Interview (Contest Entry)

1

What started you writing?2

I started writing when I was about six, so, seven years ago. It was summer holidays in Australia (don't worry, I'm not gonna monologue. I'd get bored out of my brain with myself) and I was bored out of my mind, so I started writing a story, which at the time I thought was brilliant, but I found the book I was writing it in the other day and it was absolutely woeful. But after that summer day, I wrote something practically every day, and found I loved it, and I've been writing almost every day ever since. What an exciting story, right? Ha ha.3

What is your main inspiration? 4

My main inspiration is probably my life and the people I see and meet every day. They could be some random person I see on the train, but in my opinion everybody has a story behind them, something that's happened to them that's worth telling. So I write about that random person I see on the train and what I think their life is like. I could be completely off track with what their life is like but does it matter? Nooo. Not to me, anyway. Because I got to write it down.5

Is there a routine you have in writing? Meaning time of day? Cups of coffee? 6

Do I have a routine? I don't think so. I don't even have a particular time of day that I write at, simply because if I have a routine it messes me up, because I'll end up setting myself a time limit and I'll rush what I'm writing and it'll get totally screwy. I write whenever the inclination strikes me, and it works out for me.7

What is your primary Genre?8

My primary genre would have to be drama. It's what I write. Lately I've been leaning towards horror stories a bit but my best work comes from drama, because you could come up with any reasonable thing to happen to a human being and have it happen. It doesn't have to be funny. It doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't have to be fair. It just has to be possible.9

How do you plan your characters, meaning are they a small part of you? Something you saw in someone else? 10

What a coincidence that this question would come up... well, anyway, yeah, like I said in the... second? Third? question, I base my stories on everyday people I meet anywhere. I see the slightest bit of personality, excitement or writability (if that's a word) in someone else and immediately I've come up with a story for them.11

What is your thought pattern on coming up with names for your characters? 12

I don't really have one. If there's a name I've had in my head for a while, I might use it. Sometimes I use the names of people I know in my stories (then edit them before I actually publish them, of course). Sometimes the names are completely random. It could be anything.13

Do you outline or just go with the flow and leave the proofing to later? 14

Usually I have a story outline ready before I actually start on writing one. Occasionally I just go with the flow of the story and leave the plotline actually making sense until later. Ha ha. Sometimes I have a outline for a part of the story and the rest just comes from nowhere. It depends on the story.15

Do you proof alone or allow someone else to assist in this?16

I proofread my stories by myself, everytime, because I consider it bad luck to let someone read a story before it's actually finished/published and is in absolutely perfect condition. I do proofread them but most of the time there isn't much work to do, especially as my grammar is usually close to perfect, as is my spelling, not to show off or anything. That really did sound like showing off, didn't it? Oh well. My words stand, but yeah, I didn't mean them to be vain or anything.17

Do you have a good luck charm?18

My good luck charm is this particular pen I use when I'm writing my draft copy. It hasn't failed me yet, and I use it on almost every story I write a draft of. And so far the ink has not ran out. Which I take as a good omen.19