365 Interviews

Interview 151: @berceuses

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name's Kammi, but before you ask, it's not short for anything. I'm 21, about to be a senior in college, and I like to write YA fiction because it's a great way to redo firsts. Well, not always. But, I'm kind of crazy obsessed with the old-school Sherlock Holmes novels, I adore writing mystery/thrillers, I binge-watch Supernatural and Dawson's Creek, and I'm basically a walking male-model encyclopedia.

2. What inspired you to write? As a kid, I read a lot. Like a lot, a lot. By the time I was in fifth grade, I'd read the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series multiple times. I loved getting lost in fictional realms, going on adventures, and just the physical feeling of turning pages. So, when I was in fifth grade and we started getting writing assignments, I wrote my own stories. I didn't like the one-paragraph restriction, so I kept writing. But the time I reached high school, I began writing real full-length novels. What's inspired me to write those -- and most certainly my most recent books -- is just life. There are certain I situations that don't get enough attention paid to, and I feel like by writing I can bring awareness to them.

3. Do you have a specific writing style? I tend to be heavy on the description and even heavier on the emotion. I like characters that can make people feel what they're feeling, see what they see, so I try to pay attention to certain things in my writing. Especially surroundings and body language. So, I'd say that that's my writing style.

4. How did you come up with your titles?

A lot of them were influenced by songs (especially by the likes of All Time Low), but a lot simply came to me when I developed the idea. I like key phrases from my summary to be the title so that it's easier to incorporate into the book.

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

It depends on the book. With The Cool Kids, I didn't really have a message. It was just fun to write. But, with Collarbones, I wanted readers to see what it's like to struggle from bipolar disorder and anorexia / bulimia. I hate that depression is looked at in YA novels as something that another character needs to fix. No one can really save you from that fight. It's a fight with yourself, and positive encouragement is what you need, but really, only you can save yourself. I want readers to see that being anorexic and bulimic doesn't make you disgusting or stupid. It's an actual disorder, and it can drive you mad to reach a state of skinny / perfect that doesn't exist. And the rest of my novels simply depend on the main character and the plot. Some have meanings, but others I've written for fun and then found meanings in the end.

6. How much of your writing is realistic?

A lot. I try to be as realistic as possible. I like exploring real emotions and real situations so my writing tends to be heavy on the description so that I can capture the way characters react and how things play out. I don't like to take the easy way out, and most of my stories don't have happy endings, but I like it that way.

7. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Some have been influenced by my friends and their relationships. I'll never state who, but people in my life have inspired a lot of characters / situations. And there are events that have happened specifically to me. Collarbones is the dramatized version of what I struggled with two years ago. Ainsley takes it further than I ever did, but pretty much all of those feelings are mine.

8. What books have most influenced your life most? Oh, gosh, there are so many books. The Sherlock Holmes novels changed me for the better. I think they made me more perceptive. Stephen King's novels have influenced me to try new genres and mind-benders. But it will always be Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar, that changed me a lot. I love her writing, but The Bell Jar opened my eyes to what it's like to be a woman in her twenties, to struggle with life and depression and love. It made me feel more than any other book. Along with that, I'd definitely have to say that Their Eyes Were Watching God had a big effect on me. It's another woman-centered book, but it showed me the black woman's struggle, what it's like to face life being a race that is not privileged. It's very weird to have my eyes opened like that. But also very amazing. It makes me more accepting, to want to learn more about other cultures and what it's like to not always have the privilege.

9. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.Overly descriptive that hones in hard on emotion and life.

10. Where do you get your ideas?Life. I get ideas from events around me, the news, conversations I overhear between people. I also get them from music and television and reading. Life is a never-ending source of inspiration.

11. What are some things you like to do when you're not writing?I like watching Netflix, hanging out with my friends, going to concerts, sleeping, crying in the middle of Urban Outfitters because I want to buy everything, being on Tumblr, and going to the gym.

12. What distinguishes good writing from bad writing?

Good writing sucks you in. I'm learning that the grammar won't always -- and doesn't have to -- be perfect, but if the characters are three-dimensional and can grab you in a way that makes you ever want to stop learning about them, then that's good writing.

13.What is the weirdest thing that has ever been said or done to you by a fan?I can't really recall anything weird. I've received strange messages from fans, but it's not like I've ever been proposed to or anything. My fans are all pretty cool.

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

If we're going with The Cool Kids, then I'd have to say Roland's getting voted off of the island. That boy is a pain in the butt and not the best character. Not to mention, he wouldn't be able to survive in the wilderness anyways. He's never worked for anything, so he'd be pretty bad at the game in general.

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

I really want writing to be a career. I'm in school for creative writing. I spend 80% of my time writing. I live and breathe my characters, and quite frankly, they're annoying when they're in my head and not on paper. I'd love to publish a novel and make this a career. I'm stubborn, and really, I can't see myself doing anything else.

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

Nope, no new stories. I'm too focused on rewriting my novel so I can make an attempt at looking for an agent. As much as I love Wattpad, I feel like I'm growing apart from it, and to be honest, that's

17. What was the hardest part of writing?

Figuring out where to start. The beginning is always dreadful, so writing the first chapter is the hardest for me. All the freaking time.

18.Did you learn anything from writing? If so, what was it?

I've learned a lot from writing. I've learned to be more observant, to understand that not all actions are thought out, and that I'm not crazy because I actually do have other people in my head. However, I'm always learning when I write, and that's what makes it so amazing.

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

I'd just like to say thank you. I've put so many of them through my childish, moody ways and I want to apologize for being so immature basically all of the time. I'm learning to be a better person, to be more understanding, but I hope that they understand writing is the only thing I feel like I know how to do. It's extremely important to me, and I'm easily hurt. But they've been incredible and have gotten me further than I ever expected. I hope that they continue to enjoy my writing and support me, because without them, I really wouldn't be anyone.

20. Do you have any advice for other writers?Always write what you love. Don't let people tell you you can't write a story because you "don't know everything about the subject." Write what you love, how you love, and remember that your characters are everything. They are the soul source of that piece of writing, so don't cheat them of an extraordinary existence. On a final note, never give up. Big things await those who love what they do and are willing to try hard.