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➽ QUESTION 1. ❝What is your name (or nickname/pen-name if preferred)?❞
— My name is Vanessa, but most just simply call me V. I'm known by those two names previously stated or by my retired username on Wattpad which was QveenV.
➽ QUESTION 2. ❝What started you on the path to writing?❞
— I'd always loved reading, even as a child. Just reading so much led me to wondering could I be on the other side of the table, the person fully in control of what was to happen. With a creative mind and wild imagination, I eventually indulged in writing and realized that it was what I loved. Being on the writer's side of the table was even more fun than being just a reader.
➽ QUESTION 3. ❝When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, and specifically in the genre of urban fiction?❞
— I first realized that I wanted to be a writer at the young age of thirteen. Of course then I wrote on different topics than urban. It really hit me that writing was for me at fifteen though. Back in 2014, I had found Wattpad and started to actually get my work out there for people to read. Once I got started with that, the passion only grew. Urban fiction had always appealed to me since I was a youngin', from reading different urban novels in middle school. So once I started my own writing journey, it was all that I wanted to write about.
➽ QUESTION 4. ❝When did you write your first book and how old were you?❞
— I wrote my very first completed story back in 2014, once I'd discovered Wattpad. I was fifteen. It's actually still posted on my account, "Princess of the Streetz". I've debated on taking it down, due to lack of editing and lots of other reasons, but I left it up because it shows how much I've grown as a person and as a writer from four years ago.
➽ QUESTION 5. ❝Who are some of your favorite authors on and off Wattpad?❞
— I'm very particular about what I read, so to say favorites literally means that they're bomb writers in my eyes.
On Wattpad: UrbanQueen RoialWriting
EbonyGoddess
Off Wattpad: Ashley & JaQuavis, Nisa Santiago, and Erica Hilton to name a few.
➽ QUESTION 6. ❝How long have you been writing?❞
— Well, can't even really put a number of years on it since I FIRST started writing, but I know it was years ago, even before my teenage years. Now, when I finally started to take it seriously I was a fifteen year old trying to find my identity.
➽ QUESTION 7. ❝How do you think you've evolved creatively?❞
— I've evolved drastically over the years and it truly shows in my works. If you were to read my very first book and then one of my latest, there would be a big difference that I'm proud of. The creativity I put into my books is a big factor that a lot of my readers love about my works. From a simple visual to vocabulary, plot twists, covers, it's evolved and will only get better from here.
➽ QUESTION 8. ❝Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?❞
— In my opinion, Urban Fiction is the raw and uncensored genre and that's how I feel I am as a person. In my work, I try to tell stories of the raw and uncut that people can relate too. Let's be real, life is no fairytale like a lot of books try to make it out to be. In my works I use real life situations and creatively write on them in ways that exploit these real life things in hopes that my readers can gain from them.
➽ QUESTION 9. ❝What are the upsides and downsides to being an author?❞
— Upsides:
For me, putting my all into my work and getting that love and support in return. Just having those who support and love what you do just as much as you do. Perfecting your craft. A feeling of accomplishment at the finish of your completed work. Just expressing yourself in the way that you love. It's a lot of upsides for me.
Downsides:
People who don't respect your work or you as an author. Writer's block. Destructive criticism opposed to constructive criticism. Just negative people that WILL exist. Writing has to be a passion because with the good comes the bad.
➽ QUESTION 10. ❝What do you love most about the writing process?❞
— My favorite part of the whole writing process is actually putting the work out there. Writing is not as easy as it may seem and does get hard. I have many stressful moments when writing, but once I put the work out there and realize the big impact my work has on people and how much it really brightens people's day, it's worthwhile for me. Of course I write because it's what I love to do, but when you see the impact you have on people just by doing something you love, trust me it's the greatest feeling!
➽ QUESTION 11. ❝Why do you write? What keeps you motivated during creative slumps?❞
— I write because it's an outlet for me and a way to express myself through different ideas, characters, settings, the whole nine all while I have a positive impact on others. I write to get away from reality sometimes, because it allows me to be whoever I chose in any world or way I chose through my stories. In the each character I create, there is a piece of me, so it's a way for me to express me as an author. As for staying motivated, the people who support me honestly keeps me going through rough times.
➽ QUESTION 12. ❝Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?❞
— I'm a very forgetful person, so the only way for me is to outline my books ahead. Having a lay out of what should happen and when helps me to stay on track instead of winging it. Just as anything in life, it doesn't always go as it is planned, but for the most part it helps me.
➽ QUESTION 13. ❝How many books have you written?❞
— I've written about twenty-five books including ones I've scrapped or just lost interest in. Now, I've completed six books, with two in still in the process of being completed.
➽ QUESTION 14. ❝Out of all the books you've written, do you have a favorite?❞
— My favorite of all my work would have to be "The Exchange", which was recently completed.
➽ QUESTION 15. ❝If someone is brand new to your work, what book do you think they should start with?❞
— As the author, I'd recommend anyone to start with my recently completed book which is "The Exchange", due to it being the latest reflection of my work and how I've evolved.
➽ QUESTION 16. ❝What do your fans mean to you?❞
— "Bitch, everything!" — G Herbo
Seriously, my fans mean the most to me, being that not having their support would mean I wouldn't be where I am as an author. Don't get me wrong, I don't solely write for my fans because of course it has to be something that I love over all, but a part of why I write involves my fans. Shout out to all that support me and my work!
➽ QUESTION 17. ❝What advice would you give to aspiring authors?❞
— Keep at your craft. Remain humble. Don't try to be like the next person, it'll usually fail. Write for yourself before others. Patience is key. Find your OWN way of writing that works for you. Be aware that not everyone will like or want to read your books. Destructive and constructive critics will exist, know the difference. Be YOU! Love the content you write and stand behind it!
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Thank you so much for accepting to do this interview VanessaTheAuthor I'm for pretty much everything you said. Please take the time to check out her works; her work is superb.