365 Interviews

Interview 142: yourstrulytrina

1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself? My name is Trina, it’s not really but it kind of is at the same time, it’s complicated so just call me Trina. I’m a Filipino with a huge problem with her sleep cycle.

2. What inspired you to write? There’s always a story that needs to be told. It could be that child I met during a program or my next door neighbor who seems to always fight with his parents. I have this opportunity to write a story, I can actually tell a story, and I don’t plan to let this chance to slip away. I’ll keep writing because there is an infinity amount of stories needed to be told.

3. Do you have a specific writing style? When people say writing style, they’re usually asking about if I write in past tense or present. For me, when I say writing style, it’s about the way I portray my characters. To give the people an answer the right way, I write in past tense. Character-wise, I show things from the perspective of my main character. I rather have them think through their actions, than fill the pages with a bunch of dialogues. 

4. How did you come up with the titles of your stories? I actually write a plot after I come with the title. I think of something bordering sweet, but at the same time, leaves the readers interested enough to read the summary.

5. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Even with the different plots, all my stories connect to one specific lesson; no matter how amazing somebody’s life may appear, they have this problem they have to deal with. Nobody’s perfect, even if people claim that they are.

6. How much of the book is realistic?  I admit that my books are cliché, but for me, life is a walking cliché. I make my main characters relatable, a little sarcastic and rude, but those are more realistic than any Mary Sue. Their stories on the other hand, are at somewhat real with a bit of a twist to make things interesting. 

7. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? All of my books are based on my life. Not the whole thing, but some aspects. Just like what I told my readers – you read my stories, you read my life. It’s like a puzzle, you pick up the pieces from each book and put them together, you decode my life.

8. Imagine your characters are on survivor.  Who will they vote out of the book? Possibly the nuisance in the story; I always have that one person who my readers just want to kick out of the story because it interferes with the love story.

9. What job did you want to be as a kid?  A doctor, and I’m already working my way to it because I’m already applying for my pre-med.

10. What is your main goal with writing books? Just as what my favorite authors do to me, I want to give my readers a way to live in another world. Also, just like what I said before, to tell a story that needs to be seen by the world.

11. Do you ever experience writer’s block? Always, it’s like we’re buddies already.

12. Do you work with an outline, or just write? Just write. I know my beginning and end, but I don’t know how to get from A to Z.

13. Imagine your main character dies on page one.  Everything else remains the same.  Describe the new plot to your book. I’m going to place this on Falling For The Opposite. If Celeste died, Drew’s father will serve his time in jail, Lucas will be that bad boy who will just play around and get drunk, her friends will never find their loves. It will jump into a tragic story if my main character dies.

14.  What do you do when you are not writing?  Practically my life. School, family, friends, and stuff like that. Writing is my hobby, something to relax myself when the stress is too much.

15.  Do you see writing as a career or a hobby? At the middle. I’m carefree in writing like a hobby, but I stress over it when I can no longer formulate ideas or meet deadlines like a career.

16. Will you have a new story coming out soon? If so can you tell us about it? Nothing yet, I won’t start a new book until I’m finished with my on-going ones. I don’t want to stress myself too much. 

17. What was the hardest part of writing your book? Probably thinking of a way to twist and turn the plot and characters without actually straying from the real story. 

18. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? This world has many possibilities. You shouldn’t just focus on one thing, there’s a bigger picture you need to look at, but no matter how big it is, you always have that favorite thing about it.

19. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?  I love them so much, they have no idea how much they make me smile. I would be living a whole different life without their words.

20. Do you have any advice for other writers? Just write, don’t fret about every single thing. The idea will come to you, the more you force it, the more it won’t come.