365 Interviews

Interview 94: elizabethrami

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Well, for starters, my name is Elizabeth. I'm a teenager in high school who is in love with love stories, cold weather, and any kind of music I can get my hands on. I live in a place which I refer to as "cactus planet," and my current obsessions include the entire Teen Wolf cast and the beautiful invention of strawberry cheesecake ice cream. And lastly, one day, I hope I'll be able to do something really special with my writing.

2. What inspired you to write?

To be honest I didn't always know that I wanted to be a writer. What really inspired me to become one myself was at first, reading. A ton. And of course, finding those really amazing books that made me laugh and cry- finding those books that still stick with me even now. Those inspired me because I wanted to write something that could have that kind of affect on people too. I wanted to write a story that really meant something.

3. Do you have a specific writing style?

Absolutely- everyone does. Personally, I like to be very descriptive with my writing. I like to make it so the reader can feel the same things and see the same things that my character does. I also always always always make sure to leave a cliff hanger at the end if my chapters- I know that people love to hate them but I can't resist.

4. How did you come up with your titles?

I currently only have two books posted, but I usually try and pick titles that not only relate with the story- but make them stand out. Titles are suppose to be the one thing that pulls people in, the one line that shows readers a glimpse into what your story will really be like. So, to come up with my own, I kept that in mind.

5. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

If there's one message I really want readers to pull from my story MRSR, it's that they can't let one single moment or mistake dictate their entire lives. In MRSR, my character Drew has a secret- and it has changed everything for him. The way he thinks, the way he acts, who he is, who he can trust. And I want my readers to know that letting something control you like that is most definitely not the right choice.

6. How much of the book is realistic?

It depends on what you mean by realistic. I can assure you, there's no magic or castles or anything of that sort in my story whatsoever, so I guess in that way it's very realistic. If by realistic you mean how much of my story actually happened in real life, then I'm sorry to say it's completely fictional. But, my character's stories are realistic. The things that happen to them and are going to happen to them later on could really be something some people can relate with.

7. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Going back to my character Drew in MRSR, I know a boy named Drew in real life. In no way do they relate with each other, other than with their names of course, but the Drew I actually know is the sweetest, most kind guy I've ever met. So, I guess I kind of like the name. Also in MRSR, my character Ally is almost identical with the personality of my younger cousin. Most of the inspiration I have for that character comes from her.

8. What books have most influenced your life most? 

Oh jeez- there's a ton of those. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater, the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, and I know a lot of people say this- but the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. (Eh-hem Team Peeta for the win) And I knows there's a billion others, but these were the ones that really stand out for me.

9. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.

The hidden parts of me I can never share aloud.

10. Where do you get your ideas?

I get my ideas from all sorts of places. Sometimes I listen to a song that inspires me, sometimes I hear a quote and all of a sudden I have back stories for characters. I'm unorganized and all over the place with my ideas; they kind of come and go.

11. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?

I know this is really cheesy- but I'm a really family oriented kind of person. I love being with my family or my close friends- watching movies, hanging out. I'm good with anything really, just as long as I'm having a good time.

12. What distinguishes good writing from bad writing?

I don't think there's some kind of set rules or checklist to determine if writing is good or bad. I mean, everyone has their own opinion. What someone thinks is good, I might not like, and vice versa. I guess it's kind of personal preference.

13. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

 I think it would be called; Do You Know Elizabeth? Just because I made a blog with the same title, even though I haven't started using it yet.

14. Imagine your characters are on survivor.  Who will they vote out of the book?

 Oh, most definitely Hailey's mom in MRSR. She's a pretty bad person in the story, and people have made it clear that they wish she would just go away. But hey, there always has to be someone who causes a problem here and there.

15.  Do you see writing as a career or a hobby?

 I see it as both. I like to have fun with it and do it in my free time like its a hobby, but I also like to be a perfectionist and can take it very seriously like its a career. I think it's a good balance- or at least I hope it is.

16. Will you have a new story coming out soon? If so can you tell us about it? 

I always have ideas for new stories, but right now I can only tell you for certain that I will be coming out with a new book after MRSR is over. I don't know how long it will take to finish MRSR though, so the timeline right now is sort of unclear.

17. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part of writing my book was finding out that not everything works the way you want it to. It doesn't matter how long you've been planning or if you've played a scene in your head a billion times- some things just don't work. And it's really, horribly frustrating, but I think figuring that out has helped me become a better writer.

18.Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

If there's one thing I've learned from writing a book, it's that even though it's really difficult and frustrating, it's also so much fun and amazing to let others read your work. And now, I wouldn't want to do anything else. So in all, I've learned that it's totally and completely worth it- every step if the way.

19.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

If there's one thing I want to say to my readers, it would be a massive thank you to everyone single one of you. I never knew I could connect with so many people and be able to talk about my writing, and I'm really grateful to have been given this kind of opportunity. I couldn't have done it without you guys. So, thank you for sticking with me all this time. I won't let you down- I promise

20. Do you have any advice for other writers?

If I were to give any piece of advice to another writer, it would be to always remember why you started. It's so easy to get down on yourself when two months has passed and you haven't written anything, or people are saying negative things, or you're simply uninterested in continuing- but it really helps to just remember what inspired you to write in the first place. To remember how writing and sharing your writing makes you feel. To remember what message you wanted to show through your writing or why the story you created means so much to you. Just remember that, and you can do anything.