HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! America turns 246 today if we go off of our typical Independence Day instead of the real one (which was July 2nd, BTW). Long live America!! đđđ
Today, youâre going to get an interview from the marvelous Anna Kate. đ Enjoy!
If you havenât already checked out her blog, do so. This girl posts some great content â from slice-of-life to story snippets to book reviews and recommendations, sheâs got it all!! I had the honor of doing interviews with her â one with me interviewing her, the other with her interviewing me. đ
So, without further adoâŚ
The Interview
Hi Anna! Thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview. Letâs kick things off by getting to know you a bit better. đ Tell us a bit about yourself â your name, what genre you like to read/write, and what your garden looks like â or would look like, if you had one. đ
Hello Joelle! Thanks so much for having me; Iâm really excited for this!
First of all, Iâm a Christian. I believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us. I love reading, think lemonade is the best drink ever, and spend hours outside.
I love reading contemporary and fantasy. I like to write contemporary, mainly, but Iâve started getting into the mystery genre, which has been an adventure!
My garden? Hmm, Iâve always wanted a Victorian flower garden with stone pathways and fountains, and mountains of flowers and birds. I could spend hours dreaming and doodling ideas!
Why did you go into writing? Do you plan for it to be a hobby, a career, or something else?
I started writing because I have always loved words. Ever since I was about seven, Iâve been making up stories and characters in my head. For several years, though, I didnât write at all. When I joined the Young Writers Workshop, I rediscovered my love of writing and decided that I want to pursue it as a career.
You currently have a blog over at AnnaKate Writes. What is your favorite part of blogging?
Interacting with readers, coming up with blog post ideas, and the design part of it all! And I really love how blogging has taught me so much about consistency and motivation.
Whatâs your least favorite part?
When I have a post due the next day and I have no idea what Iâm going to write about.
XD Why is that so relatable. XD
What is your current WIP (work-in-progress) about?
Love this question! I have several, but my main WIP is a mystery/contemporary set in a small town. Itâs still in the planning stages, but I can tell you that there will be siblings, a water park, and strawberry ice cream! Itâs the first book Iâve spent a lot of time planning and outlining, instead of just coming up with characters and a basic plot and jumping right into writing.
Iâm also working on a co-authored novelette called Love Times Two. Weâre so close to being ready for alpha readers!
What is your favorite scene from said story?
Well, one of the MCs, Devon, has a little sister named Morgan. She is such a cute little girl, and I am so excited to write her! Iâm planning this one scene where Devonâs friends want to go do something, and Morgan wants to come along. When the others donât want her along, Devon tells them that âLittle sisters arenât little forever. She can come along, and weâll have even more fun because sheâs with us.â
What is something youâre passionate to see in todayâs literature?
This was a hard one! After thinking about it for a few days, I think Iâm going to say godly romance. While I donât think romance books are bad, I believe that when writing romance, we should use Biblical romance as a guide.
Another thing is strong female characters that are not stereotypes. Whenever a book has a female character that is portrayed as weak, I am not a fan. I like to see strong, Christian girls who love God wholeheartedly and get along with their family. I donât like to see girls that a) try to do everything for themselves and arenât kind to others or b) girls that do hardly anything.
Who is your target audience, and why?
My target audience is probably 15-18 year olds, or somewhere in that range. Hmm, the why is hard. I think because thatâs the age I am right now, and so itâs easier to relate to them. I can take all the issues Iâm dealing with and going through and put them into my stories. When I write, I pray that my words will help or encourage someone.
What is the hardest part of writing, and how do you conquer that?
Motivation. Most of the time, Iâm pretty good at sitting down and working on a writing project. But when writerâs block/burnout hits, it hits hard. Getting back up and starting to write again when that happens is so hard, and often I get even more discouraged because I feel guilty about being unmotivated.
I conquer it by working on a different writing project, one that is completely different from my WIP. Often, when I take a step back and work on something fun for a day or two, my motivation returns and I feel much better about writing.
And last but not least, if you were on your deathbed and you could only impart one bit of wisdom to a budding author before you died, what would it be?
NEVER GIVE UP! Writing is hard. There are days when youâll feel like screaming because nothing sounds right (almost wrote âwriteâ there XD) and days when youâll write 5,000 words because the inspiration is there. Through it all, keep going. But (this is going to sound counterintuitive) donât be afraid to take a step back from whatever it is that is giving you difficulty. Donât force yourself to work on a project. Iâve tried it, and believe me, it does not help. Brainstorm new ideas. Write a snippet in a completely different genre. Find a brainstorming partner. Whatever you do, keep writing! Itâs so important; where would we be without books?
Oh, and one more thing. Pray about your writing. Pray before you start typing (or pick up your pen), and pray after youâve finished writing for the day. God gave us the gift of words and writing, so ask for His wisdom and guidance for your writing every day.
Thank you ever so much for having me, Joelle! I had a great time answering the questions (and they made me think hard, too!) and loved reading your answers as well. Keep up the fantastic work!
Of course, thank you so much for joining me!! I really enjoyed your answers and I think my readers will as well. đ What do you guys think? Do you struggle with motivation? Do you agree with Devonâs opinion of his sister? What is your opinion on Victorian gardens? XD
Also, I apologize for not posting a snippet on Saturday. Life got the better of me and by the time I realized what day it was, it was already late enough at night that I decided to forgo the post entirely. Iâll make it up next week. đ
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! đ
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