365 Interviews

Interview 139: the-before

1. Can you tell me about yourself? I’m 13 years old have a weird obsession with cats 5 Seconds of Summer One Direction and food. I'm African American and live in Georgia.

2. What inspired you to write?

I have always loved to read so reading books gave me ideas and I guess one day I just said "If these people can write a book then so can I."

3. If you could have one of your characters come to life who would it be and why? What would you do with them?

I'd bring my main characters sister Ally to life from my story One Thousand Miles because she reminds me of well...me. In the earlier chapters of OTM I talked about Stephanie during her high school years and her sister was always mentioned. Her sister would get her involved in things they shouldn't have and that was basically me. But later on in the book when Stephanie visits her family you can kind of see that Ally is no longer that kid that gets into trouble. Yep that is totally me.

If Ally came to life I'd make her come to the library with me almost every Monday and go to the movies because that is basically what I'm doing ALL the time haha.

4. Where do your ideas come from?

Reading. I don't steal other people’s ideas I just talk about that certain topic, but change everything else.

5. Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

Both. I don't plan out the whole story like chapter one is going to be about this and chapter two is going to be about this. No I actually come up with a whole bunch of ideas for what I want to do for the beginning middle and end and just try to place those ideas in chapters. Along the way I get more ideas or I think of something better which is pretty cool if you ask me.

6. How do you think you've evolved creatively?

My writing gets better every day the more I write.

7.What is the hardest thing about writing?

Writers block and people who make rude comments. It's very annoying to read comments that are negative about your book. It's upsetting because authors work so hard to make a book that people will actually enjoy and then they just shoot you down with their negative words.

8. Would you call yourself a wattpad celebrity? Why so or why not?

No I would not call myself a wattpad celebrity because I'm here to write for myself really. If people want to read my books then that is fine too.

9. Are you working on any new story you can tell me about?

I am currently coming up with ideas for my sequel to One Thousand Miles. It's called One Thousand Faces and I sadly cannot talk about it. If I talk about it now and my fans read this then they'll know the shocking ending of OTM.

10. What is your favorite quote?

Definitely what Augustus Waters said on the plane to Amsterdam in The Fault in Our Stars. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.” I wish a guy could say something as sweet as that to me.

11. What is your favorite film and why?

Divergent. I am obsessed! They had some very good actors *cough* Theo James.

12. Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?

Well in 5 years from now it’ll be the summer after senior year. I see myself working at McDonalds or something.

13. Imagine your main character dies on page one.  Everything else remains the same.  Describe the new plot to your book.

Stephanie's husband becomes a drunk and nobody ever finds out what he did to her.

14. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Keep your head up and don't miss out on your blessings.

15. Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Colton Haynes and Lana Del Rey. That's two (my bad). Colton because his life is similar to mine. Growing up with little money and stuff and now it’s like God has answered my family's prayers. And Lana Del Rey because she has a beautiful voice.

16. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

The Fault In Our Stars because the characters don't act like normal teenagers. The teenagers at my school aren't very serious and could care less about quoting famous poets

17. What was the easiest part of writing?

Coming up with ideas. It's easy to come up with ideas, but when it's time to write them it's kind of tricky because you have to actually write your characters thoughts and movements. You have to have details.

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

Get help if somebody offers it to you even though you say you don't need it.

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

Keep voting and especially commenting. Your comments help me out a lot so thank you.

20. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be original and continue doing what you do best