Well, I had planned on doing something other than an interview this week, but Yahweh's Lioness isn't ready yet, so I did. And, I figured email interviews are easier, so voila: another email interview that you may or may not find... boring. Not because E. Penze isn't interesting, just because interviews usually aren't. Anyways, here goes.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was around 8... I used to play a game with my friends, and I started to write that down. I think it happened pretty naturally after that.
What genres do you write?
Mostly fantasy and contemporary.
How long does it take you to write a book, on average?
Ooh... it really depends. I took 3 years for my first novella, around 1/2 a year for my second one, and a month for my novel. XD
What is your schedule like when you're writing?
I write my diary, do an hour of editing, and if I still have time I'll write a snippet.
What are your current projects?
I'm working on editing my novel, Will the Light Win, as well as a short story about a nurse in Wuhan.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
I can bring to life a story that was not there before, and help people through that.
Are there any overarching features, themes, or relationships in your stories?
Umm... I don't know if this would count, but I like having my characters be friends with people of the opposite gender, without it turning into romance.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk, if you have one?
I really don't know.
Where do you get your ideas from?
Everywhere? Normally it starts out as a scene in my head, and then I turn it into a story.
When did you start writing? What was the first thing you wrote?
I was about 8 or 9, and I think the first thing I wrote was a play.
What do you do when you aren't writing?
School, spending time with friends, and if I still have time, doing some crafts.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Well, I've wanted to be a writer for a long time, but before that, I think I wanted to be a nurse.
What do you think makes a good story?
I'm actually not sure... though having relatable characters is definitely helpful.
What is one of the most surprising things you learned from writing?
Um... this might sound weird, but probably that I have the power to help people. And that with God's grace, I can help people. Not just when I'm an adult, but now, as well.
What is something you'd like to get across to your readers?
It changes on the theme of the book, but overall I want my writing to help people - especially with things it's hard to talk about.
How do you relate to your characters while still maintaining a healthy distance?
I have the opposite problem - I need to be closer to my characters. XD
What is your favorite thing that you've written?
I really don't know. Maybe one of my short stories.
How would your main characters react to a bag of m & m's falling on the floor? (ex. Would they pick them up and then eat them. Just eat them off the floor, or throw them out?)
Umm... I have too many MCs. XD Bai Hua would leave it, (and probably clean it up) Leyla wouldn't know what they are... Eloren would eat it bc it would look weak to leave them... Darean would eat them because he wanted to.
And finally, what is one piece of advice you would give to budding writers?
Join YDubs. Joking aside, write, write, write. Read everything you can, and take advantage of every writing resource you can get your hands on. If you really care about writing, then make the time to write.
Thank you so much, dahling, for answering my questions! To anyone who has read this, one, I apologize for the Edna Mode lapse, and two, thank you so much for reading this and not unsunscribing because I'm weird!
See y'all next week!
-Jana B., YAuthor