A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Paper Blots’ rendition of The Rising Author Tag and since it’s been a minute since I’ve posted a tag (and a minute since I’ve talked about writing), I figured I’d lump these two things together in one happy lil post. I’m not tagging anyone or necessarily following the rules of the tag (sorry not sorry) but I really wanted to talk about ~writing~ and couldn’t figure out what to write about, so here we are.
What’s your current project about, and what’s it’s status?
I am currently working on two projects, one a YA thriller (think Gallagher Girls meets Jessica Jones) that is in its third round of edits and the other a fluffy, quirky, Gilmore Girls-esque YA contemporary that I started drafting literally three days ago.
Do you plot things out and/or outline, or just figure it out as you write?
If you’ve been around my platforms long enough, you know that I hate outlining. I’m a very exploratory writer and rarely know what I’m going to write before I sit down to write it. With that said, I do have a few key points in mind when I start a project. Typically, the beginning, a few crucial points in the middle, and the ending are well-developed in my head. I use those as benchmarks to make sure that my writing A) makes sense and B) is actually going somewhere worth going.
Out of the characters you’ve written so far, who are your favorites?
YIKES must I choose? The protagonist of my YA thriller is probably my favorite because I’ve been developing her character the longest, but I’m also a fan of the entire cast of my YA contemporary because they’re all super pure and quirky.
What’s your writing routine?
I don’t really have a routine, but I like drinking tea while I write (it makes me feel poetic) and typically produce my best work really late at night. I’m slowly learning how to write while the sun is up, but I’ll report back on my progress. I also work well in really weird places; one time, I was struggling to work through a tricky plot point and went to discuss it with my mom, but found myself sitting on the floor of her bathroom, where I had one of my best writing sessions to date. I can’t explain the muse.
Show your WIP’s aesthetic.
I have a Pinterest account dedicated solely to character aesthetic boards. Here’s the board for my YA thriller and the board for my YA contemporary.
What motivates you to write?
To me, writing is a coping mechanism. I trip over my words in real life and struggle to get my thoughts exactly right when I share them verbally, but in writing, I can delete and rewrite until my thoughts are perfect. Also, I’ve always been good at noticing the little things, like mannerisms and smells and why people do the things they do, and I feel like that tendency deserves to be used in a productive way. And the idea of seeing my name on a book cover isn’t bad as well.
What do you find is the easiest part of writing? The hardest?
To me, the easiest part of writing is character development. This goes hand-in-hand with my aforementioned weird ability to see tiny, insignificant details that other people don’t always notice. I love creating a living, breathing individual with nothing but ideas and twenty-six letters. The hardest part of writing is writing because translating abstract thoughts into concrete words is terrifying.
Share a snippet of your writing.
I’m super stingy about sharing my writing online, but here’s the first paragraph of my YA contemporary: “I don’t know whose bright idea it was to order an ice cream cake. For Pete’s sake, it was May 15th and there was a heat wave. We don’t get many of those in Boston, but when they come, they come with a vengeance.”
What are you writing lately? How do my answers compare to yours?
Related Post: 11 Things to Never Say to a Writer
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Pinterest character aesthetic boards sound like the best idea. I used to make Sims of them but I haven’t done that in a long while.
Best of luck with your goals and projects!
Thank you!!
You’re welcome.