name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why
Anne Rice, Catherynne M. Valente, and Francesca Lia Block. Anne Rice made me want to try exploring as much as possible in my writing, even if it was beyond my own experiences at the time. That also got me into doing extensive research on various topics, and writing little mini essays about them so I could figure out what I liked most about an idea and why it made me want to write about it. Valente makes me want to be a braver writer, being as flowery and stream of conscious-y as I possibly can while making it make sense, too. She doesn’t shy away from really raw, vulnerable things, and I always feel like I’m learning from her with each book I read. And Francesca Lia Block made me want to write as much pain and catharsis as possible in my stories, because so many of her books got me through really rough times as a teenager, and her characters were always having to go through something horrible to become stronger. That makes it sound like she wrote some kinda emotional torture porn lol but she really didn’t. She just didn’t shy away from the difficult stuff, and I appreciated that. So I figured I should use my writing as some kind of relief/release for others, too.
Either my bedroom, at my desk, or down in the kitchen. The kitchen is nice because it’s a big open room that connects to the front hall, the living room, and the hallway that leads to the back of the house, so I get this sense of being connected to the rest of my family. I usually do editing in my room though, which is when I need to be closed off and focused as much as possible.
Motivation and the emotions, I guess? I’ve been told I’m also really good at character voices, so I guess certain types of characters come easily for me. I never really struggle with wanting to write, and it never feels like a chore or something I have to do. I’m always ready and happy to do it.
