Hey! For today's interview we have hush puppy.. This young lady writes only original fiction which as all you know is my favorite type. My favorite story of hers is, Breaking Suburbia and the ones she hasn't updated in a year.
As for blog entries, you might want to check these:
Insanity by Jamie Archer
Death the Angel's story Broken Lives
What Stories Epitomize Mibba
And with this, we reached questioning time. ::coffee:
01. Would you tell us your full name?
Raleigh Christian. Raleigh as in the city.
02. How long have you been on mibba?
Two or three years, off and on.
03. Are you posting your writings on other writing sites?
Yes and no. I have a very dormant wattpad and a very embarrassing FF.net profile
04. Since when have you been writing?
Ever since I could write. But I began writing “seriously” when I was about twelve or thirteen (as “serious” as a twelve or thirteen year old can be)
05. Could you tell us a brief summary of your stories.
Long, highly descriptive accounts of everyday actions. Essentially, it’s word porn.
06. What inspired you to write each story?
Oops, I guess I was supposed to list all of my stories in the last question. I’ll summarize the ones I like.
Breaking Suburbia is about a girl who is socially anxious and grieving her mother’s death written from the point of view from a disapproving narrator. I don’t like it, but everyone else did and it’s complete so yeah.
Loud and Ringing is a mess, but it’s a pretty worded mess.
Madeline is about a couple that returns to the woman’s hometown after a relative dies. The man is surprised by the obscure customs of the woman’s family.
Close is my favorite thing I’ve written. It’s a slight twist on what happens after death.
07. Which characters did you like more from each story you created and why?
I love my narrator from Breaking Suburbia, but of all the characters I’ve written I absolutely adore either Roma or Nambezi from The Shade of the Joshua Tree. From Madeline I liked the hot/cold demeanor of the titular character.
08. Do you do research before writing?
I try to, but then I forget about what I was writing in the first place.
09. Is there an author on here whose work you like or is your inspiration?
Oi I like a lot of authors on here, and there’s no specific one I prefer to the other. I’ll just list them all because they’re delightful.
Colibri., Saeglopur, Alexander Bernadotte, Charlie Sheen, towers., hearts;, hermes., limegreenworld, bona drag, Mollzay., silk tea., you, sobre mi cadaver, semolina. (she's gone now though), Writer in the Rye, absence.
And many more. I read stuff on here like crazy when I have time and I’m a terrible silent reader.
10. Do you like experimenting while writing? Writing about stuff you haven't experienced and genres you never thought you'd write about?
Everything I write I don’t think I have experienced. I’m still very young so I guess any time I hit something I haven’t experienced on the target is a win.
The genre thing is something I’ve done in the past. I never thought I’d focus so much on the allegory of the story. Being an avid reader influenced that part of my writing a lot.
11. What's the hardest story you've ever wrote?
Breaking Suburbia. I absolutely hated the (excuse my French) relationshit that Maggie and Chester had. If I didn’t stick in that narrator I would’ve died writing it.
12. What does writing mean to you?
Not that much anymore. I used to crank out 4,000 words in a day, but now I’m lucky if I write 4,000 a month.
13. About what was the first story you ever wrote? Could you tell us a little bit more about it?
Hmmm. First story I ever wrote was absolutely terrible. It was loosely based off of Nirvana around the time of Nevermind. I had my own Nirvana copycat band and I really enjoyed writing it. I’m thinking about rewriting it this summer.
14. What's the story you're most proud of?
I love Close. The idea was cool even though it was Banksy’s idea to begin with.
15. What is your biggest writing weakness?
Not writing.
16. Are you more of a writer or a reader?
Reader.
17. Do you read all kinds of fiction?
I wish I could say I did. I don’t like reading Sci-Fi that’s really out there.
18. Do you prefer original fiction or fan fiction?
Original, but I don't have a problem with fan fiction.
19. Do you write stories with all kinds of ratings?
I hang out in the PG-13 to R rating, so no.
20. What's the genre you are most comfortable with?
Realistic Fiction depicting everyday life.
21. Which genres and ratings do you prefer when you pick a story to read?
Realistic or dystopian fiction. Usually something NC-17. I like crazy random sex, naughty words, and heavy violence.
22. What's the hardest character you've ever wrote?
Probably Chester from Breaking Suburbia. He was supposed to be so passionate but as I reread I realize he was just questionable in general. Like why in the world did he even stick around with Maggie? And why did he think it was a great idea to have sex with that crazy thing? I wouldn’t?
23. Is there a certain place you like to be when you write? Something you have to do in order to concentreate on writing?
My room on my bed in complete silence. If criteria aren’t met, I can’t do it.
24. In which of the characters you created, do you see yourself? (If there is a character like that)
I see a little of myself in Maggie. Also I see a lot of myself in Roma from The Shade of the Joshua Tree.
25. When you have writer's block, what do you do to get back to writing?
Nothing, and that’s my problem. Usually I browse the contest section or I force myself the flesh out ideas.
26. 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?
Well… I think I’d be a background character. In a published novel? Most likely Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby, not that I’m sporty, but because I keep an ambiguity around me.
27. Which is your favorite character from a published novel?
Probably Daisy from The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald really made her detestable. Or maybe Meyer Wolfsheim from the same novel—he was a character.
28. How often do you update?
Ha Ha Ha. Either twenty times a day or once every other year.
29. Any words for your readers?
I have readers? Sorry, I don’t update like ever anymore.
[XXXataktoulaXXX: You do and I'm one of them!]
30. Any authors you like and inspire you? (novels/graphic books)
I have too many, but I’ll limit it to F. Scott Fitzgerald. He’s absolutely amazing with his descriptions and I aspire to be like him. He puts just enough of himself into the books and makes you think with each beautifully constructed sentence. It’s just perfect.
-Thank you so much, I'm very flattered that you would want to interview me. ^-^
-You're a great author. I wouldn't leave you out of it. :)
Moving on to the next interview for the day, we have Meru21 who is an original fiction writer. She has many incomplete stories that need some love and maybe that can motivate her into writing more, don't you think?
01. Would you tell us your full name?
My name is Mary Stewart. I have a middle name, but I don’t want it too widely spread, so I’ll leave that up to your imagination.
02. How long have you been on mibba?
If I remember correctly, I have been a member of the Mibba community for about five years now.
03. Are you posting your writings on other writing sites?
I am not currently, no. I haven’t found any other sites that I want to post on, nor do I find particularly safe to be on.
04. Since when have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I learned to write—which was when I was around three years old, maybe a little older. I still have some of my poems and short stories from back then. None of them are finished, because my attention span was horrible then, and they are really terrible and embarrassing, but there they are.
05. Could you tell us a brief summary of your stories?
Um, a “brief” summary, as you put it, of each one of my stories would take quite some time—something I currently have a lot of—so I will try to keep it as short as possible for the ones I have on Mibba.
“New” (my most popular and frequently hounded for reposts and updates) is about a girl named Pheobe who used to be human. She contracted an unknown disease that deteriorated her heart and, in order to heal her, her mother used the blood from the mystical races (vampires, werewolves, pixies) in order to save her. When she is cured, she is, unfortunately, no longer human, although she isn’t just vampire, werewolf or pixy either. She must now go to a school of requirement (by law) for any Otherworlder in order to adapt and deal with her new abilities and urges. However, because she is “new” and the only one of her kind, she is on everyone’s radar—the good people and the bad, and, unfortunately, the bad people mean to take her life for it.
“Love You Two” is about a manager of a private-line lingerie store who fancies herself in love with her boss—the designer. In a shocking spin of her much-wanted peaceful life, she gets asked to be her boss’s muse for his next line. In the same night, her best friend shows up on her doorstep after four years and her life is turned upside down by him. While juggling her boss’s demands and her best friend’s heartbreak, she finds her peaceful life thrown into heart-wrenching chaos as she is stuck between two men—one who offers the familiar, and one who offers the new.
“Hurt” follows the story of six individual people (three couples), each intertwined somehow with each other as they meet one another, learn, change and grow in the most crucial chapter of their lives—high school and puberty. Each person has their own unique circumstances and problems and each life is turned upside down. While almost all of them just want things to remain as they are, they can’t help nor fight change and instead are faced with deciding to lose their new-found path or run in the opposite direction. It’s mainly a comedic romance with a lot of drama.
“Bound” is a fantasy romance drama with a psychological twist. Kariin has been carrying the weight of murder-by-accident since she was a toddler, believing above all else that she killed her twin best friends in a fire she accidentally created. When one of the twins suddenly shows up one day, she is shocked and scared, wondering why and how and where he has been—and where his twin is. His twin, she finds out, has gone into a coma-like sleep that he won’t wake up from until she proves her love for him. Problem is, she can’t just prove her love when she doesn’t know him anymore and she’s wracked with a guilt that’s lasted almost a decade. When life takes an unexpected turn and she finds that she’s not only being hunted by demons, but by the very man who has sworn to protect her, Kariin doesn’t know who to trust or what to do. But when a promise made as children holds the key to the world’s fate, she has no choice but to fall in line or risk the very balance of good and evil becoming unhinged.
“Hate You, Love You” is more than likely going to be a shorter story. It’s about a girl named Roslyn who is being used and abused by her childhood friend and crush. Knowing her feelings, the sadistic, conceited Perius uses her as a lapdog and blow-up doll. He is somewhat kinder when they are alone, but at school he is cruel and unyielding, practically treating Roslyn as a slave. She is, unfortunately, used to it and goes relatively unmoved through her days. Until a new transfer student comes to town. Miah takes a keen interest in Roslyn, his sense of justice makes him unable to leave her alone. With him constantly pointing out what she hasn’t seen for so long in her twisted relationship with Perius, Roslyn begins to fight back. This has negative consequences for everyone that lead to physical, emotional and psychological torture. It is a dark tale that regales the hardships of one’s ignorance bubble being popped and one girl finding the strength to say “no” and let go.
“Meet the Band: Song For You” is the first in a series that is not finished and the series follows the lives of each band member in random order as they find love and fight with having the intimacy of a relationship against the publicity of their jobs. It clashes culture, language barriers, and the cruelty of the lime light with those just wanting to have something normal and lasting. This one is about Song and Merideth. Merideth wants a life without fame, but a chance drawing ensures just the opposite as she’s practically blackmailed into the spotlight as a new resounding model. Song wants to learn more about this anxiety-ridden beauty, but lacks the ability to communicate and thusly struggles to protect her from enemies in and out of the company—just as he tries to protect his heart.
“Fallen: Syn” is another series story—or I hope it to be. This first book follows one of five brothers, Syn. Syn and three of his brothers are the princes of Obsidia (Hell, to the humans) and through their mischievous rule breaking, they are banned to Earth for one hundred years by the eldest brother and King. Within those hundred years they are not allowed to use their powers, they cannot let anyone know who they really are, they must not influence the world in any major way and they cannot fall in love. Syn thought he would never have to worry about the last one. Being centuries old doesn’t mean you know how to talk to women, and Syn certainly lacks the ability and it shows in his virginal status. But when he meets Pearl, all of his disinterest in women goes out the window. It is very close to the end of their banishment and he risks further punishment if he crosses the line he’s dangerously treading. He has to decide if Pearl is worth eternal banishment and ultimately the loss of his immortality, or if she is okay with losing the one thing he’d never thought he’d have to worry about losing; his heart.
“New: Revenge” is the sequel to “New” and I have deleted it due to editing purposes and reconstruction. It will take Pheobe further into the unknown and deeper into the shadows of her new lovers’ past, uncovering secrets and lifestyles her human sensibilities cannot handle. With the responsibility of the school weighing on her shoulders and the principal MIA, she is fighting once again an unknown enemy. And enemy that seems as much after her life as the last one. This one, however, is far more dangerous. Curses and evil magic drench the school and her nights in nightmares and as the new menace threatens to steal not just everyone she loves, but her very soul in the process.
“New: The Fluke” is the sister book of “New: Revenge” and sequel to “New”. Overlapping with “New: Revenge”, this book takes place at the Academy, a school for training what little witches the world has left. Basil is sent there at the bequest of Tully after witnessing his unusual gift for controlling water. The problem is, Basil doesn’t want a new school. He’s quite comfortable in his position in the vampire hierarchy and dragging out his days as a bored unknown. However, he has little choice and soon finds that the Academy isn’t as welcoming as Guide had made it out to be and that being the new “Fluke” wasn’t something that was tolerated. Going from power to outcast doesn’t sit well with him and as he finds his place among the misfits, he’s even more annoyed with how things are playing out. Unfortunately for him, he’s the center of attention in a school that can conjure up the worst things imaginable. When the pecking order deems him unfit because of his impure blood, he comes to find that he has no choice but to defend himself and his new friends as safety becomes his upmost priority.
“Captor” is about a young king who, although smart and mature scholastically, has a lot to learn about dealing with people and the princess he sees by chance in a neighboring kingdom’s market square. Wanting her and damning the consequences, he invades her kingdom and threatens her family’s lives in exchange for her own. When she begins life with him, his selfish and bratty antics only make her depression worse and she refuses to talk to anyone but her guard. Jealousy, fury, hope and understanding ensure throughout this story as the princess teaches the young king how to grow and behave and ultimately love.
“The Angel Within” is another dark story that deals with the abuse of one girl, Runa, and the corrupt life her parents enforce on her. Being blackmailed by her teacher, she is forced to date him and, in doing so, he gets closer to the mystery that has isolated her from the rest of the town. Blood, love and trust is tested as twists and turns take Runa and Jareth in a whirlwind that just might end her suffering and allow her to believe in someone again.
“Chocolate Love” is a comedy, first and foremost. Lily is the main character forced into a band because of her little brother’s dreams. If being in a band wasn’t bad enough when she has no desire for the spotlight, she is forced to join as a boy—but only for a year. Hiding her gender at work and her fame outside poses many different problems ranging from a very confused bandmate that becomes her boyfriend outside but knows nothing of her secret. Drama, rivalry, gender-bending and fantastical situations sets the stage for some very unorthodox circumstances that Lily has to think her way out of or risk the consequences of everything falling to pieces.
“White Wings, Red Blood” is book one in a possible trilogy. Ivory is an angel. After much begging and pleading, she was allowed to live on earth with humans—as long as she remained hidden. Choosing a small town was easy and Ivory was getting along fine; she had a boyfriend, a good life and her parents were home more often instead of off being Seraphim. But her life is uprooted when she is randomly attacked and she must flee, exposing herself in order to save herself and her boyfriend. When she soon finds out that her parents are missing and the only thing left behind is a vague and ominous note, Ivory is faced with one choice: she must run. Their destination is the Sanctuary on the Planes between worlds. But she is being hunted on earth and crossing the Plane offers little to no protection. While protecting her boyfriend, she is putting all her trust, all her faith in someone she’s spent the last two years hating and that trust is tested and stretched thin as they fight to remain alive.
“Disenchanted” is a fantasy action adventure that revolves around Raven, a secluded, tomboyish and feisty princess who’s only dream was having a family and leaving her isolated home. The dream she thought became a reality when her long-time, no-faced fiancé finally sent for her turns into a nightmare when that very same fiancé tries to kill her, claiming she is just what he feared all along: a dragon. Confused, hurt and heartbroken, Raven has no choice but to accept the bargain the prince’s father offers; in exchange for her life, she must go into the Disenchanted Forest and kill the crazed dragon living there—her mother. But no one knows where this dragon lives and with little under a month to find someone in a forest that wants you to remain lost, Raven is faced with traveling with her back-stabbing ex-fiance, his brother and her new friends in order to kill a mother she’s never met, just so she can live long enough to disappear herself.
There are five other stories. One deals with demons and reincarnation, another is an arranged marriage (it’s titled “Arranged” and is completed [it’s quite awful, really]), “With or Without You” is about an innocent wolf-boy who befriends a human girl, “New: The Sidelines” is an anthology of side stories for the “New” series, and “It’s Not Goodbye; It’s See You Later” is a short story and a tragedy.
06. What inspired you to write each story?
“New”, “Disenchanted” and “Bound” were all inspired by dreams I’ve had. I’ve had some pretty fantastical dreams and, thankfully, I’ve been able to remember them.
“It’s Not Goodbye; It’s See You Later” was my first finished work and it was inspired by my senior slogan, which a classmate and I came up with for year ‘09.
“Arranged” was done merely because I wished to do an arranged-marriage story. It is my second finished work and I’m not too proud of it. Proud, but not overly so. There is a lot I would change if I were to go back and edit it, but it’s fine for now.
“With or Without You”, “Just Like You” (the demon reincarnation story), “Chocolate Love”, and “Hate You, Love You” were created when I went on a manga-reading binge. (Manga are Japanese comic books.) Some of them took on a darker tone, others stayed upbeat, but all were inspired by the quirky and dramatic storylines one can find twisted in manga. I wanted to make them a little more believable by creating completely different circumstances, completely different environments and characters around either the same message from the story or the same basic element.
“White Wings, Red Blood” was created long before “New” or “Arranged” was and I honestly don’t remember what triggered it. I think it was just the name of the story—which is backwards for me. Normally the name is the last thing that pops into my head, not the first. I wanted to do something with angels, wanted to create and mess with the hierarchy and I wanted to have an adventure. This filled all that criteria and I’m hoping to finish it one day if I can ever find my original notes and research.
“The Angel Within”, “Hurt” and “Captor” stem from the very extreme forms of abuse I’ve come across in my own life as well as some of those closest to me. Though they are a bit exaggerated to show the damage it can inflict on someone, each story has that underlying hope that it will all be okay. I want to showcase and capture the growth of characters at a time in their lives where they can do nothing but be pulled along by their emotions and realize the vulnerability that comes along with age and puberty, and the restrictions that poses.
“Fallen: Syn” and “Meet the Band” are both inspired by my favorite band SHINee (though neither are a fanfiction) and my love of music and romance interlaced. Whereas with “White Wings, Red Blood” I wanted to delve into angel hierarchy, with “Fallen”, I wanted to establish a demon hierarchy. I also wanted to show the consequences that come from choosing not to listen, to disregard rules and jeopardize the safety of those around you—and I wanted to test my ability to write in a man’s perspective. “Meet the Band” was the want and desire to wind through the entertainment world with more realistic consequences than “Chocolate Love” presents and highlight the value of loyalty and trust.
Finally, “Love You Two” was rather inspired after I watched a Korean movie—which I don’t remember the name of. I kept wondering what would happen to one of the main characters after he got his heart broken. I took his personality, his heartbreak and threw it into a character and he became a main. I’m hoping he doesn’t get his heart broken again, but I never can tell what’s going to happen sometimes. I was also really beginning to understand management where I worked and the concept behind it as well as the work that goes into it and felt, very strongly, about creating a main character that was responsible and work-oriented.
07. Which characters did you like more from each story you created and why?
Hmm. . That’s a tough question for some stories more than others. Let’s give it a whirl, though.
“Love You Two”: Shockingly enough, Hana is my favorite character. It’s a rare occasion that I like the (female) main character over any other character, but, in this story, I do. She is strong-willed, yet kind and not unforgiving. She’s smart and responsible, loyal and is always looking for the good in people and willing to bend over backwards for them. Unfortunately, that tends to bite her in her cute butt, but that’s normally how that goes, isn’t it? She reminds me of me, which isn’t too surprising considering I modeled her after myself in certain areas. However, I am certainly not as responsible, and I’m a little overly blunt—things Hana most certainly is the opposite of.
“It’s Not Goodbye…”: My favorite is Tommy. Not because he dies and I feel guilty, but because he has such light inside him and that transmits (I hope) throughout the story. He changes people for the better even though he tries to stay away. He is, fundamentally, a rare all-knowing and all-loving soul. He bears no prejudices, no ill-will, no biases, no hate, and no rushed ambition. He simply was, because he had no time to be otherwise. Life was too short and he made those around him realize that certain things just aren’t worth it.
“Arranged”: Joshua is easily my favorite, although Sade comes in a close second. I actually based the twins off of a boy I knew who was bisexual and seemed to have extremes with his emotions. I took him and split him down the middle and, thus, the twins were born. That being said, people like that need someone like Joshua. Joshua is the older-brother type that I always wanted from my many brothers but never got. He is kind, understanding, but not afraid to tell you off when you need to hear it. He’s there to listen, to protect and guide and give unconditional love
“With or Without You”, “Just Like You”, “Hate You, Love You”, and “Captor” aren’t developed enough for me to have a favorite character yet, I think. Although, with “Just Like You” I am almost positive that Quess will be my favorite. He is a fun-loving, care-free acting, flirtatious beauty with a serious, sad side he hides behind a smile.
“Chocolate Love”: Easily enough, Stanley and Jet are my favorite, with Raspberry riding a very close third. Stanley reminds me of my own little brother, whom I am very fond of and—though my brother is as straight as they come—his wild, rash side appeals to my more maternal instincts. He is the epitome of “spoiled little brother with a sister complex”. Jet, on the opposite side, is the rare man that is sure-footed and driven by sound reasoning, but that’s thrown out the window when he’s faced with the problem Lily represents to his heart. He has to battle with what he feels is morally wrong against what he longs to give in to, all the while protecting her. To say that he is the sexy forbidden fruit describes him to a T.
“White Wings, Red Blood”: Again, I have two. I love Kieran and Seraphina. Seraphina is modeled after my own Aunt Sara. She’s a feisty little ball of sarcasm and love and always has a special place in my pedestal of Awesome People. Now, Kieran is loved because I created him. He is brooding and moody and annoyed and I love watching those characters develop and grow and just ultimately learn to smile. I also like watching them deal with a challenge they just can’t overcome with sheer will and words. Kieran will learn that he’s not always right and that his actions have negative consequences right alongside the positive.
“The Angel Within”: I think Les is probably my favorite character, even though I’m really attached to Runa. Les is hard-working and dedicated, loyal and proud and willing to do anything for anyone he considers family—which is a rare few outside his actual family. He deserves much more than what his cards dealt him, but that’s life sometimes. I want him to find happiness and that emotion is what makes him so dear to me.
“Hurt” has a lot of main characters—six, in fact. I love each of them for their many differences, but I think that Georgie is my favorite. He’s broken and trying to fit in. He’s hiding himself without actually hiding himself and that’s a hard cross to bear for any teenage. Being a cross-dresser isn’t easy (transvestite, for those of you who dislike the term “cross-dresser”) and he rarely lets people into his secret, preferring to just act like a girl, using his feminine looks to get away with it. He is lonely and upset and very, very much in need of someone to vent to. It makes me want to hug him and never let go and tell him that everything will be alright.
For “Fallen: Syn”—or just the series in general—I would have to say that Bastien is my favorite, even if Castiel is hunking over him very easily. Bastien is weak underneath his tough exterior and, if you poke and prod the right areas, he will crumble to pieces. That fragility is very alluring to me and I would have a hard time controlling my sadistic side if her were to stand in front of me. On the same token, he is cunning, quick as a whip and sexy as hell. Looking like a sexy, smoldering, model twenty something for eternity is an added bonus.
“Meet the Band”. . . Juil is probably my favorite (see a pattern here yet?). He’s the youngest, again, and mischievous. He uses his cute, innocent-looking face to get in close then pull the rug out from under you. If he were in one of my other stories, he would be a devilish little sprite. I just love to write him. He bounces in, causes a problem, leave and then it all blows to hell later and he’ll just bat his lashes at you and pretend not to know. It makes me laugh.
“Bound” is hard. It’s not quite developed chapter-wise yet, but I know the characters easily enough. They are all so intertwined with one another that it’s hard to separate them and look at them as individuals. I like Kariin because she is pulled by her emotions without losing her rationality. She is strong, and righteous and willing to sacrifice herself in a heartbeat for a stranger. That is a beautiful thing. Rune I like because he has this overall mysteriousness that hangs like a dark, sad cloud over his head. He carries a weight on his shoulders he doesn’t want, but still he does what needs to be done, throwing his own feelings aside. He is the ultimate martyr and that calls to me as well. Now Cyra is half mad. Literally. And that’s rather sexy. His possessiveness is something that I long for and he gets jealous at the drop of a hat. It’s a pleasure to watch his madness develop and change, twist and get tucked away in the box he keeps it in. Of these three, I really can’t choose. They are the way they are because of each other. Without one, they would be completely different people.
“Disenchanted”. I want to say it’s Harris, because I normally root for the underdog, but it’s Aya. That bastard has everything coming to him, don’t get me wrong, but I love to watch Raven break his heart and I also love to see, as the story progresses, him fumble and try to fix things as he realizes the gravity of his mistakes. He absolutely destroyed Raven’s trust in him, her love for him and any good will she might have had left. To see someone work so hard to build that back up, to try and get shot down and still come back is refreshing.
Lastly, the “New” series. “The Fluke” is easy as pie. Basil is wonderful, but Avery is my favorite. Not only is his name one of my all-time favorite names, he is just enough wit, just enough weird and loving to keep Basil in line and the entire gang together. Without him, I’m sure everything would fall apart. He’s the mediator, the glue and the heart of the group. He also has all the answers. I’m sure if he and Taiyo were ever to meet up (I’m sure they will) Elliot would turn green with envy because it would be hard to separate them, they have so much in common. That being said, Taiyo is NOT my favorite character, as much as I love to write his quirky, sarcastic mouth in. Pheobe is my favorite. I really disliked her in the first rendition of “New”. Mostly because she had little to no personality. I felt as though she was just the eyes of the story, and that’s a problem for a main character. She needed more development. After the rewrite, I really learned to love her. That might be due to the drastic changes that happened in my own life, bother emotionally and physically, that I incorporated into her. She is very much like myself: driven by guilt, a little too kind to speak her mind to those she doesn’t want to hurt, loyal, protective, and willing to stand up and do what’s right and damn the consequences—after a little running away first. Pheobe made me realize that I liked myself just as I am, and that will always give her a special place in my heart.
08. Do you do research before writing?
Not always. It depends on the story. With demons, angels, or stories where I need a more realistic setting (of a town, for example), then yes, I will research extensively. However, for “New”, there was no research done whatsoever, although “The Fluke” I had to do a little Latin research. Everything else I already knew via language classes, school and just reading a ton of books over the span of my life.
09. Is there an author in here whose work you like or is your inspiration?
Honestly speaking, no, there isn’t anyone in particular. If I read something on Mibba, it’s normally others’ poems. If I read a story it’s because I’ve been requested to for editing purposes or advice. Now, that’s not to say I haven’t LIKED stories on here—I’ve like quite a few—but I’m picky about grammar and repetitive sentence structuring, as well as lack of detail (of which I know I go a little overboard). I haven’t necessarily come across anything that inspired me, although some stories help me get past my writer’s block.
10. Do you like experimenting while writing? Writing about stuff you haven't experienced and genres you never thought you'd write about?
Apart from the more magical aspects of some of my works, I’ve experienced every emotion every single one of my characters has felt—except for Georgie from “Hurt”. With him I interviewed and watched interviews of cross-dressers and those going through things like that. I have almost died quite a few times. I’ve been attacked multiple times, betrayed both in love and out of it, as well as inside my family; I have lost people very dear to me, I have seen and felt the consequences of saying something in the spur of the moment, I have lashed out in the worst ways, I’ve hurt and been hurt and I’ve learned from it. I have been there for people, stopped suicides, almost committed suicide myself (not the reasons I came close to dying), have seen dreams stolen from people, have hit rock bottom and have found sanctuary in a place I didn’t know I could come back to. With that being said, it is very hard to find a genre I can’t say I haven’t experienced even in a fundamental, basic way. Although horror is not something I’m ever going to write, nor do I want to allow my imagination to wander there. I have trouble sleeping as it is and am afraid of the dark. I don’t need my mind conjuring up baddies in the shadows that won’t allow me sleep.
11. What's the hardest story you've ever written?
No story is particularly hard to write, per se. It’s just a matter of finishing the story. With certain stories, I know innately that some characters are just going to die. If I’m overly fond of the character, I will put off writing the story until I either find a way to say him/her or I just see no way around it.
12. What does writing mean to you?
Writing is an escape from reality. It is the ability to slip into a world entirely of my own creation and become someone else in circumstances that don’t exist around me. It’s a freedom that releases my brain, my emotions and lets them be guided by someone else for a while. I can, and do, become the character who is the eyes and heart of the story and it lifts some of my burdens as, through their hardships and obstacles, I find the key to solving my own worries as well as remembering what is truly important.
13. About what was the first story you ever wrote? Could you tell us a little bit more about it?
The first story I actually ever remember writing (my memory is horrible and I’m missing quite a few years actually) because I saw it many years later was from my kindergarten class. It was about a fly being stuck in my soup. I have no idea what the point was to the story, but it had pictures and I was very adamant about not swallowing it.
14. What's the story you're most proud of?
Well, “New”, obviously. I shocked myself when I finished the book and realized that little things I hadn’t thought of as significant at the time from chapter one actually tied into chapter thirty. Even more so, in the sequel, little tidbits in the conversations I deemed random from the first book are actually quite significant. When everything means something without slapping the reader in the face but still blows your mind in the end of the story, it makes you want to read it again and again, to see what you’ve missed. It amazes me that I could write something so complete and I am very proud of it.
15. What is your biggest writing weakness?
My biggest weakness is that I tend to write too much. I’ve always been one to say that there can never be too much detail, but that does depend on the story and the writing style within the story. With that in mind, I have the abhorrent inability to finish my stories—not for lack of ideas or being stuck but because I start a new one, go back to an old one or have just lost interest because I know so easily what is going to happen and it doesn’t excite me on a level that makes me want to work up to that point.
16. Are you more of a writer or a reader?
I am both. I read every day. I read all day sometimes. I have a viable library of books here at home. They’re everywhere. Just as notebooks are everywhere. I constantly ask for blank notebooks for holidays. Pens, too. I never leave home without something to write with and on, just in case inspiration strikes. If I had to choose between the two, I never could.
17. Do you read all kinds of fiction?
That I do. I particularly love romance—more so fantasy romance, if you couldn’t tell. But I can just as easily find myself enthralled in murder mysteries (I love the intrigue), keeling over in laughter at comedies, and weeping over tragedies. Adventure, though, holds an ever-burning flame of passion that beckons me. I can always curl up with a good adventure.
18. Do you prefer original fiction or fan fiction?
Definitely original. I very much dislike fan-fiction. I have written a few myself, which I hope never see the light of day, so I can understand the appeal of writing them—when you’re a teenager and a little on the immature side. I feel that it’s rather rude to write fan-fiction. If it’s a real-life person, you’re taking their personality and dreaming up what you think they are and, honestly, that can be rather offensive to that person. I wouldn’t want someone writing about me, saying that I react this way to certain situations or suggesting I feel a certain way. Would it be flattering? Yes, but I wouldn’t much appreciate it beyond that. I’ve had someone (someone very close to me) screw my life up because they felt they “understood” me and decided to take matters into their own hands by putting words in my mouth and feelings in my heart that just weren’t there and throwing them at someone that fell apart because of that.
Now, if it’s a fictional character, I have no problems with that. It’s easy enough to understand a cartoon or anime character because the creator makes sure you do—because you are already inside their head and heart; it’s bared to you. Honestly, you can’t offend a fictional character and, from a writer’s standpoint with my already drastic views about fan-fiction, I would find any fan-fiction anyone wrote of my characters amusing.
19. Do you write stories with all kinds of ratings?
Somewhat. Most of my stories range from PG-13 to NC-17. It’s rare that I write a G or PG rated story. I think I only have one, to be honest, and I’m fine with that. Steamy, hot sex makes for a good read if you can keep your readers’ attention. It also ads a level of intimacy. The element of impending doom and possible death (which rates the story as PG-13 or higher) gives a story suspense and makes the happy, easy times more impacting, I think.
20. What's the genre you are most comfortable with?
Definitely romance. Any and all romance. I’ve had a lot of drama in that department over the years—more than most get—and I can draw from that easily. I’m a girl, too, and we love romance. It’s also fun to dream up scenarios that haven’t been done before, but make them realistic with the emotions that are raging through the main characters.
21. Which genres and ratings do you prefer when you pick a story to read?
I don’t go for ratings. Also, since I like writing romance, of course I enjoy reading it the most. But adventures are still my favorite. I would prefer there be a little romance in the background, but there doesn’t have to be. On Mibba, if I can’t get past the summary because of writing style, grammatical errors or just lack of interest, then I normally won’t bother continuing. It’s the same with any book I pick up in any book store.
22. What's the hardest character you've ever written?
I don’t have issues writing characters. When I write a character, I let them do the talking, not me, so there’s never been an issue.
23. Is there a certain place you like to be when you write? Something you have to do in order to concentrate on writing?
No, I can be anywhere in order to write, doesn’t matter, though I prefer to be alone or someplace I won’t be disturbed. Normally I plug in music in order to concentrate.
24. In which of the characters you created, do you see yourself? (If there is a character like that.)
In almost all of my main female characters, there is something of me in them, but in Pheobe from “New”, that’s all me. I won’t rehash that again since I already went into detail earlier.
25. When you have writer's block, what do you do to get back to writing?
I give it time. There’s nothing more to do than that. Sometimes, if it’s not too bad, I’ll continue with a different story and that will strike a chord in me with what I’m stuck on, but most of the time I just stop. I’ll go about my days and read until the mood to continue hits me again. But the story and the problem will always be there in the back of my mind and I’ll mull it over subconsciously.
26. 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?
That very much depends on the story I’m thrust into. I highly doubt I would be anything but what I am—I’m too stubborn otherwise. I did get referenced as Hermione Granger when I was younger, both in looks and attitude, but as her character developed throughout the books and the movies came to play, the similarities drifted further and further apart. There hasn’t been another character I’ve come across with that has given me that “Ah, that’s me to a T,” feeling yet. I’ve had things in common, sure, and thought patterns have been the same, but nothing that was a close match.
27. Which is your favorite character from a published novel?
My favorite character is Rachel Morgan from Kim Harrison’s Hallows series. She is strong-willed, justice-ridden and scrappy as hell, and I love that. She is also a believable character and that’s a real selling point.
28. How often do you update?
Not as often as I should. Definitely not in the “frequent” category. I’m very much ashamed of that. However, I do (very much to my chagrin) have a life outside of writing and I must keep up with it. Jobs, moving, family and drama take up time and I cannot just shut myself away in my room and write all day like a hikikimori, even though I wish to do so.
29. Any words for your readers?
I appreciate any and all critiques, analyses, comments and messages. It’s a pleasure to write and know that anything I’ve written has been well received, or even received at all. It warms my heart and humbles me to no end to know that anyone out there likes my work. That in itself is an inspiration and gives motivation to continue pursuing this path. No amount of “thank yous” could ever express my gratitude for the support.
30. Any authors you like and inspire you? (novels/graphic books.)
A great many, but mostly Kim Harrison, Mary Balough, Keri Arthur, J.R.R. Tolkien, Nora Roberts, David Eddings and Katie McKalister.
And with that, the last interview come to an end.
Till next time,
~Marian.
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