Interview With The Vampyre Writer
- The Robin Hood Series Diaries (23)EverythingI Do, my Robin Hood/brotherhood/female assassin/romantic adventure novel, comesout in less than a month.
So I havedecided to interview myself. I love giving interviews, and I have a TON ofquestions from Instagram (@mcfrank_author) but no one is asking the REALLYimportant questions, like what do vampires eat for lunch (noodles). So I’ll do it myself.
All jokesaside, I thought this Q&A might help some aspiring or published authors aswell, since we all face similar struggles, after all. (Feeling alone while you’rewriting is REAL. I’ve been through it, and I’m so grateful to the writers whoshared their journey and made me feel understood, so I’m hoping to do thesame.) Also, I need to get a few things off my chest, and this is the perfectopportunity. The interview will include personal questions, as well as EIDones, so I’m sure you’re all at the edge of your seats.
WHY are youa vampire writer?
Because Isleep during the day and write at night, most days until 5 am. Also, I amallergic to the sun (real fact).
WHY RobinHood?
I’ve lovedhim since I was 10. I read my first Robin Hood story when I was 9, and he’sbeen in my head ever since. I watched the Disney version when my brother was 4(I was 16) but by then he had been in my head for over six years. My own storyhad begun to take shape in my imagination already, crazy as it sounds.
I love thathe’s the hero of a broken, troubled land, and the fact that his legend emergedfrom really dark times, such as the ones my own country is in right now makesme feel so much kinship with him and his company. Also, I’ve always (since Iwas 10, so literally always) wanted to explore his burden of responsibility andtorture for all the lives lost under his leadership. So, a thousand yearslater, here we are. The epic begins.
WHY shouldI read Everything I Do?
Because toughguys, blood, cats, girls dressed as boys, female assassins, Robin Hood,hotness, metal illness rep, boy band, POC rep, bromance and disability rep(unfortunately I can’t mention all the reps because SPOILERS. Will do for book2, though.)
WHY do youwrite?
To stayalive.
I have beendiagnosed with pretty bad stuff that I can’t mention or it would give younightmares for the rest of your life. Let’s just say that the words “resistant”and “clinical” have been thrown in by more than 3 docs. (If you have what Ihave, then I am truly truly sorry, but you get what I’m talking about.) So Ispent about 5 years in bed, literally. I was so heavily medicated that I don’tremember ANYTHING from these 5 years. I lost them. One day, I thought of anidea for a book. (It was about a little dead five-year-old girl. Coincidence?)I got out of bed and wrote non-stop for a week. It was finished, all 100Kishwords of it in 7 days. Then, I showed it to the dude and later, my dad. They bothcried (but not in front of each other.) So I threw it away and sat down towrite what would later become Ruined.
Since thatday, I’ve gotten up every day in order to write. Along with writing, otherthings came: I stopped taking any meds completely, I dropped most of theweight, I got my Physics Uni degree. Did a few of other cool things as well.But it’s the writing I wake up for every day.
It’s thestories that keep the nightmares at bay.
WHY cats ina Robin Hood book?
Becausetough guys covered in blood from a recent duel purring at a cat are life.
WHY Greekmythology?
I’m Greek.(This question refers to Salt for Air, I think, and not to Robin Hood.) I gottired of everyone and their mom saying how much they adore Greek mythology andthen getting it COMPLETELY wrong in their books. Please get it right. Wedeserve your respect.
WHAT do youexpect from the release of Everything I Do?
A few coolpeople posting about my tortured, gorgeous Robin boy, and a lot of cool peoplereading his book.
WHATinpired you to write this particular story?
My “story”.You know how you have a particular story constantly in your head? How you keepadding characters and scenes to it, and keep daydreaming through boring oldschool and university classes and…No? Just me? Oops. *Crawls back into a corner*Anyway, that’s my inspiration.
WHAT isyour favorite part of Everything I Do?
The tree/rainscene. *dies of feels*
WHAT is yourfavorite book of all time?
Now, thatis a question I get more than any other, and its. just. cruel. Daughter ofSmoke and Bone, let’s just say. And Bleak House. And Persuasion. That’s onebook, right?
HOW did youmeet your dude?
You’re toonosy, that’s how. (We were friends for years, and then one day he called me andsaid… well, stuff… *blushes*)
HOW did youmake the decision to self-publish?
After yearsof research. That’s literally all it took. Getting allll the facts, and thenmaking a list of pros and cons. The pros won by a landslide and I am so happywith my decision.
HOW old areyou?
110
WHEN willthe next book after Everything I Do be out?
Winter of2019.
WHAT isyour favorite and least favorite part of the writing process?
Favorite:Writing my most anticipated chapters yuummm and least favorite: the finalrounds of editing are sooooo tiring.
WHATbook/author inspired your love of reading early on and how did that affect you as a writer?
The booksthat inspired my huge love of reading were the Chronicles of Narnia, as thesewere the first books I fell in love with. However, they discouraged me fromwriting, if anything, because they were so awesome and complex. The author thatinspired me was and still is my dad. I grew up watching him write all day,every day, even on vacations, and then when I was a teen I started reading hisshort stories and plays. And that was it, I knew this was what I wanted to dowith my life. I just didn’t know how.
DO youlisten to music while writing?
No, I findit too distracting.
WHAT’s yourfavorite genre to write?
Scifi. BUTI get tired of writing the same genre, I always have to take a break after eachbook and go write a completely opposite genre.
DO youremember your first story you’ve ever written?
Yes, verywell. I was 11, I think, and it was about a bird being safe in its nest duringa sea storm. I showed it to my best friend and she took it home and read it toALL of her family and friends, and she came back to school and told me that Ishould publish it for money (it was less than 100 words). Everything I Do isdedicated to her. I also showed it toanother, older “friend” of the family, who made fun of me and it. She is nolonger in my life.
HOW do youovercome writer’s block? (This was the most popular question asked ever)
I do a fewthings:
I go work on something else for awhile. My brain just opens up when I stop thinking about the story/scene that’sblocking me.I try working on a different medium,or a different computer.I rest, because more often than notburnout is the cause of author’s block.I take Ray Bradbury’s advice veryseriously (another author who hugely impacted and influenced my writing) whosaid that writer’s block is your brain’s way of telling you that you shouldn’tbe writing this story, because it’s no good, or because this isn’t the storyfor you. So I reevaluate what I want to write, if it’s something I am in lovewith, and if it’s the right story for me at this time in my life.I seek inspiration in nature andbooks. Reading always, always does the trick for me.WHEN didthe idea of writing a book come up in your head first?
When I was8 and in the summer my dad used to sit outside, by the beach, and write andwrite. I wanted to be like him, so I sat down and little stories began to pourout. My sister did the same. We thought that all kids were like that, and daddidn’t tell us any different, lol. He must have been cracking up inside,though, now that I think about it.
HOW longdoes it usually take you to finish a book?
Threemonths at the least, a few years at the most. I’ve had both of these happen tome, and everything in-between. So there’s no standard answer for me, maybebecause I write in a few different genres.
WHAT is theprocess before getting your mind in the game and starting to write?
I read mynotes, so that I know what I’ll be writing about, and think about the beginningof my first sentence for a bit. I don’t sit down to type until I have “daydreamed”about my characters a bit, so that I’m in the world I’m writing about. This isnecessary for me, because my head is constantly filled with stories andthoughts, and they are not always relevant to the story I’m writing at thetime. They might be of another story I’m planning out, or of a story I’mreading (I constantly read while I write, I have no problem with that, I eventake breaks from writing to read a chapter—it’s my reward). So I need to get inside that world. And Ilove it, once I’m in there. But it’s necessary.
I also lookat my aesthetics (now you see why I make so MANY of them), as I am a veryvisual person,
HOW longhave you been writing?
Since I wasa kid, in general, but more seriously since 2009.
WHENdeveloping a new story, what part is the most exciting?
Brainstormingand outlining.
HOW do youwrite so many different genres so awesomely?
This question was submitted by Aisha, who is seriously the sweetest person ever. And theanswer is, I don’t know about awesomely, but I read all these genres extensively, continuously,one-book-a-day-ly. I know them intimately, that’s why I feel confident enoughto write in them. (ish)
WHAT isyour writing routine like?
I kind ofwake up, grab my laptop from my nightstand and start typing (still half-asleep).
DO youprefer pen and paper or typing?
Pen andpaper for outlining and thought-dumping for sure, sticky notes and a millionnotebooks for planning, and typing for actually writing.
IF youcreate a small playlist for your latest book, what songs would be on there?
Here is theEverything I Do playlist, enjoy (includes Muse, Twenty-One Pilots, Aurora, My Chemical Romance, opera, EXO-K, Lorde and medieval tavern songs, among other things)!
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