Author's Meme
A common misconception entwined with authors is that they are socially inept, how true is that?
- I think it's generally a misconception with most people because being an author means to spend most of your time alone in order to put words from your brain onto paper or on a word document, and you're not necessarily talking to anyone. But in reality, they're very talkative and outgoing with friends and family. However, in my case, I could say that it's sort of true ... I have social anxiety and I feel comfortable when I get to talk through the computer or text because I don't have to feel paranoid whether or not the person that I'm standing face-to-face is listening to me or just pretending to. Also, I don't have to feel embarrassed for being boring because their face always tends to show it whenever I talk ... and I don't mind the silence when someone doesn't text me back or message me back.
Do all authors have to be grammar Nazis?
- They don't have to be ... but since we're writers/authors, we tend to be careful with our grammar or vocabulary because we're writers and that's what our readers expect us to be. When you read a writing that isn't spelled correctly or the grammar is wrong, it throws the flow of the writing off and it doesn't feel good when you read it and so it's better to make sure that everything is correct in order to give the readers a good experience.
What makes your current genre so special?
- I like figuring things out and I like when characters come together to fight for a cause. So that's why Mystery/Adventure/Detective genres are my "go-to" whenever I come up with new ideas.
Do you have a set schedule for writing or are you one of those who write only when they feel inspired?
- The only time I have a set schedule for writing, is when I do NaNoWriMo in the month of November, which for the past seven years, I haven't been doing since life became too busy for me. So now, I write whenever I feel a strong pull to write which I KNOW that irritates my readers.
Do you think writers have a normal life like others?
- If you take a step back and think about it, then yeah. Because we're so accustomed to thinking that every book you read, that the author must be some kind of wonderful person but in actuality, they're just a normal person like you and me. It's just that the stories that you tend to read, make you think they live in some sort of fantasy land when they're really not.
Do you read much and if so, which fandoms do you tend to read?
- I never read the fandoms that I currently write in unless I really need to motivate myself. But otherwise, I don't feel the urge to read anything from the fandom I write in because I don't want to taint my fanon about them. Right now, I'm reading fanfiction about Harry Potter and Yuri On Ice ... but it's hard to find new and interesting stories to read because I believe that I read all of the Harry/Draco fics and there are rarely Yuri Plisetsky stories involving Yuuri or Viktor and I'm not a fan of Otabek so ... =( And I'm very picky on the dom/sub pairings.
Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?
- I believe that half of the reason most people choose a certain book is because of the book cover. If it's aesthetically pleasing, then people naturally gravitate towards it. Most people however, choose books depending on the story. While I am a mixture of the two. I tend to pick up a book if the cover attracts me and it's a plus if the summary of the story is good as well. But I will not choose a book based on the cover alone. If the book cover looks good but the story is not that interesting, then I would put the book down.
How would you feel if no one showed up at your book signing?
- I would feel sad and disappointed, but I would probably anticipate it even before I wrote the book.
Do you read and reply to the reviews and comments of your readers?
- Always.
Does a bad review affect your writing?
- It does. I thought after having almost 10-years of writing fanfiction under my belt, that I wouldn't get offended by negative comments. But I guess it still does.
Do your novels carry a message?
- They all do ... I unconsciously implement them into the story and they eventually became the basis of each story. But I doubt any of my readers caught onto such messages because they probably read my stories for entertainment and not for any deeper meaning.
How much of yourself do you put into your books?
- Only my beliefs and thoughts about certain situations.
It is often believed that almost all writers have had their hearts broken at some point in time, does that remain true for you as well?
- This isn't only pertained to writers because even people who aren't writers, have their hearts broken. We're all human and it's natural to be attracted to someone and get disappointed by them. And to answer the question ... yes, I have had my heart broken a handful of times.
When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or a full-time profession?
- I did. I even looked for a literary agent and even wrote my own query letter. But I was shot down by my parents and siblings for having a silly and unstable dream. I kept that dream until a few years later when I realized for myself that I wanted to keep my passion for writing instead of getting tired of it if I pursued it as a career and so I stopped wanting to be an author.