Token Interviews

@SabrinaBlackburry

Interviewee: SabrinaBlackburry [REPOST]

Interviewer: strayinspace

Sara: What's your pen name/name?

Sabrina: Pen name: Sabrina Blackburry

Sara: What inspired you to write?

Sabrina: I think like most writers I got inspired to write when I really got into reading. I guess it was maybe late elementary school when we started getting assignments in English class that were something like 'write a short story' and it clicked. Oh, I like reading stories, now I can make one!

Sara: What type of books do you write? Why?

Sabrina: It's hard to pin down what kinds of books I write. I've tried to push my boundaries and jump into themes and genres I wouldn't have considered before, so if you ask me what genres I write it's a little bit of a lot of them. But I will say that most commonly my books have fantasy elements in them. I like the unknown, the magical, the mysterious. I like to add a spark of magic into this world with my stories if I can. Our lives are already hard enough with reality pressing in around us, why not put a little magic in our reading? 

Sara: How do you come up with your stories?

Sabrina: I don't have any special method for coming up with my stories. They usually either hit me out of nowhere or I see a problem with a trope that I like and try to fix it. For instance, I like the mate trope but I hate how the guy acts so entitled towards the girl. Let's fix that. Or I like stories with love in them but why does it always end with romantic love and no other love? Love of family, friends, siblings, self. Let's write a story that emphasizes all of them and not just romance, shall we? Things like that.

Sara: I agree. Some books tend to lack creativity and seem to have repetitive plots, characters...etc. Props to you for reaching beyond your limits, I find it difficult myself to not stick to my old genres and what I'm used to! It's always good to add creativity to your works and be unique with your plot. All plots, ideas, characters...etc have been thought of before, but it's how the author puts their own twist on it that really makes a book memorable!Who are your favourite authors on and off Wattpad?

Sabrina: Off of Wattpad my favorite authors are J R R Tolkien and Tamora Pierce. One gave me a thirst for adventure and the other inspired a generation of girls to be brave.On Wattpad, it's hard to pick a favorite because there are so many good books on here and they are all different with different strengths. I might give it to ZeroWineThirty for opening my eyes to the possibility of a genre and EmilyLK who sadly is not on Wattpad much anymore since she left to publish her books, but she deserves a shoutout for being the first on here to really and truly surprise me in a story. I loved reading both of these fine writers the first time, and I still do now.

Sara: What's your favourite part about the writing process?

Sabrina: A favorite part of the writing process? Hmm. I guess I enjoy the initial plotting quite a bit. The possibilities are laid out endlessly before you and your story can go anywhere you're willing to follow it. I also like making character sheets and adding to them as I learn more about the characters!

Sara: When did you start writing? How old were you? 

Sabrina: I don't remember an exact age when I began writing for fun, but I definitely remember writing in my notebook on the playground at school, which makes it sometime in elementary school. But if we're talking about writing a little more seriously, I'd estimate that closer to NaNoWriMo 2013 when I finished my first novel sized work.