Where are you from?

Washington state

How old are you?

I'm 19, turning 20 in July!

What and who inspired you into reading and/or writing?

I've always LOVED books. I would read during my "time outs" when I was little but it wouldn't be much of a punishment for me. I could spend hours just flipping through books in kindergarten while everyone else would be playing outside.

What was the first book that you read that started your love for reading?

The Clifford books in elementary school. Those were my favorite. I would always ask my mom to read them to me. Then as I started growing up, I started reading more of a teen/young adult genre. Series such as Twilight, Maximum Ride, The Hunger Games, The Clique, and Uglies were my favorite in 6th grade.

What was the turning point in your life that you decided to take your writing seriously?

I have never written anything before. I'm a "beginner" in the whole writing aspect. After reading so many books, I finally thought to myself, "Hey, why not write my own?". As I started putting my work out, I realized that I truly enjoyed being able to share a little bit of what I see in my mind with those that love the same thing as me. Writing your own story just proves to you how capable you truly are. The outcome of it all is the satisfaction you feel when you see your work start to shape itself into your original plot.

What is the inspiration for your stories?

I only really have one story out right now. The inspiration behind it was my senior trip to Hawaii in 2018. I guess I just really liked the whole concept of two friends being able to face new challenges with each other. I'm not going to explain much about what those challenges are. You're just going to have to find out for yourself :)

Do you outline your stories or write whatever comes to mind?

I have a little outline for what I want each chapter to include. I write as I go, making sure I hit those points outlined beforehand. Sometimes I just let myself go with the flow and end up with something that I had never even thought about but makes the story so much more interesting. It surprises me how much you can get done when you let your writing consume you entirely.

What is your method of beginning to writing a book?

For me, mostly starting with what you want to base your book on. If it's romance, you have to think about characters and who could end up with who, while also thinking about whether there would be any rivalry within the characters. This also goes for any other genre that you might be interested in writing. After that, you just keep the flow going while including what you think might make a good story.

Do you ever get attached to the characters in your story? If so, what part of their personality or quirks do you find relatable?

Of course. It's hard not to! Surprise, but I don't know how my story will end. I kind of have an idea, but even I get excited when I finish a chapter not knowing what the next one will bring. I'm literally on the edge of my seat whenever my characters have any conflicts between them. I can't side with any of my characters since they all are very important to me. They all are very different, allowing me to fangirl over them and their different qualities. Alex is a very responsible person who cares deeply about her friends and family, while Makenzie also cares about those around her but is more of an "I do whatever I want, whenever I want" type. Noah cares about those close to him but lets himself be influenced, while Joaquin knows what he wants and doesn't stop until he knows everything will turn out okay. I could keep going on and on but I've already written a whole paragraph, oops!

Do you base your characters on people in your personal
life, imagination, or both?

At first, I was going to base it on my personal life, with the characters being based on people I know. I then later decided that I wasn't going to do that since it would restrict my creative thinking with how the plot could go. I then later decided to turn it into "fan fiction" in regards to how the characters would look like to me. They all add something to the story.

What is the best part of writing a story?

The best part has to be when I take a step back and look at what I have done. Seeing all of the positive comments on every chapter makes me happy. I also like to read my story as if I were a reader, pointing out what I like/dislike, getting excited over conflicts, etc. Reading what you have written is honestly so rewarding.

How do you deal with writer's block?

Honestly, I currently have writer's block right now. What I do is I take a little break from writing while brainstorming how the next couple of chapters could go. After a good couple of weeks, I look back at what I have done and it motivates me to want to keep the story going.

Would you want to see your story or stories be adapted? If so, who would you want to play your characters?

I already have a little "cast" going on. I would love for my characters to be based on them!

What kind of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Don't worry about grammar or spelling check! Don't worry about whether or not people will like your work.
Write whatever you like! Don't ever doubt yourself. You never know where it might take you!

Are you working on a new story?

Not a new story, but I'm hoping to translate "How It All Goes" into Spanish for my family in Mexico to read!