365 Interviews

Interview 50: dramali

1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Wow, going to start with that one huh? May as well get the hard one out of the way. I am easy-going unless crossed too many times, then I can become unhinged. Am loyal to the end, don’t mess with my family or friends! Until lately, spending time with my people was my favorite pastime. Now, I’m kind of a recluse, always looking for time alone to write. Writing and music. Cannot get through the day without those two things.

2. What inspired you to write?

Different things at different times. My first book in college was written after a breakup, I was broken and decided to write a fictional story about the relationship with a happy ending. One book was written as a dare for a friend who said she had never read a book she liked. Most recently, too much time on my hands. I am not a tv person, and being a reader, I guess writing them was the next step.

3. Do you have a specific writing style?

My books are more character driven than plot driven. Instead of one main plot they have several twisted in. And I tend to write more from the inside of the characters than outside—what they are seeing and feeling at the time, less description on the setting around them. Also, one main thing you will usually not find in my books is a clear physical description of the main characters. I leave that vague for the readers to fill in. Everyone has their own fantasy guy—who am I to mess with their perfection.

4. How did you come up with your titles?

Titles and character names both just pop into my head. Sometimes the title will not come until close to the end of the book, and when this happens the title seems to fit. Sometimes, as in the case of Surviving Paradise, the book was written around the title. I keep a collection of possible titles if I run across or think of words that sound good together.

5. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes! In all of my books, the characters have personality flaws. They are real and do not always reasonably react to what is going on. This gets readers riled up sometimes. They will say they disliked a character because of some something she or he did in the story without taking into consideration the story as a whole. In my books, the characters make mistakes. Sometimes they learn from them, sometimes they don’t. They are just people and make mistakes again. Just like real life, they are not perfect, and will not be at the end of the book either.

6. How much of the book is realistic?

A lot of reality is woven into my books. Sometimes a character will be based on someone I know. Sometimes real experiences find their way into fictional scenes. I think a little bit of every author must come out into his or her books. That is what makes books, like people, intriguing.

7. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Yes. To expand on the answer above, someone once pointed out that all of my books have a sister figure, whether it is an actual sister or a best friend. At that time I realized that this sister figure they spoke of was always a combination of all of my 3 actual sisters rolled into one dynamic personality. 

8. What books have most influenced your life most?

I wish I could be elite and say a classic like Jane Eyre, Moby Dick. Sadly, those types of books were always on a reading list, and when forced to do something I rebel and it affects my mindset. So truthfully, I love biographies especially about musicians. The profound moments in this niche of books come from the realization that everyone no matter what kind of life they are living has the same type of problems at the root of all of their other problems.    

9. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.

Down to earth fantasy with relatable romantic characters. Sexy, fun.

10. Where do you get your ideas?

Watching people and wondering about their lives. Then generally I get all crazy and think, “you know what would be really cool? If that ordinary looking person is really living some extraordinary life. Or what if this dead zone little town is actually full of vampires!”

11. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?

Anything music related. Hanging out with family or friends. Reading

12. What distinguishes good writing from bad writing?

I can only say what I don’t like when reading. The continuous misuse of words, like ‘their, there, they’re’ or ‘then, than.’ 

13.What is the weirdest thing that has ever been said or done to you by a fan?

If you mean weird good, there is a long list including a trailer for one of my books and using my characters as supporting cast in their books. But I loved these things. Maybe I don’t have weird fans, or maybe I am just weird so I wouldn’t know it if it happened. I can’t think of a thing was strange/weird

14. Imagine your characters are on survivor.Who will they vote out of the book? 

In the Jack Who Series=Emmajesty.

15. Do you see writing as a career or a hobby?

A turning point came when I began forcing myself to edit or do writing related things when I would rather be doing something else or sleeping. At that point it became a career.

16. Will you have a new story coming out soon? If so can you tell us about it?

The Silver Strings Series is planned as a set of 6 trilogies. One for each guitar string. The next to come out will be the D-String Set, released around the first of March.

17. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Editing. The first trilogy I did myself, and that included 4 read overs. By the 3rd I was sick of my own book, something that I probably shouldn’t admit, could hurt sales 

18.Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Any gadget that you can want has probably been invented. Money is no option for the characters in the book. So I was always thinking up things that they would have if they could, just making stuff up. When I got ready to move the book from wattpad to kindle/nook I figured I should google some of this stuff, see if it existed—and ALL of it did. From the crazy terms of non disclosure agreements to starting the car with a phone app to a solar/glowing driveway to a guitar shaped swimming pool.

19.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

THANK YOU! I love you very much for your support and encouragement through writing the book and then the publishing process. The very first readers, all 400 of you have a page with all of your wattpad names dedicated to you on my website

20. Do you have any advice for other writers? 

I could say write what you love and all will be great, but after this last couple of months I have some down and dirty advice (hang on, that is going on my book title list:) Every author has haters that either legitimately hate their work, or for some reason hate on their work. Ignore it, and let your fans and author friends keep you smiling. Realize for every bad rating there is a good one. Because there will be if you are writing to the best of your abilities.