Q: Hello, Sarah. Thank you for bringing all of the SciKick team together. How are you today?

A: I'm doing well! I'm excited to share a little about myself with SciKick readers!

Q: And I bet they are even more excited to read your answers. First off, shall we talk about you and writing? When did you first start writing?

A: I love to write science fiction, specifically post-apocalyptic cyberpunk like The Deathless trilogy. I have been writing ever since I can remember, but I didn't start writing for readers until college when I majored in Creative Writing. After years of writing only short stories, I dived into writing my first novel in 2013. That novel became I AM DEATHLESS and I've been writing in that universe ever since.

Q: What are your writer's best practices – doing character profiles, maps, visualization, tai chi, anything?

A: Best practices differ for everyone, I think; but I always like to create character profiles and secret Pinterest boards to gather inspiration. I like to keep all my notes together in one notebook and use that to outline. The trick is to find what works best for you.

Q: Definitely. When and in what setting do you write best?

A: Weekends are my writing times. I like to go to a local coffee shop to write so I don't have any distractions, but if I'm at home I like to write in the kitchen in front of an open window.

Q: Is there anything in particular you find difficult to write about? 

A: Love, actually, is something I always struggle with. I have had a fairytale love story in real life, so I try to use it as inspiration when I can. I'm not sure why it's so difficult for me to write love, but I think it has something to do with the fact that love is different for everyone and a unique experience for everyone.

Q: What piece of advice has been most helpful to you since you started?

A: Honestly, the most helpful piece of advice I ever heard was to remember that first drafts are allowed to be terrible. You're creating a mess so that you can tidy it up into something meaningful later. All good writing is really good editing.

Q: What do you enjoy more – writing or having written?

A: It depends on the scene for me, but I love that feeling of accomplishment after putting a scene together and the anticipation for sharing it with readers.

Q: What genre would you write in, if it wasn't sci-fi?

A: I'm writing a YA contemporary right now, so I guess contemporary. But I have always loved fantasy too and I always will. I've had a fantasy idea knocking around in my brain for about 20 years now (wow, time flies) that I'm hoping I will actually write one of these days.

Q: That's cool! And what about reading? What three genres do you read the most?

A: Sci-fi is number one, then contemporary, and then fantasy. I'm pretty consistent. :-P

Q: Is there anything you can think of that you would love to read, only it hasn't been written yet?

A: That's how I came up with the idea for my Deathless Trilogy protagonist, Isla Blume. I wanted to read a heroine character like me who was what I always wanted to be too: a smart scientist who could change the world.

Then I wanted to read a book in English and Spanish, so I started writing the contemporary I'm working on now.

I'm sure the more I read, the more I will crave books that don't exist yet.

Q: What book could not put down under any circumstances?

A: I could not put down THE HUNGER GAMES when I first read it. I started it on the bus ride to work, read it through home room with my students and over lunch, and then took it out to dinner with my friends too. I even read it in the car on the way to the restaurant that night haha.

Q: And, I know the readers would really appreciate this, tell us what inspired you to write your book on Wattpad?

A: I had already written my first two books in the trilogy, and wanted to get some feedback. One of my students suggested I get on Wattpad, and not knowing what to expect from the site, I used it as a platform to write THE BLAST. I fell in love with the site and the community, and the rest is history.

Q: Can you describe it in three words (and don't be modest!)?

A: Three words to describe THE BLAST: heartfelt, heart-breaking, personal.

Three words to describe THE DEATHLESS TRILOGY: adventurous, scientific, and also heartfelt.

Q: Which character is the total fan favorite? Why do you think that is?

A: Without a doubt, Declan Kunkle from The Deathless Trilogy. I think it's because he is funny and vulnerable and real. He feels like he is as close a friend to me as he is to Isla, and I think readers get a sense of that too.

Q: Talking about fans, can you quote the one comment on your book, which you will never forget? Please include *SPOILER* if it contains major revelations from the storyline

A: Oh my goodness, my readers have been amazing and there are countless comments that have brought a smile to my face. I'm always ecstatic when readers tell me I've inspired them to write. That's how I felt after reading THE HUNGER GAMES and to know that readers felt that way after reading my books is amazing!

Q: What is your favorite thing about being active on Wattpad?

A: Hands down interacting with readers!

Q: If you had to mention just one Undiscovered Gem of a story or writer on Wattpad, who would it be and why?

A: @SkylerMRF has been a reader, fan, and Watt-friend of mine since before THE BLAST was even finished on Wattpad. He is a fantastic person and an amazing young writer. He is going to do big things in his lifetime! Check out literally any of his books, they are all fantastic! (Including a Deathless Trilogy fanfic he wrote for my fan contest going through February 8th.)

Q: Where are you from?

A: I'm from Pennsylvania in the United States.

Q: Did you ever feel like writing just wasn't for you anymore and wanted to stop?

A: If you ever feel like this, you are not alone. I'm exploring publishing options for the Deathless Trilogy, and that includes querying agents. When you are in the querying trenches, you get a lot of rejections. It happens to everyone. There was a couple of months there (not too long ago) when I was getting a lot of rejections back, and I wondered why I was even writing. Was my work even good? Was I just fooling myself that I could write?

Then I remembered that joy I felt when I first started writing and I remembered the comments I've received from readers on Wattpad... and I remembered that my writing, at its heart, is for me first, readers second. If I loved it, what else mattered?
That has always kept me going.

Q: What was your hardest chapter to write and why?

A: I won't give away any spoilers, but there is a chapter at the end of I am Deathless in which a main character dies. It was the first character I was to kill and it was a character who I had grown fond of. I asked my sisters (both avid readers) if there was any way to keep this character alive and suggested a whole slew of ridiculous alternatives, but when it came down to it, the character had to die. I was at a coffee shop writing the scene, and I became so emotional, I stepped into the bathroom to cry. I texted my sister right after to let her know the deed was done. It sounds silly now, but it was a really hard chapter to write.

Q: How can you start a story well so that it pulls the reader in and keeps them hooked till the end?

A: Present a character with motivation. Present a complication for this character. Present some sort of mystery for the reader, so they care (1) about the character completing their goal and (2) about finding out the answer to the mystery. Leave them on a cliffhanger.

Q: What is one thing about writing nobody told you about?

A: Oh my goodness, so many things. That editing is the heart of writing, that the first draft is always crap, and that once you start writing, you can't stop. :-P

Q: Is there anything that you wish you could go back in your story and change? (Example: A character's name)

A: Oh yeah, that's what revisions are for. Looking back, I wish I had chosen different names for some of the characters. I am pretty sure I will change them for any published versions from here on out.

Q: Have you considered publishing paper copies of your books?

A: Absolutely! I've published The Blast, which is available on Amazon, and I'm working on ways to publish the trilogy. I know I want to keep them on Wattpad, so my best option may be self-publication to keep the rights completely to myself. We will have to see. :-)

Q: How did you start your stories? Did they end up turning out to be different from what you originally expected and had in store for them?

A: I began my stories with an idea that I thought about for a couple of years prior to actually writing anything. I was inspired by a Skrillex song and my love for all things post-apocalypse. I had a very loose plan in mind, but when I started writing I am Deathless, I got into a zone and by the time I pulled myself out, I had written a scene that was not in my original plan, but became my first chapter. Isla definitely took the reins over her story and led me in the right direction.

Q: And to finish off, I am going to ask you two more personal questions, but don't worry, I won't dig too deep.  

1. If you had to get up and do one of these three things right now, which would you go for?
a. Bungee jumping
b. Singing in front of a thousand people
c. Running a marathon

A: Bungee jumping! I've been bungee jumping before and I absolutely loved it, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am not a runner, though Steven is! And I love singing, but singing in front of a thousand people would probably make me way too anxious to enjoy.

2. If you had to live one year without one of the three things below, which would you pick?
a. Chocolate
b. Ice-Cream
c. Coffee

A: I cannot live without coffee and chocolate is too good to give up for a year, so I'm going to have to go with ice cream on this one.

3. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

A: PLL! It's so ridiculous at this point, but I love it. Spoby for life.  

That was fun!Thanks for being with us and sharing your amazing stories with the world!