My Interview With ''xMandiblesx'' and ''Anchor and Hope.''

Hello everyone. ::mrgreen:

Today we are starting with a dear friend of mine. MissxMandiblesx is a great author in the A7X field but my favorite story by her is her newest work which is an original NC-17 fic called, Beautiful Dark.

01. Would you tell us your full name?

Amanda Kay Tinsley.

02. How long have you been on mibba?

Roughly two years I believe.

03. Are you posting your writings on other writing sites?

Nope, just Mibba. I know there are other sites out there but I'm not sure what they are like or how the audience is.

04. Since when have you been writing?

Well I've been writing since I was in fourth grade. I actually wrote a story that my writing teacher at that time told me could be published as a children's book. I really need to re- write that story because I lost it but I remember it enough to write it over. My writing teacher really inspired me and that has stuck with me all these years. She took the time to care and she really believed in me and my writing abilities.

I've often thought about going to school to become a writing teacher but...procrastination and other factors have kept me from doing that. Also...I would be afraid that if I made writing my career...I would get burnt out and end up hating writing. It's bizarre for me to even say that because I love writing so much but I do know that if a person overloads themselves with the same thing everyday, they will get tired of it eventually no matter how much they think they are passionate about it. So those fears do dance in the back of my mind quite often.

05. Could you tell us a brief summary of your stories.

Hmm....of each one? That would take forever! However...I can sum most of them up for you. All of the stories I have on here are mostly Fan Fictions about Avenged Sevenfold. I have a story of them being demons, vampires, kidnappers, criminals, fathers, and also I have stories where I just write them being themselves as they are now. In a band and awesome lol. I do have my one Original Fiction though and it's just taking off as you well know.

Currently I'm more into Original Fiction. It allows me to work on my character development and I enjoy the free range aspect of it. With Fan Fiction..it feels like there are limitations because you are writing about a celebrity. That means the character is already made up and exists. If you go the Original Fiction route instead, it means that everything to do with a character is up to you and is created entirely by you. You can make your characters look, talk, act or any way that you want to. I do love my fair share of Fan Fiction but I also enjoy Original Fiction. I enjoy getting to use my imagination by the descriptions of the Original characters alone.

06. What inspired you to write each story?

Avenged Sevenfold for the most part. Actually my story, My Fucking Nightmare, stemmed from a dream I had. Actually I get a lot of my inspiration for stories from my dreams as I am a lucid dreamer. Plus I've always had a very active imagination.

07. Which characters did you like more from each story you created and why?

It's really hard to say. I mostly enjoy writing in first person for the female characters because I can add bits of myself into her character while still making her different. That's one of the funnest things about writing and character development....you can create a character you want to be like but also add some of yourself in there with it. Although...when I write about Avenged Sevenfold...sometimes I like to write from their point of view. Being a female who writes from a male's frame of mind is really interesting. I get to pretend you know? It's kind of ironic also because sometimes I've found it really easy to write or think like a guy lol.

08. Do you do research before writing?

Sometimes I do...mostly if it's a plot line or idea that you need a lot of info on to make it believable in the story. Also if I'm writing about a topic I don't know much about or is out of my comfort zone...then I'll do a good amount of research first.

09. Is there an author on here whose work you like or is your inspiration?

I really don't like naming names to be honest. I feel like it leaves people out, ya know? There are tons on here that have inspired me.

10. Do you like experimenting while writing? Writing about stuff you haven't experienced and genres you never thought you'd write about?

Yes actually. It's more challenging in my opinion and sometimes I enjoy a good challenge. I also like trying new things and broadening my horizons so yes....I do like to experiment here and there.

11. How often do you update?

Ugh this is one of my weakest points honestly. I feel my writing isn't all that bad and is half decent. I do have pretty interesting ideas I just have trouble conveying those ideas into story form. I will start a new story, be really excited and inspired for it and then I just draw a blank or get into a huge writer's block. It's mostly because my mind races a lot with new story ideas so it's hard for me to concentrate on just ONE story at a time. My updates suffer as a result of this. If I really love a story though...I will update it at least once a week. If I didn't work as much and try managing a marriage too...I would have more time to write and update.

12. Any words for your readers?

Hmm...I would like to tell anyone who has a passion for writing to never give up just because someone may not like what you've written. There are people out there who don't like the same things as you all the time so try to remember that when they leave a controversial comment on your work. There are also rude people in the world who don't consider other people's feelings so try to overlook them and don't let them ruin your love of writing.

In your heart you know the thought and intent behind your ideas and stories. Stay true to you and what you love to write about. Don't ever feel limited especially if you write fiction. Fiction allows us all to really travel into the depths of our imaginations and lets us bring our most beloved fantasies and ideals to life. Embrace fiction and it will embrace you in return.

13. Any authors you like and inspire you?

This a tough one. I don't honestly read a whole lot of published books. I suppose Stephen King would be one inspiration. He's an amazing author for his genre. I mostly read stories here on Mibba. There are tons upon tons of authors on this site that have inspired me. I won't name names because there are just so many of them out there. I enjoy reading stories that have imperfections and are raw. That means I would rather read a story that isn't published and has maybe flaws and room for correction.

To me it reminds us that we are all human and are still trying to grow as writers. I'm not saying unpublished writers are better than published...I'm just saying I enjoy the realness aspect of it. I get to experience the emotion and richness of the story as the author posts it on here as opposed to a published novel that I don't really get to learn anything about the author themselves you know? Mibba makes writing more personal I think. We really get a chance to get to know the author and their reasoning behind their work.

And that's the end of the interview.

Check out her stories here.

Moving on to the second interview for the day with Anchor and Hope. She is also in the a7x fanbase and you can't miss her writings I know I've been saying that a lot in my interview, but I can't help it since so many great authors live in mibbaland. <3

01. Would you tell us your full name?

Rebecca, but call me Becca...Rebecca just seems so formal.

02. How long have you been on mibba?

If I remember correctly, I joined New Year’s Day of 2008? So just over five years (good Lord that makes me feel old!)

03. Are you posting your writings on other writing sites?

I currently have one story up on OneDirectionFanFiction.com, which is Summertime Sadness, but other than that, nope.

04. Since when have you been writing?

Oh gosh, I guess I started at like...11 or 12? But somehow I stumbled across a Good Charlotte fanfiction, and I read for a few years and at 13 I finally decided what the hell, I'd start writing too. So I guess close to 11 years?

05. Could you tell us a brief summary of your stories?

Summertime Sadness is my newest story, it's about a young dancer named Everly who is married to Harry Styles. Everly had cancer as a child, and she has relapsed. The story is going to focus on what Everly and Harry believe will be their last summer together.

True Love features Zacky Vengeance. Zack's high school girlfriend Mia moves back to Huntington after fourteen years, at which point Zack finds out they have twin daughters- Emma and Mackenzie.

I also have two active group writes- The Pact & Matched.

The Pact is about a group of friends preparing to spend their last summer before going off and really starting their "adult" lives. The girls take a trip to the states, where they join Charlie's step-brother, Josh on tour. It is then that they meet (and seduce) One Direction. It's a lot of chaos, but it's a lot of fun to write, and the girls have the best friendship dynamic.

Matched is based on the idea that the boys of One Direction are getting a little out of control, and their management has had enough. Simon Cowell just happened to have his share in this new "ground breaking" matching system (which, they believe is fool proof). He forces the boys to be matched, and again, it's a big fiasco- but it is so much fun to write, all the girls are such strong, unique characters.

I have two stories coming up too,

About Time is a Liam Payne fic I've had in the works for a while now. It's about Liam's first love, a girl named Norie whom he met while in the hospital as a child. Norie just so happens to be a nanny who will soon take to working for the Atkins/Teasdale family when they go on tour.

Midnight Memories is also in the works. It focuses around Niall Horan and a girl named Penelope. Penelope is very bitter and a really different character for me to write, but she's just gotten out of a bad marriage.

06. What inspired you to write each story?

I lost my grandfather a year ago in November to cancer, he was the soul inspiration for Summertime Sadness. He was sick for a long time, but the last year of his illness was by far the worst, he was so sick but he still managed a strength unlike anything I had ever seen. He knew exactly what he wanted- he knew that he wasn't interested in anymore drugs or anymore treatment, he knew he wanted to live and that was so inspiring. I wanted to give that same spirit and strength to Everly, and I guess it's a way of working through the loss for me as well.

True Love started as a joke between one of my good friends and myself- everyone's heard the old adage 'your teenagers will be ten times worse than you were'. We had watched the DVD that came with the Avenged Sevenfold album and she asked, 'could you imagine their teenagers?'. Alas, True Love was born. I thought it would be fun to write- two hormonal teenage girls and one very confused new dad.

About Time hits close to home. I know Liam spent a good portion of his life very ill with kidney issues, and I have gone through my own battle with kidney disease, so it's just one of those things where writing about it is cathartic, and there are so many misconceptions about chronic illness- especially in young people.

Midnight Memories came in a very different manor- usually I brainstorm the idea, then I develop a character but with MM I developed Penelope first. I wanted a very angry, very angsty girl who is wise beyond her years. I wanted someone who had made big mistakes. I wanted to write someone incredibly relatable to most twenty-something’s. She's working hard to find her way back.

07. Which characters did you like more from each story you created and why?

In True Love I adore the twins, Emma and Mackenzie. They're just so fun to write and adding little bits and pieces of Zack always makes me happy.

In Summertime Sadness I would have to say Everly is my favorite- Everly and her best friend Olivia, they have a great dynamic.

In About Time, it is undoubtedly Lulu, Norie's baby sister. Lulu is a big part of Norie, she's really important to Norie and she plays a pivotal role in making Norie who she is.

In Midnight Memories it is certainly Benedict, Penelope's older brother. They have a very unique brother/sister relationship.

08. Do you do research before writing?

Always. Obviously living in the states, it's a bit of work to write about someone who lives overseas or even in a different city or state than myself. The slang/lingo is completely different. I use Google Maps a lot as well because I like to reference real places- I feel like it makes the whole experience more authentic.

09. Is there an author on here whose work you like or is your inspiration?

There are quite a few actually! Sam, or formerlyknownas as she's known on here, and Ashley or aboutfalling. They are both phenomenal writers. They both just recently left the site. I also adore Becca, or antidote. who has a fantastic writing style. Oh, and sylvia wrath! And all of my co-writers, Alex, Courtney, Emma, Corie, and Maddi.

10. Do you like experimenting while writing? Writing about stuff you haven't experienced and genres you never thought you'd write about?

I always try to experiment (though it doesn't always work). I like to try and write characters and situations that are really different. Sometimes I learn things about myself by forcing myself to think outside the box.

11. What's the hardest story you've ever wrote?

I can honestly say that Summertime Sadness is easily becoming the hardest. Emotionally it's just kind of draining, a lot of it is reliving cancer all over again, but I have a power over this story that I didn't have with cancer- I can control the outcome. It's also just difficult in the sense that, I feel this need to get it just right before I really get into it. I have six different drafts of the first chapter, and none of them quite seem adequate.

12. What does writing mean to you?

Writing means being yourself, truly yourself. It is writing for you- it is getting inside that space in your head where wonderful things happen. It's being transported into a world that you don't have to sit in every day, it's creating that world. Most importantly, it's expressing yourself.

13. About what was the first story you ever wrote? Could you tell us a little bit more about it?

Like quite a few other people here I started on Quizilla (how embarrassing). I don't remember its exact title, but I know it was a Pete Wentz story, I don't remember much of anything about it- but I'm sure it was wretched. Moments like this are why I am so thankful I had the sense to go back and delete my Quizilla, I know I'd probably die of embarrassment, (or perhaps laughter) if I read my old stuff.

14. What's the story you're most proud of?

I was most proud of a story I had called I Want Crazy, but that story was deleted during the site glitch (a.k.a Mibbapocalypse). I'm still unsure of if I'll be bringing it back (so to the 240+ subscribers and the 90 reccs, I am SO sorry!)

Of everything that is still active- Summertime Sadness. Right now, it's basically a prologue- but I have quite the journey planned for Harry & Everly and I can't wait for everyone to join them.

15. What is your biggest writing weakness?

I'm a sap for a good love story.

16. Are you more of a writer or a reader?

Definitely more of a writer. I'm really picky when it comes to reading.

17. Do you read all kinds of fiction?

Oh yeah, if it catches my eye, I'll pretty much read it no matter what.

18. Do you prefer original fiction or fan fiction?

I prefer fanfiction, but I'm working my way into the original side of things, and there truly are some phenomenal stories on the site.

19. Do you write stories with all kinds of ratings?

Oh yeah, but I tend to stick closer to "R", sometimes I have the mouth of a sailor. Oops!

20. What's the genre you are most comfortable with?

I'm most comfortable with romance, drama, and comedy.

21. Which genres and ratings do you prefer when you pick a story to read?

I prefer "R" and up.

22. Is there a certain place you like to be when you write? Something you have to do in order to concentrate on writing?

I always write at my kitchen table, I won't write when anyone else is home (mostly because my house is total chaos when everyone is home) I can't write without a hot cuppa, and Pandora is always on, though the station depends on my mood (but generally speaking it's likely to be Ed Sheeran, Hunter Hayes, or One Direction)

23. In which of the characters you created, do you see yourself? (If there is a character like that)

I always put a piece of myself in every character, be it her love for nail polish, or the fact that she bakes when she's nervous, but I also try to give each character a trait that I am slightly uncomfortable with because it forces me to think and to create them. It also forces me to really get into their head. A character that I see honestly see myself in? The readers haven't met her yet, but Norie is kind of a reflection of myself, she’s sarcastic and she's trying her best to move past her illness, and she still manages to be a caretaker. It's always a cathartic experience to write Norie.

24. When you have writer's block, what do you do to get back to writing?

A lot of times, my ideas come from a song. So a lot of times, falling back into that original song or artist does the trick. My original idea or direction kind of comes back to me, and I can get back into it.

25. If you were a character in a novel, how do you think you would be? Is there a character of a published novel which could be you?

I would be incredibly sarcastic, I'd be smart- and I would embarrass easily.

26. Which is your favorite character from a published novel?

Here comes the part where I sound like a little kid. Hermione Granger.
She was brilliant and studious and confident- she was what I wanted to be when I grew up. She's still a woman I would be proud to become.

27. How often do you update?

I don't have a set schedule, I try to get to it whenever I can but I won't force an update. I like it to flow, I want to be confident in my idea before I put it in writing.

28. Any words for your readers?

I say it every time I update, but I can never seem to say it enough- it genuinely means the world that you guys take the time to be such amazing readers. You're all so dedicated and so wonderful. To know that you openly use your time to read the stuff I write does mean the world. So many of you blindly subscribe and recommend before a story is even posted and it absolutely blows my mind every single time, the support is just out of this world. I honestly can't thank you guys enough!

29. Any authors you like and inspire you? (novels/graphic books)

I love Sarah Dessen, I also love Ellen Hopkins- I read her stuff growing up like it was a religion. Anthony F. Smith is also an amazing writer- he tends to write Sport Business books, but he has written on of the best ESPN come-up stories I've ever read (I suppose that's where the sport nerd inside me kicks in...)

And with that, we reached the end. Did you have fun?

~Marian.