_creamtea_: Ok so we should definitely get started. Where do you get most of your inspiration?

-witchburnings: Mostly dreams. I daydream and fantasize about EVERYTHING and it spills into the stuff I write

_creamtea_: Honestly I do the same thing. What books or authors do you think have influenced your writing?

-witchburnings: Wow, that's tough to answer. I'd probably have to say, A Wrinkle In Time, Ender's Game, and Wonder. OH, and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

_creamtea_: A Wrinkle In Time is seriously so good. What do you personally think makes a good story or poem?

-witchburnings: For me, I think the best works are the ones  you read in your head in a meaningful tone, if that doesn't sound too ridiculous. It's something about the imagery, the author's specific voice in their writing, that you can just feel the emotion and the time they spent on it. Sometimes I read a sentence or a line and I just know someone spent a long time on it, it's important to them.

_creamtea_: That's actually really interesting, and definitely true. In your opinion what is more important to a story, plot or characters?

-witchburnings: Oh, yikes. Um, I'd have to say characters, if only because I read so much fanfiction. If the plot is lacking or underdeveloped, fic writers can make their own. But if the characters are badly written, it makes me lose interest in the book super quick.

_creamtea_: I always find that bad characters= bad plot as well, or at least an underdeveloped one. How much do you think your personal experiences have affected your writing?

-witchburnings: Oh so much. A lot of my poems start from a memory or experience. It usually comes through editing completely different, and almost unrecognizable, but I draw on my emotions and mental health issues as the core for almost everything I write.

_creamtea_: How do you manage mental health related to writing? (feelings of failure, mid-project depression, general anxiety) I know that I and a lot of other writers deal with these things and want to bring to light different coping mechanisms.

-witchburnings: Well, I try my best to just write it. A few (read: lot) of my poems center around my depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, that also means I get irrational bouts of "oh my gosh, everything I write sucks and I'm a horrible person" where I unpublish everything. I try to just breathe, and write my feelings out, and it works. As crazy as it sounds sometimes I de-compartmentalize. I let everything I'm feeling, all the stress, and sadness, and just hollowness flow together so I can get it out. Most times after I've done that, I can just focus on the good things. After my darkest poems is usually when I write my lightest ones.

_creamtea_: Oh god, that really hits close to home, as someone who also has to manage mental illness with writing. Do you think it's true that anyone can be a writer?

-witchburnings: Absolutely! I think it helps if a person loves reading and writing and has their whole lives, but I very much believe that anyone can be a writer if they want to.

_creamtea_: Do you see writing more as a hobby or as a passion?

-witchburnings: Passion, completely and with my whole soul.

_creamtea_: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

-witchburnings: A writer. I don't think I've ever wanted to be anything else. No, I'm sorry. When I was 4, I wanted to be a Roman dictator very briefly

_creamtea_: Oh my god, that is ICONIC. What advice would you give to your younger self if you could? What advice would you give to any writers reading this?

-witchburnings: Well, I'm not sure I'm qualified to be giving anyone advice, but I'll try. Mainly just, read as much as you can, anything that you can. And relax! It doesn't have to be perfect, it's NOT going to be perfect. Consume as many beautiful things as you can. Music, poetry, classic Russian literature, semi-crappy fanfics, anything and everything.

_creamtea_: That's really good advice. I'm gonna have to let you go, but it was so much fun talking with you! Thanks for coming. :)

-witchburnings: Thanks for having me? Is it really having me if we're pm-ing? Nevermind, it was fun!

Today's prompt: Cracked

Remember to give the wonderful -witchburnings a follow and share how you've interpreted the prompt in the comments. :)