𝐵𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 (Featuring Many Great Authors)

Author [@theilliterateironman]

Welcome, everyone. Today we have the lovely theilliterateironman

A big thank you to her for taking the time to answer these questions.

If you haven't read her books then please do. They're amazing...

Without further ado...

...

1. What inspired you to start writing?

I'm actually kind of embarrassed because originally I started writing One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer fanfiction. I just wanted to feel like I was dating Michal Clifford and Louis Tomlinson lol. Then it moved to Supernatural and Harry Potter while creating new characters that differed form the reader inserts I started with. The characters that I love are what inspire me. I like being able to interpret their personalities in my own way and work them into a story. 

2. Did you have any writers' block along the way? how did you get past them?

 I have writer's block All. Of. The. Time. Usually, when I try to get past it, I listen to some music and revisit the content that I am writing to try and think of some inspiration. Sometimes that works, but there are so many instances where I wasn't able to overcome it. There have even been times where I ask the readers if they have any ideas, and that has helped several times.  

3. Do you see yourself in any characters and why?

 I think I see a little bit of myself in all of my characters. Of course, they're all so different but I manage to sprinkle in bits of my personality here and there, like sharing a favourite colour or sometimes it's how they dress or maybe say a phrase I use a lot. I see myself most in Corey from my "Thin Air" series, as well as Mickey from "Monsters" and Venus from "Venus"

4. How old are you?

 I just turned 21 on April 28th!

5. How old were you when you started writing?

 I think I was about 13 or 14, but I can't remember exactly. I wrote several books on paper but never published them. I was probably 14 when I published my first book, which was a Michael Clifford fic

6. Can you remember what you felt when you first started writing? what did you feel?

 I felt so excited and giddy when I wrote my first book. It was something so new to me and I got to express myself through writing while also exploring the world of fanfiction. 

7. What's your outside life like?

 I don't want to say boring, but pretty normal I guess. I go to college and am a Computer Informatics major. I write an advice column for the campus newspaper. I go to a lot of movies, hang out with friends, just usual college student stuff I suppose.  

8. Where do you get your ideas from?

 My ideas usually come as I'm watching a show or movie. Maybe I think of how a scene could've been different or something funny that could have been saying. Often my books are inspired by one random thing that I'd want to happen and the rest gets planned around that. Or I might come up with a character that I love and write a book around them instead. I get a lot of ideas from songs too, hence why all of my titles are song titles 

9. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

When I am not writing, I am usually watching tv or playing video games – right now I'm obsessed with the new Animal Crossing. I also like to cross stitch and read comic books. 

10. What does your family think about your writing?

Um, my family doesn't know. I love my parents but they just really aren't the people you tell about writing fanfiction. And if they read it, then they definitely would not approve of it 

11. What do you think makes a good story?

Really memorable characters and a little bit of drama always pull me in. Also, I'm a huge fan of most of the popular tropes, despite the fact that people complain about them. They become tropes for a reason – because people love them.  

12. What's your favourite genre?

 Fantasy and Science Fiction with a Side of Romance.  

13. Do you write on wattpad or do you use software (like Microsoft word)?

 It depends. If I'm typing something on my phone, then I use the Wattpad app. It's pretty reliable about saving chapters. However, the Wattpad website sometimes loses parts of my chapters even after I have hit save multiple times. That has led to me using Microsoft Word and Goggle Docs for when I'm on my computer. 

14. What's the hardest part for you to write, and why?

 I am so bad at action scenes. They are so hard to get right for me, so I typically make them very vague and leave it up to the imagination. If you can write a great action scene, then you have been blessed

15. Do you work on an outline or just go with the flow?

Just go with the flow. If I'm working on something that I have faced writer's block with, then I may make some bullet points to help remind me where the story needs to go 

16. Do you have anything specific you want to say to readers?

 I really just want to say thank you to everyone that reads fanfiction. The stories I write are for myself, but at the same time, I love knowing that what I write makes other people happy. Fanfiction, and Wattpad, can have a bad rap, but it's such an amazing part of being in fandom and a great creative outlet so I'm glad that I can share it with all the readers. 

17. And lastly, Do you have any advice for new writers.

 At the end of the day, don't ever make yourself feel bad over how you are doing. Writing is a process. When I started out, I was a horrible writer. Like, laughably bad, but people still read my books and liked them. Even now, my writing isn't perfect and it needs improvement, but that doesn't stop people from loving my work. And another thing, never feel pressured or stressed about updating or trying to figure out where to take your story next. Writing fanfiction is something that is supposed to bring you joy and it's something you do for free. If you aren't enjoying it, maybe take some time to yourself and remind yourself why you are writing your book. 

...

There you have it, don't forget to vote, comment and share. Also if you want a specific author to be interviewed then please let me know.