Beautiful People || Author Edition || Becca

Hello everyone! 

It's been a little while since I've posted... but with heading off to school and getting settled in, the blog was the last thing I was thinking about.

But I'm here now to do another Beautiful People post. 

Yay!

(I've missed blogging)

1. How many years have you been writing? When did you officially consider yourself a ‘writer’?

Oh, wow, starting with a tough one...

I have been writing ever since, well, I learned to write. :) We would write little nonsense stories with our spelling words when we were young, and then the creative writing prompts from our curriculum gave me a push in the writerly direction.

I don't think I considered myself a writer until I finished my Beauty and the Beast retelling. I had tons of stories in my head before then of course, but it was the first thing I had written and shared  (not just with my family). 

2. How/why did you start writing?

Oh dear, have I answered that already?

Well, outside of school, I started writing on my own when I was maybe 10 or 11.

 It's funny, Beth and I had a discussion about this a while back. We've been making up stories for as long as I can remember, but in the beginning, our characters were favorite stuffed animals or a myriad of characters who lived in a fictional world in our backyard. So the transition from that, to pouring our imaginations into word documents was just a matter of time. 

3. What’s your favorite part of writing?

Thinking things up. 

I love inventing new characters, dreaming up plot lines and scenes. When it comes down to the nitty gritty things like dialogue and such I have a love/hate relationship with. :)

4. What’s your biggest writing struggle?

Staying on task. 

5. Do you write best at night or day?

Hmmm.... I don't know. 

I usually write in the afternoon, but sometimes that leads to evening, then midnight :)

I did write one of my favorite scenes in "Into Thornwood" at eleven o'clock or so... but I don't know if the time had any effect.

6. What does your writing space look like? (Feel free to show us pictures!)

At home it was just the computer in the kitchen, maybe a cup of tea and a notebook of ideas.

Now, at school, I haven't done any serious writing... but right now I'm in the library, with my laptop.

7. How long does it typically take you to write a complete draft?

Well, with my only finished story, it took me about six months... and I don't have anything else to compare that with.

8. How many projects do you work on at once?

Usually just one.  I like to get into one story world at a time. If an idea decides to take a leave of absence, and a new shiny one pops up I'll maybe have two at a time.

9. Do you prefer writing happy endings, sad ones, or somewhere in between?

Happy.  No doubt about it.

Or at least something pointing towards a happy ending.

10. List a few authors who’ve influenced your writing journey.

I love L.M. Montgomery's books, her style of writing is so full of feeling and charming dialogue.

Also in our curriculum we had so many wonderful books and we were introduced to many lovely authors. All of them in some way, have made an imprint on my writing. I'll try to name a few more...

Natalie Babbitt 

Elizabeth Marie Pope

Henry Winterfield 

11. Do you let people read your writing? Why or why not?

 I'll usually let Bethany read my stories. Most often she has heard all my ideas for it already, and I'll want her editing tips. And again, I haven't finished a ton of stories :) But with "Into Thornwood" I let my Mom and Dad read the first draft and I even passed it along to some friends. I was in editing mode then and trying to finish in time for the contest deadline.

12. What’s your ultimate writing goal or dream?

I would love to write good Christian fiction.
 I have been disappointed too many times when reading a "Christian" book, which turns out to be a cleanish version of any other teen book with Christianity sprinkled on top.
Modern Christian fiction is a big pet peeve of mine. :)

13. If you didn’t write, what would you want to do?

If I didn't write, I hope I would be more diligent in practicing the piano. I'd also probably be practicing drawing people.  :)

14. Do you have a book you’d like to write one day but don’t feel you’re ready to attempt it yet?

I have a lot of ideas that are simply a character or a scene or two, just waiting for a plot. :)
There is one, a wee bit like "Anne Of Green Gables" that has been stewing for a while, but I want some more experience in writing and life before I start it. 
Honestly, I'm sure all gather lots of little things here at collage, with so many people to observe and get to know. 

15. Which story has your heart and won’t let go?

Well, I do have one... I've had it for a few years now.
 It's basically a love story, but with nearly all aspects of it, not just Boy meets Girl, though there is that too.  :)
The longer I've had it, the more it seems to grow and it's possible that it could turn into two or even three books.