Interview with purple89

So, this is my first ever non professional interview and I have to say a surprisingly easy one. She's a great person to talk to, inspiring and has some truly interesting and enlightening points to say. I really enjoyed the interview and really enjoyed reading her work that made me want this interview with her. Honestly, I'd recommend her work to any of my readers and I really enjoyed it.

Anyway, here is the interview and I hope you all take something inspiring and interesting from it.

1. What is your name?

Ornella Ariana Priya Rose but everyone just calls me Pree

2. For how long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was about 12.

3. Do you write for fun or is it like a job?
I write for fun. It’s a great way for me to de-stress or take what’s in my head and let it lose so I don’t go insane.

4. Think of your upbringing; how has this influenced your writing?
My upbringing influenced my writing in a major way. I was never able to talk to my parents about anything. They weren’t the lovey-dovey, kiss you before you go to school kind of people. There was a lot of turmoil in my household and writing, just like music, became a way for me to escape when the world was too much with me. All the things I was feeling on the inside would spill out onto paper and eventually onto a word document. It was a healthy way of letting all the emotions out.

5. If you could name one life experience which has influenced your writing, what would be the most important?
There hasn’t been just one experience that has influenced my writing. Each experience is important and can be harnessed in such a way that it inspires something truly great. A lot of my work draws from basic, every day interactions or observations or even how I’m feeling at that moment. If there is something negative affecting me, you will definitely see it in the chapters of the different stories I write. For example, when my grandpa died in April 2013, a lot of my updates were really dark and the characters were filled with angst.

6. Do you prefer reading or writing?
To be honest, it’s fifty-fifty for me. I love reading as much as I love writing. Reading helps my writing because I learn new ways to write, how to make my writing more engaging etc. Sometimes I would read a book and think to myself “wow, this author is really engaging. I want to try writing like that.”

7. What are your areas of interest in writing?
My interests are incredibly vast. I enjoy creating an image in your mind. When you read anything I write, I want you to be able to see it, feel it, taste it. I want you to be a part of the story, not just a reader. I enjoy exploring the emotions that the human is susceptible to; the good, the bad and the downright ugly. To me, a story has to be real enough for you to believe in it; for you to believe in the characters; for you to be a part of their life. It doesn’t matter if it’s about zombies or vamps or weres or angels and demons. It has to come alive so you believe that those things are out there.
It’s important to me to have conversation that flows in any story. I hate reading something that’s just a bunch of clichés and randomness. I have a particularly great time creating conversations. Its probably my favorite thing about writing. I will sit there and picture my scene like a movie. Close my eyes and see it play out. How would he say something? How would she reply? It’s really entertaining when I’m bored out of my skull.

8. What is your favourite genre?
I would answer the this question the same way I would music. I don’t believe in having a favorite because it significantly limits your mind. I enjoy reading and writing about anything really. Once it has a good story line and is well written, then I’m game.

9. What is currently your favourite story?
My favorite story right now, is Melissa Marr’s Ink Exchange which is a part of her Wicked Lovely series. That book in particular speaks to me on a deeply elemental level. The characters are portrayed beautifully and I love that the female character was weak and succumbed to the fantasy that Irial (the male main character) painted in her mind. It was refreshing to see that in a female character. Of course, she wised up in the end but still, Marr was able to really expose the weakness of the human mind.

10. How do you get your ideas?
Everywhere. Inspiration is indeed everywhere. You just have to open yourself up to it. I get my ideas from watching a movie and a particular line jumps out at me or driving down the road. My mind is a scary place at times too and it’s not somewhere that I would advise people to explore on their own. I would be laying in bed, struggling to fall asleep and I would be hit with an idea. But I think, in all honesty, that some of my greatest ideas come from my dreams. I have a vivid imagination and it translates into my dreams. Some of my work, such as Wicked Ways Angel Wings and the 23 trilogy have started from a dream. But these dreams aren’t a one off thing. Each chapter would be a dream. So when I get up in the morning I would just start furiously writing everything down and shelling it out. I love that part; the dreams.

11. Can you tell me how you go about creating a character? What to you is the perfect character?
Oh boy, this is a fun question.
All my female characters have the same skeleton really. They are all based on me. I take the parts of myself that compliment the story that I’m writing. So, a lot of the time, you will come across a character that is a total smart ass and has no hold bars when it comes to how she feels about any given topic but is also incredibly naïve and vulnerable. I enjoy reading about a strong female character as much as the next woman but to me, the woman who shows her scars is the best character. A woman who is tough yet fragile. A woman that falls in love easily and loves hard. A woman that trusts easily. A woman who makes mistakes.
In terms of my male characters, there will always be that one character that you will definitely see that I put more thought and effort into. He’s the one that skulls the shadows, has a dark and devious mind and always has wicked intentions. He’s tough, easy to hate and makes you think “what the hell is actually wrong with him.” but at some point, you will see that he’s human, that he’s been hurt and that the mask he’s wearing is a defense mechanism. He’s the one that will have the venomous tongue and the piercing gaze. The one that makes you weak with just one look and more than likely the one with all the tattoos and piercings.

12. Many authors relate to their characters, do you?
Of course I do. Both my male and female characters are people I can relate to. Some of my characters are embodiments of actual people I know. I take what I want from the actual person, whether it be the way they smile or laugh, the way they carry themselves, the personality traits that I find intriguing etc and I mold it into what I want. I try to create characters that you can relate to because no one, unless you’re a multibillionaire with dashing good looks or a female bombshell with the world happily falling at your feet, you can relate to those extreme characters. Its much easy to relate the guy who sits with his guitar under a tree or the girl that orders coffee from the same shop every morning and sits with a book studying somewhere. We all want someone that we can identify with in a story.

13. Who is the favourite character of your own creation?
It would be “Vengeance” from my 23 trilogy. He is the one everyone hates because he is such a jerk, but he the one that I’ve given the most thought to. He’s layered, like an onion and though you probably always know that his intentions are of the worst kind, he surprises you every now and then.

14. Who is your favourite character of someone else's creation?
Christian Grey!! Oh my god I’m just kidding….seriously…just kidding….
The character Irial from Melissa Marr’s Ink Exchange is probably my favorite character that someone else created. I read that book years ago and yet, that one character has made a lasting impression on me. He is such a dynamic character; sinfully dark and has goodness shining through the cracks in his armor. Perfection.

15. Have you ever experienced 'writers block' if so can you offer any advice as to how to get over it?
Writer’s block…the dreaded enemy of all writers. Yes, I have experienced writer’s block. Too many times to count. It’s beyond infuriating.
The advice I usually give is to take a break from whatever you’re writing. Leave it alone. Go outside, breathe in some fresh air, listen to some music. Get out of your head. Leave it be for a day. Then, go back and read it. From the very first chapter. It will help you get back into the story because you’ve started reading from the beginning. You’d find that some very tiny detail in the most random chapter would get those gears grinding again.

16. What are the best and the worst experiences you have ever had when writing?
The best experience would be having someone tell me that my writing has inspired them to start writing again. That’s just a great feeling. Or having someone ask me to read and edit something before they post it up because they trust that I would be honest and critique openly.
Worst experience would be posting something that really means a lot and getting no comments/feedback. For me, I enjoy hearing what people think of what I put out there, whether its good or bad. So having something out there that is cast aside for smut and b-rated crap is just depressing. I did have one really horrible experience where I entered a contest on Mibba and put my heart and soul into that piece of work and lost to the host’s best friend. I read the winning entry and though to myself “There are so many grammatical and spelling errors and the plot is so goddamn generic. How the hell did this win and I didn’t even place.” When I realized who had written it, it made sense… I remember literally saying “Well it all makes sense then. Screw this shit. What’s the goddamn point of a freakin contest if you’re not even going to be fair.”

17. If I were to mention that therapeutic effects of writing have been suggested, would you agree? If so what is the best example of this?
I would most definitely agree. Writing has kept me sane growing up in a household that would drive anyone off a cliff. I could have chosen to be a cutter, or do drugs or pick up alcohol from a young age or something like that but I chose to vent through writing. If anyone read some of the stuff I had written when I was 16, they would have sent me straight to shrink. But writing helped me cope with a less than perfect childhood. It was an outlet for me to use when I really felt like I had nowhere to turn. Now, it has the same use. My life is certainly not what I expected it to be, but writing helps me deal with it. I’m able to create a world where I am who I want to be.

18. Are there any books you have read which have generated ideas?
All of the books I’ve read have helped generate ideas.

19. What advice would you offer to young authors here on mibba?
Don’t be afraid to let your mind loose. There is nothing wrong with being far fetched and crazy. Don’t let the fact that your amazing story only has one comment and three recs. It will gain popularity. Make friends on the site. You’d be surprised how great some of the people on here are. I prefer some people on here to my actual friends at times. Most of all, I’d tell any young author to live life, laugh loudly, love deeply and be compassionate. The world around you holds a wealth of inspiration, you just have to be brave enough to open your eyes and see it.

20. Who is your favourite published author?
Don’t laugh. J.K Rowling. I think I’ve read the Harry Potter series too many times.

21. Are there any authors here on mibba you would recommend and why?
-Zacky Vengeance; her writing is so incredibly descriptive and downright twisted at times. She has a great way with words that constantly has me in awe.

- RachTheBat : Her writing style is both engaging and can be hilarious. She’s grown tremendously as a writer as well so it’s nice to read something new from her and honestly see that growth.

-Gothique4: if there’s one writer on here that has had me burst out laughing in the middle of reading something she’s written, it’s her. Her conversations in her work is something to be admired because it’s all very snarky half the time. Not many people can pull that off, but she does an incredible job.

-amodernmyth88: English is not this girl’s first language and the fact that she can pull off so many stories with minimal flaws and grammatical errors really says something. I enjoy reading her work.

-xMandiblesx: another author that has shown amazing signs of growth in her writing. (Are you noticing a common trend yet?) Compared to her earlier work, what she has out now is by far a great improvement. She clearly puts a lot of effort into her writing and it shows.

22. What pieces of work, published or not published, completed or otherwise, would you recommend and why?

First off I would tell anyone to read Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. Its fantastic.

On Mibba:

His Porcelain Doll by ManicFame I love the contrast of character in this story. It’s really well written and makes you just want to slap Matt Sanders upside the head.
The Evil Within by RachTheBat: Murder, mystery, suspense. All wrapped up in some amazing words that create a nice mental image in your mind.

Henna and Pree’s Sexy Adventures With Syn And Vengeance by amodernmyth88 and Purple89 : If you want something that is a stretch of the imagination, funny and filled with heart, this one is a great read.

Forbidden Passion by Purple89: This is my latest work and is probably one of the most emotionally distressing stories I’ve ever written but it is something that is near and dear to me.

Master of Disaster by Charmed Luna: It was one of the very first stories I’ve read on here. I loved the development of the characters and the fact that it dabbled in the world of BDSM was a plus.

23. Finally, if you could use five words to describe your work, what would they be?
Funny, Imaginative, Emotional, Passionate and Exciting.