Author Interview: Magdalene G. Jones

I’m super excited about today’s blog post!! Today is another author interview. I have followed this author for about as long as I’ve had an author presence online and she’s been a big encouragement to me in my own writing journey so when she announced her newer release, I knew I wanted to interview her. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Magdalene Jones!

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Welcome, Magdalene! Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself in case someone here is meeting you for the first time? Hey guys! And thank you for inviting me to do this interview, Gabriella! I am a sixteen-year-old author and TCK–Third Culture Kid–living in “Wakanda.” (Basically, I live in an African country that I cannot share for security reasons ;)) I have written nine books and have just published my sixth, with the aid of movie soundtracks and too much coffee and hot chocolate. I am a home-schooled, travel addicted, aesthetic loving theatre junkie with four younger siblings. In short, I am a well-rounded geek. Nice to meet you! 
I’m so excited about your latest release, The Kelpie Of Ivory!! Tell me, what were some of your biggest challenges with writing this story? So, The Kelpie of Ivory is the first in the Concrai Records. The series came to me years ago, and in no time, I knew how I wanted it to end. I had no idea how to write the first book. It took years of serious brainstorming to get a solid picture. But during the writing process, I’d say the hardest part was pacing, especially at the beginning. I wanted my readers to have a firm grasp of Eira (my MC), her character, and her world, before diving into the plot. Yet, I didn’t want to bog down the first chapters. Finding that balance took lots of work.
What was your favorite part about this particular project–the thing that motivated you to sit down and write it? I don’t know if I have a favorite part! I love it all so much! I have always wanted to write an epic, dark fantasy series with my world and rules. My passion for this story, my themes, and the uniqueness of the world motivated me to write. And as I fell more in love with my characters, it became easier to pump out those words. So many things made sense in writing this book, and I think it unlocked another part of me as an author.
What does a ‘typical’ writing day look like for you? Do you write every day? Do you have an average page/word count you like to strive for? I try to write every day, or at least edit or outline. My daily goal is one-thousand-five-hundred words, but that’s for when I am in the throes of a draft. A typical writing day when I am drafting looks like me glued to my computer for hours on end. But when I am brainstorming or editing, I let myself rest. I try to get some words in on an upcoming project, but I prioritize other things in my life that get shoved aside in the drafting stage. 
I know you’ve written both Historical Fiction and Fantasy. What are the unique challenges that come with writing each genre? Is there one you prefer more to another? The main challenge with historical fiction is dealing with real history in real life, and the trial with fantasy is that it requires you to deal with your history and your world. Historical fiction takes research. There are so many pieces that you can mess up because of how the media portrays the past (like corsets were great if you didn’t tie them too tight.) But in fantasy, there are elements that you forget to think about. I remember having a crisis half-way through this book because I hadn’t mentioned the name of the continent once in the whole book. Editing in both genres is challenging, and that’s when the genre sticks. As to preferring one to another, I’d say fantasy is my favorite? But I love historical fiction too, especially when it confronts your perception of history.
What hobbies do you like to pursue outside of writing? A life outside of writing? Do people have that?? *sweats and laughs nervously* No, in all honesty, I struggle to find a balance with writing, school, my social life, and other things I enjoy. I love bike riding, reading, and singing, but I don’t get much time for those things. I hope to start a flower garden whenever I get home, and hopefully, that will ground me in work outside of my head. I am a junior (nearly senior gosh) in high-school, and this coming school year will be my last at home in Africa. So I am pushing myself with my writing projects now, and maybe when I get to college, I can try some new things.
So, I know you, like me, are a teen author! Do you have any favorite books by teen authors that you’ve read? Are there any you hope to read in the future? You know, this has been a funny dilemma for me. As a teen author who does not have a substantial following or many readers, I look for writers like me with less well-known books. But books get promotions when they are good. And when they don’t, well, you have a fifty-fifty chance of finding a nugget of gold. As my writing and editing skills have developed, so has my inner book critic. There are only a few books by teen authors I have finished satisfied. Again, I haven’t read many of the hyped ones (like Fifty Days by Brittney Kristina, Millie Florence’s works, or Olive J. Bennett’s, A Cactus in the Valley.) I know those books are exceptional, but they aren’t my style or preferred genres. So my favorite teen author works are ones that aren’t released yet, but I have beta read. Corrie Parks has an excellent book coming; she is rewriting it for the second time. Riley Rawls’s writing is INCREDIBLE, and she sold me on her book, even though I typically don’t read contemporary. Isabelle Thom writes in several genres, and when she gets around to publishing, the world is going to love her. And of course, I am thrilled about your book, Gabriella.