Alyssa Indira asked Shannon Messenger:

Hi, i know you've probably been asked this question already, but how invested are you in your novels? Like do you research specific subjects to make the story come to life? Do you write what you know or broaden your horizons to create a more in depth plot line? Okay.. that sounded strange, sorry!

Shannon Messenger Hm, this is hard to answer because being "invested" in a novel doesn't necessarily mean "doing a lot of research." It depends on the story. In my case, I write fantasy, so a lot of what ends up in the book is stuff I have to make up, which also requires a huge investment of my time and creative energy. I try to never settle for an idea just because it's the only one I have. I push to come up with what really is the best for the characters and the world or the story. And if there are portions that need research, of course I don't hesitate. Also: I always push myself (and I have a team of critique partners and editors who also push me) to make every plot element and word on the page as strong as they can be. So yes, I'm very invested in my books. Nothing about writing a book is easy, and if it ever starts to get easy that usually means I'm not pushing myself hard enough. Hope that answers your question.

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