For the get to know the author ask: 1, 15, 17 and 18? Good luck with your writing tonight!
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate the encouragement 💪 And hope you don't mind a long reply ;;
1) is there a story you're holding off on writing for some reason?
Yes, two stories! One of them is a modern AU with supernatural/thriller elements and the other is a gen story that takes place post-Calamity and it follows an... "unexpected" character, I suppose. Dunno if I'll end up writing them, but I won't share more details in case I do. They're both hefty, multi-chapter projects and they intimidate me immensely lmao.
15) why did you start writing?
I've always wanted to write stories, ever since I was a kid. As I got older and started wandering into fandom, the compulsion to "create" got stronger and stronger. I desperately wanted to fill in the gaps, to pay tribute to the things I liked, but I felt like I hadn't experienced enough things in life or read enough to truly convey what I wanted to. I felt restricted. So I decided to put that wish on hold and learn from the world around me. From many kinds of writing.
For years, I channeled my need to create into my video editing, I poured all my love and dedication into it, but at some point it stopped being sufficient. I still love that hobby to bits, it carried me through some dark years and I intend to continue for as long as I'm alive, but it has its limitations and it's extremely time-consuming. I hit a wall: I didn't have the energy to pour into a full-length MMV anymore, but the need to Make Things was driving me mad.
So, one night, I swallowed down my fear and self-doubt and I opened a Word document. I worked at it very, very slowly, 100 words or less at a time while repeating "it's okay" over and over under my breath. Once it began to take shape, I entitled it Swan Song.
And the rest is history I suppose.
17) if you could give your fledgling author any self advice, what would it be?
Do not try to write fic on paper during your lunch breaks. It's not the medium for you and it will make you think you are illiterate. Use notebooks for outlining, details or general ideas, never for actual drafting purposes.
Alternatively: pick a smaller, less intimidating fandom to start with, buddy (I was attempting to write BNHA fic at the time. It did not go well).
18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that influenced your writing style? what were they?
I've probably taken inspiration from countless authors without realizing (my fiancée included), but strangely enough... I'd say most of my direct influence comes from music? For example, the way that Poets of the Fall write their lyrics has always stuck with me, and I think a tiny bit of their imagery has carried over to my stories (see Given and Denied and The Sweet Escape in particular).
That being said, @a-perplexing-puzzle directly contributed to me falling in love with revalink and writing for it in the first place. Without Pinesong, I would not be answering this ask today. Simple as that.
