Sunday Surprise

And it’s another guest! From Strange Portals! And her story is actually one of the 5stars – I didn’t mention them all, but I had jotted down to contact the author for an interview and there you have it! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Adan Ramie!

Where do you live and write from?

I live in a small town in Texas. It��s a quiet, unassuming little city, which is nice, but I��d prefer to live in a less conservative state. I write in the middle of my living room, amidst the shuffle of family life; it isn��t always the best environment for concentration, but it helps me remain in control of the little ones.

Why do you write?

I write because it helps me make sense of the world. When life throws me curveballs, I can use my writing to help me process the emotions that are often too overwhelming to face head-on. I��ve tried NOT writing, and it was terrible.

When did you start writing?

I started writing as soon as I could make words on paper. I started writing short stories in elementary school and novellas around puberty.I wrote my first novel around fifteen; it has since been properly destroyed.

What genre(s) do you write?

I write mostly dark fiction. A lot, but not all, of my stories have LGBT+ themes or characters. Some genres my work fits into are thriller, drama, dystopian, and horror.

What does your writing routine consist of?

Most days I start by chugging down some water while I��m checking e-mails and doing other writing-related tasks. Then I eat breakfast, send the children off to school, and get down to the business of writing and/or editing. I tend to end my day with writing or writing-related things as well.

What do you feel are your strengths as a writer? How have you developed these qualities?

My strengths as a writer? I think my writing has a distinctive voice that carries a punch. I am often able to tell a whole story in a small amount of words. I��ve developed these qualities the way anyone would: practice, execute, fail, practice��

Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?

I find inspiration everywhere. Sometimes I go looking for it in writing prompts. Other times, a phrase, scene, or feeling hits me, and the skeleton of a story is born.

I think a lot of authors will tell you that it��s difficult NOT to put yourself in your stories. A part of me, whether large or small, goes into everything I write. I try to stay out of Mary Sue territory, but I can definitely see myself and my life in the stories that I write.

Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

Forever, I was an improviser, a ��pantser�� without so much as a fully-formed idea, let alone an outline. But I couldn��t get any novels written that way. I have piles of half- or partly-finished manuscripts on my hard drive that are gathering figurative dust because I never played the long game with them. I didn��t think them through, and they ended up falling flat. Now, I plan and it works a whole lot better for me.

If I can get myself to sit down and ignore all the distractions that come with life, I can write pretty fast. I type at an alarmingly quick pace, and my brain is always going faster than I would like it to, so the words tend to come quickly. That being said, some things have taken me way too long to finish because I��m a chronic procrastinator. (But I��m working on that.)

Tell us about your latest book (add link if published)

Right now, I��m in the second round with my book, Maladaptation. It��s out with some beta readers, but I��m hoping I��ll start getting feedback soon and be able to do the last round of big revisions within the next month. I��m shooting to publish it within the next three months.

Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?

I like indie publishing. It��s an interesting process to me, and it appeals to me in the very different spheres of my personality. I love control, order, and a detailed process, and indie publishing definitely gives me that. I also live for pumping my creative juices into a project, and it gives me that, too.

That isn��t to say I won��t one day pursue traditional publishing. I have been published traditionally for several short stories. Some of the publications that have published my work are This Dark Matter, Paper Tape Magazine, and Skin to Skin. I��ve also been a part of two anthologies, Beyond the Nightlight and Strange Portals.

Any other projects in the pipeline?

Right now, I have a lot going on. When I��m not working on Maladaptation, I��m submitting short stories for publication, writing flash fiction for my blog, reading and reviewing books, and working on a degree. Who knows? I could have another novel almost ready for publication by the end of the year.

What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?

My goal is to be a full-time author who can pay the bills with her earnings. It��s all I��ve really ever wanted. What I��m doing to achieve it is to keep writing, editing, revising, submitting, and publishing. It takes a lot of work to be a full-time writer, and I��m giving it all I��ve got.

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

That��s simple. The best piece of writing advice I ever read was from Stephen King. He said, ��The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.��

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Where to find Adan

Blog: http://adanramieblog.wordpress.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AdanRamie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AdanRamie

Tumblr: http://adanramie.tumblr.com/