I think this one has been my favorite tag game yet. Thank you so much for the tag, @gilded-glitter!
When did you start writing?
I wrote the most cringeworthy American Revolution-era "romance" you've ever seen I think when I was about eight or nine? I don't remember exactly. Eventually I transitioned to writing fanfiction when I was thirteen, and I posted on FanFiction.net until life just got too hectic and my writing world narrowed to academic papers and poetry I scribbled down during writing club meetings in undergrad. I've been an avid fanfiction reader that whole time, though -- I may not have had the time, energy, or motivation to contribute, but there have been many fanworks I've enjoyed immensely and reread multiple times over the years. Especially once I found the good stuff on Ao3.
Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?
I really like fictional works written in the style of a diary. I find it highly unlikely I will successfully write such a work (besides my own journals, of course, although I've gotten out of my journaling habit. Sigh).
Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?
I am going to be so real right now: it has been ages -- and I do mean actual years -- since I have read any books aside from academic works and fanfiction. It's sad, but it's true. If someone compared me to @aevallare, @shewhowas39, @kittenintheden, @bardic-inspo, @atsadi-shenanigans, or any other of my favorite fanfic authors, I'd take that as an extremely high compliment.
Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?
I don't have a desk, so most of the time I write on my laptop while sitting on my bed. When my parents aren't home I like to write at the kitchen table. (Obviously I can't write there when they're home because I'm not going to risk my parents walking by, looking over my shoulder, and finding, you know, smut.)
What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?
Funnily enough, most of my recent ideas that I really like have come to me while I'm daydreaming in the shower. Another helpful thing I do is take a walk, talk to myself, and work out dialogue that way.
Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?
It depends on which part of my life we're talking about. In my teenage years my fanfiction was very much centered on found family and the idea of sacrifice for a higher purpose. My poetry in college was centered on unrequited love. None of those threads surprise me in the slightest. I'm guessing that this time around the found family thread will likely appear again, but I'm not sure what other themes might appear alongside it. And that supposition might just be wrong anyway. I'm simply here for the ride -- I'm excited to see what emerges.
What is your reason for writing?
I write so I can live vicariously through the characters I write about.
Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?
Any that quote a line or passage that stood out to and/or explain why the work was meaningful to the commenter. But any and all comments are extremely motivating.
How do you want to be thought about by your readers?
I just hope my writing makes readers feel something. If I can get readers to care about the characters involved the same way I care about them, then I'll consider myself having done a good job.
What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?
I think I'm good at timing -- knowing when I can spend time on a specific moment and when I should keep things moving. (I would much rather a reader answer this question, though.)
How do you feel about your own writing?
There will always be someone better than me. But I don't think my writing sucks, so there's that at least.
When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?
I write for me. Do I want readers to enjoy it? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, this isn't writing I'm going to submit to a publisher or put in a portfolio. So I write what I want to write, purely for my own enjoyment.
No-pressure tags for @shewhowas39, @bardic-inspo, @locallegume, and @nyx-knox!
