Hello and happy Friday everyone!
This wasn’t exactly the post I had planned for today but I hit a snag along the way and had to resort to this. Tomorrow is my birthday and because of that I thought it would fun to do our first writer tag of the month. This is the Confessions of a Writer tag (link below) and I do hope you enjoy yourself today!
When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to be?
I’ve always enjoyed writing but it was always a hobby until I was eighteen and finally decided that becoming an author was my calling and I’ve been working towards that dreams for nine years.
What genre do you write?
I write fiction which can range from military/dystopian to fantasy and everything under between.
Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?
I am currently working on two stories, one is in drafting while the other is in editing.
Reaper is a story about rebellion and working through life with mental health issues. In total I’ve been working on this story for nine years but I’ve been working on this version of Reaper for the last three years.
My second story is The Queen’s Guard, a story about balancing love and duty while trying to stop an enemy. I started working on this story in November.
What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?
I know I’ve always loved to write but the first thing I can remember writing was a story from when I was twelve. It was about this girl who thought her life was good but then she’s told she has to move and her life just feels like it’s falling apart around her. Looking back on it I now know what my writing was trying to tell me even if I didn’t know it at the time. It’s absolute garbage (not to mention twelve year old me though she was a genius for coming up with the name Ms. DayQuil only to realize later that it’s actually a medicine) but I keep it as a reminder to also pay attention to what my writing is trying to tell me and to show me how far I’ve come from that point in my life.
What’s the best part about writing?
I love outlining because I get to create something from the ground up and I love watching worlds come to life in my head and figuring out what to do with them. Likewise I also love editing because the story has already been told so all I have to do is go in and make things look good.
What’s the worst part about writing?
Actually having to write. I know it sounds strange, that’s normally everyone’s favorite part but I love outlining and editing so I can really struggle with actually getting the story written out sometimes. There’s also the added worry that my scenes don’t always come out as well in writing them than they did in my head or in outlining.
What’s the name of your favorite character and why?
My favorite character that I’ve written would be either Yessica (because of her sass and how I can relate to her) or Kelonna (because she is honestly my favorite fictional baby).
A character someone else has written about would have to be Victoria Gardella in the Gardella Vampire Slayer series by Colleen Gleason.
How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?
I used to be a night owl but as time has gone on I’m more of a late more until late evening writer. I have all the time I need at my finger tips, I know I’m lucky to have such. I try to get in at least an hour a day five days a week minimum. However I usually give myself December off from writing in order to refill my well from November and NaNoWriMo.
Did you go to college for writing?
I did not, I went to college for Psychology. You don’t need a degree in writing in order to write the next best novel, it just means your first draft might look a little nicer than the rest of us.
What bothers you more: spelling errors, punctuation errors, or grammar errors?
I’m a pretty crappy speller myself and commas are my worst enemy so I pass to ill mind to those but grammar can drive me pretty crazy. I never go as far as to be cruel about it, I simply edit in my mind and move on.
What is the best writing advice anyone has given you?
Just write the damn book!
What advice would you give to another writer?
1) No one is going to read the book until you allow the to, so write that first draft as though no one is ever going to read it.
2) You can edit a bad page, you cannot edit a blank page.
What are your favorite writing sites or blogs that you turn to for help, tips or encouragement?
I turn to Sarra Cannon’s Heart Breathings channel on YouTube, Jenna Moreci’s channel on YouTube, and more recently to Black Wolf Editorial whenever I’m trying to figure things out. Aside from that it’s just a matter of trial and error.
Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?
I enjoy writing fanfiction (I know it says “besides writing” but fanfiction is a hobby of mine), playing videogames, crafting, cooking, and dabbling every now and again in gardening.
What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
My favorite book that I’ve read this year is Death’s Awakening by Sarra Cannon but unfortunately it shall not hold that title for long as Sarra Cannon is coming out with the eleventh book in her Shadow Demons series in May and without even reading it I already know it’s going to be my favorite read of the year.
What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?
I haven’t watched any movies this year, I’ve been too busy and focused on more important things at the moment. There are a few movies I’m looking forward to this year though and unfortunately I can’t count those.
What is your favorite book or series of all time?
My favorite book series is The Gardella Vampire Slayer series by Colleen Gleason, I also happen to enjoy all the spin offs.
Who is your favorite author?
The title of my favorite author is a tie between Sarra Cannon and Colleen Gleason.
What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?
It’s exciting to have an entire year ahead of me still. As for my writing plans for the rest of the year that’s simple, I plan on finishing up self edits for Reaper then finding a professional editor and after that working on self publishing, I also plan on finishing up drafting and editing The Queen’s Guard, from there it’s outlining the sequels to those two stories, and finally I’ll also be starting a new story this year as well. As per usual I like to keep busy but I have everything broken up by quarter so I won’t be biting off too much at once.
Where else can we find you online?
I can be found on Twitter and Instagram, links are at the bottom of the page, however I am mostly active on Twitter.
Thank you for joining me on my special birthday post. I really enjoyed doing this little writer questionnaire even if it wasn’t what i originally had planned. Next week we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Until next week!
🎉 Happy reading and writing to all and to all a good day 🎉
https://beverleylee.com/confessions-of-a-writer-tag/
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