Introducing Mibba Staff: Audrey T. Moon!

One of Mibba's fellow admins, Audrey, may seem intimidating because of her high position, but she really is a sweetheart on the inside. Her answers were interesting and gave thorough explanations, and I very much enjoyed speaking with her!

What is Mibba about to you?

"I think Mibba is about a lot of things and it all depends on who you are and what you're looking for.

It's a great gathering hole for young writers who want to explore writing (whether that be for fun, as a hobby, or because they aspire to be a published author one day). It's a great place for writers who just want to share their work and find a sense of community - whether that's other writers or just people who enjoy the same fandoms as you. But it can also be a great place to gain feedback and hone your skills.

For readers, Mibba's a wonderful place to expand your thoughts, opinions, and views of writing. There are so many stories and ideas here on Mibba that you just can't find in published work. I think, in a lot of ways, Mibba writers can be a lot braver and more creative than published writers because there's really no one they feel like they have to answer to. They don't have to worry about publishers or editors or marketing or even their audience. They can just write because they want to and they're not limited by the idea that what they're working on has to be marketable. I think this makes for a special experience for readers. They can get exposed to a lot of new ideas and writing styles because the writers aren't boxed in and are free to explore even the most errant or absurd idea that pops into their head."

How do you balance real life and what you have to do on here?

"Real life generally comes first for me - my education, my job, and then Mibba - but because Mibba can be accessed from just about anywhere (as long as there's WiFi), I don't find that it's too hard to make time for it. There's always nice pockets of time in between my 'real-life' stuff where I can get on Mibba for ten or fifteen minutes and get some stuff done. And then at the end of the day, usually just before bed, there's always time where I can get on and check out some stories or the forums - even if it's just for a half-hour or so.

I think there's always time for the things you love, you just have to find it."

Who do you find an inspiration - in real life or Mibba?

"When it comes to writing, there's a lot of people. There are authors who really inspire me with their ideas and thoughts, and there are authors who inspire me with their writing styles. But when it comes to writers who inspire me on a more personal level, I'd have to say it's the two writers who make themselves available via the internet - Neil Gaiman and John Green.

Neil Gaiman just creates fantastic work, and that's great, but what I love about him is that he's always willing to give good, sound, sensible advice to would-be writers. On his Tumblr (Neil-Gaiman) and Twitter (@neilhimself), he's constantly answering questions about his experiences with writing and being an author and on his experience in the publishing world - both of which is incredibly valuable - and he's always happy to do it. Some big authors talk down to their audience/fans or get exasperated by what they think are stupid questions, but Gaiman doesn't. I think he really understands what it's like to be an aspiring/struggling/confused writer who just wants to know more about their passion and how to go about getting through to people.

John Green is another writer who has a really great internet presence. He has his Tumblr blog (Fishing Boat Proceeds) and Twitter (@realjohngreen), and he's a co-creator of the VlogBrothers/NerdFighters - all on top of being a pretty active published writer. To be honest, I'm not even a big fan of his books, but I follow his blog/vlog posts pretty regularly because he's one of the few consistently positive forces on the internet. It's so easy to be a jerk on the internet, a lot of people are - especially people who gain substantial fame - but I love that he uses his fame to have a positive effect on and send a positive message to such a large audience."

How do you imagine other users on here to be like?

"I don't really know. I don't think of Mibba as a whole - like one population - but I'd imagine they're more or less the way they are on site: passionate."

Where do you envision yourself in a few years time?

"I hope to be done with grad school within the next couple of years, back in California, and seriously working on a full length novel."

What is it like in your country/world/immediate surroundings?

"It's getting cold. Fall is here (or coming) and the days are getting shorter. The area I live in now is pretty nice, though. It's got a great mix of college-age kids, like myself, and young families just starting out. Lots of small, family-owned business. It's very comfortable - like the perfect mix between city and suburbs - and I love that.

I think the best thing though is being (somewhat) near the Seattle Central Library. It's a drive away but, my God, it's the most beautiful place ever."

If you could be any other position on staff, which would you choose and why?

"If I could be any other position, I'd create a new "editor" position where Mibbians could submit work (stories/articles) to be proofread/edited. Right now there's nothing like that, but I love editing stories (when you do, you get to read so much work you may not normally encounter) and I think that would be a pretty fun job to do."

Why did you choose the staff position you're in?

I didn't, not really. Initially Dujo asked if I wanted to be a board moderator - since I was really active on that part of the site (especially the Help and Tips section), and I think I got a bit of endorsement from another staff member at the time - and I said, yes, because I thought it was a great opportunity. Before that, I wanted to be a story editor because I loved how helpful they were to me when I first started the site and I wanted a chance to do the same for others."

What is your biggest success in your life so far and how did you achieve it, as well as how it impacted you and your life?

"I guess the biggest success would be keeping my grades up back in high school. If I hadn't done that there's no way I would have been able to afford to go to school out in California and get all the wonderful opportunities I've had since then. I attended undergrad on scholarships and now I'm attending grad school on scholarships - without them I'd probably still be in Brooklyn (not necessarily a bad thing, but this life is so much better)."

If money wasn't an object, what would you do?

"I'd travel more often and further away.

As a career/long-term hobby, I think I'd fix up old houses/apartments. I love building things, DIY projects, that sort of thing, and I always thought the idea of "flipping" houses was a great one, one that would be perfect for someone who enjoys a good fixer-upper.

I'd also spend a ton of time cooking and baking, and trying out new recipes and crafts projects."

The best thing you've posted on Mibba?

"Yipes! I don't really know if there even is a 'best.' I think the writing project I've had the most fun working on (though it's generally not going anywhere) is the Cool Jane collection. The writing style is a lot different than what I've worked on in the past and it's very character-centered, which I've always loved. It's definitely not great story-telling or plot driven - the stories pretty much meander around and around and don't really 'go' anywhere - but I love working with those characters. I love developing their personalities and back stories, and concentrating on their relationships and how they interact with other people."

If you have one, what is your favorite inspirational quote?

"None come to mind. Sorry."

Your favorite story on Mibba?

"I don't really know. I guess I can give you two.

Waves and the Both of Us by Jinxeh is a piece I read over fairly often. It's a sideline from her story No Man's Land, and it tells the story of one of the character's prior relationships. That's something I'm really into, learning about characters relationships and then learning about characters through that. Aside from the characters' she's built (Jinxeh has some of the most fleshed-out characters I've seen), there's a small section there that passes over 9/11, that I really love. It portrays such a realistic and sympathetic sentiment and it's beautifully written.

A newer piece - one that's still in the works - is Fairest by Katlight Sparkle. I came across it during a search for "fairy tales" in Mibba's story section and fell in love with the narrative. The first chapter is amazing. It's one of the stories here on Mibba that reads like a completed, edited, published novel. In fact, when I first came across it, I ran it through Google because I thought it might be a copy of a published novel - it's that good. The character's voice, the narrator, is full of life and personality and her twist on a classic fairy tale is one I've never seen before."