I was privileged enough to be allocated an interview by up-and-coming author, Yelena Winters. She is in the process of self-publishing her book, Eye of the Empire, and working on writing it's sequel. Due to privacy reasons, I will not be including the interview video, but here is it's transcript:
Jana: Thank you so much, Ms. Winters, for taking the time to do this! Now, lets cut to the chase and start. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Yelena: The beginning of 2019. I had written as a hobby before, but it was then that I realized I wanted to do it more often
Jana: What genres do you write?
Yelena: Almost anything! Mainly sci-fi, dystopia, and fantasy
Jana: How long does it take you to write a book, on average?
Yelena: Two months
Jana: What is your schedule like when you're writing?
Yelena: All over the place!
Jana: What are your current projects?
Yelena: Currently editing one book and trying to finish another before quarantine ends
Jana: What is your favorite thing about writing?
Yelena: The freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want to, without having to go along with someone else's rules
Jana: Are there any overarching features, themes, or relationships in your stories?
Yelena: *laughs* Sorry, I don't know
Jana: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk, if you have one?
Yelena: I can't write without music. I just can't.
Jana: Where do you get your ideas from?
Yelena: I have no clue
Jana: When did you start writing? What was the first thing you wrote?
Yelena: A Star Wars fanfiction when I was seven years old, with original characters. I'm planning to rewrite it soon because it honestly wasn't bad
Jana: What do you do when you aren't writing?
Yelena: Browse Pinterest or text my friends
Jana: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Yelena: Movie actress or published author
Jana: What do you think makes a good story?
Yelena: Intrigue
Jana: What is one of the most surprising things you learned from writing?
Yelena: That it is, in fact, possible to survive a cut that shows bone
Jana: What is something you'd like to get across to your readers?
Yelena: The horribleness of war
Jana: How do you relate to your characters while still maintaining a healthy distance?
Yelena: They always do what I would do in dangerous situations
Jana: And finally, what is your favorite thing that you've written?
Yelena: My first novel
Jana: Thank you so, so much for this privilege, Ms. Winters.
Yelena: Of course! Anytime.
And then, you know, we awkwardly said goodbye. Of course, this interview was done over video call, because of the coronavirus prevention measures. Anyways, I have had the chance to interview a few others, so I'll be putting those up here soon too!