them, but bittersweet is my favorite. Something really tragic happens, but someone gets a happy ending.
10. List a few authors who’ve influenced your writing journey.
10. List a few authors who’ve influenced your writing journey.
J.R.R. Tolkien: I remember reading The Hobbit so voraciously as a child, and even now it is one of my favorite books. It made me realize that the best heroes choose their own journey, and I try to apply that to my writing even today.
Erin Hunter; I'm not such a fan of the Warriors Series anymore, but it will always have a special place in my heart due to all the fanfictions I wrote of it in Elementary school.
Sarah J. Maas; Made me realize that what I write as a teen can be important.
11. Do you let people read your writing? Why or why not?
I let my Dad and brother read my last year NaNoWriMo novel, but generally? No, I don't. Otherwise I find myself writing for other people instead of me.
12. What’s your ultimate writing goal or dream?
To get published, and maybe even be a successful author. I know this seems lame and it's definitely impossible, but I'd really like to get on the New York Times Bestseller list one day. (I've never told anyone that before; it's been my secret dream.)
13. If you didn’t write, what would you want to do?
13. If you didn’t write, what would you want to do?
...Uh, I'm not sure. I was going to say Script Write for TV Shows, but then I realized that would be writing too.
14. Do you have a book you’d like to write one day but don’t feel you’re ready to attempt it yet?
Well, the idea currently in my head needs a lot of work, but I really want to write it. One day. Hopefully soon!
15. Which story has your heart and won’t let go?
15. Which story has your heart and won’t let go?
It's actually a novel I wrote in fifth grade. It was really bad, obviously, but we would have about an hour or half an hour a day in class to free write, and I wrote a really long story. A full-fledged novel that took up more than one composition notebook, and the other kids in class were fascinated. They started writing their own "books" and that original book of mine will hold a special place in my heart forever, because it inspired so many other kids and made me feel so important and special. It's when I discovered that I truly wanted to write for the rest of my life and maybe even inspire more people to write themselves.
