Welcome, everyone. Today we have the lovely reannekennedy17

A big thank you to her for taking the time to answer these questions.

If you haven't read her books then please do. They're amazing...

Without further ado...

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1. What inspired you to start writing?

 Ever since I can remember, I've been an avid reader. Whenever I could get my hands on a book, I'd read it. As I got older, though, I started to wonder: "Where is the Canadian content?" All the novels I had been reading were located in the USA or Europe, and I wanted to hear more about my country. This was one of the first steps I took towards writing. As I started to play around with ideas, I also started to get frustrated with myself.

 I've read so many fantastic novels by amazing authors I just never thought I'd ever been able to add up to them. I still continued to write down my ideas, but I stopped trying to write the stories themselves. When I was about fourteen years old, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour that had been causing epilepsy. I also found out I needed surgery to have the tumour removed. I don't want to go into too much depth about this, but it was difficult and really threw me for a loop.

 Friends left me, family members couldn't fully understand what I was going through — my life felt out of control. The loneliness, the pain, the feeling of invisibility in this great world are part of the reason I took up writing once again. I wanted to feel like I had a place like I had purpose and control. Writing gave me that. I could manipulate decisions, words, describe scenes from points of view, choose the settings. 

It felt magical and it hooked me. I felt in control. Thankfully, the surgery was a success the second time around and I have been seizure-free for just over three years now. Writing, in a sense, was a way for me to channel my pain and suffering and avoid succumbing to any regrettable decisions I could have possibly made. Now that I'm seizure-free, I mainly write to make other people happy. I want my stories to bring happiness and make people laugh. I want them so display hopes for people that are going through a difficult time. 

2. Did you have any writers' block along the way? how did you get past them?

 I have had many, many cases of writer's block throughout my writing career. They're extremely difficult to get past, but I have come to the conclusion that hiking is the best way to clear your mind and get a better understanding of where you want your story to go. 

There's just something about being in the middle of nowhere, completely unplugged and with a notebook and pen in your hand, breathing in the fresh air, that makes for a good solution to writer's block. I would also suggest listening to different songs to try and find one that suits the next scene you want to create. If the lyrics speak to you or relate to your character, it's easier to write. 

3. Do you see yourself in any characters and why?

 I know professional writers say to never base any of your main characters on yourself, but let me tell you, that is a load of BS. Adding in a pinch of yourself to each character makes them easier to understand — especially if they are complex characters. The better you understand your character, if you can sympathize with them, the smoother their role in the plot will appear to you when you're writing. 

So, yes, I do see myself in my characters in some aspects. Be it the colour of my hair or my eyes, one of my strange habits or my favourite hockey team, my hopes or beliefs, there will always be something similar between me and my characters. 

4. How old are you?

 I am twenty-three years old and was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. 

5. How old were you when you started writing?

 I was about seven-years-old when I started writing. I continued on until I reached middle school and then I lost touch with it until I was diagnosed. 

6. Can you remember what you felt when you first started writing? what did you feel? 

Writing was scary as hell when I first started; I didn't know if what I was doing was right or wrong, or if I was going to offend people with my concepts and words. That being said, I also felt a rush of adrenaline. I enjoyed being in control and deciding where the storyline would go, how my characters would progress. When I got over my fears of not pleasing everyone, writing started to feel a little more natural. I would — and still do — get excited whenever I came up with a new character or plot. Writing feels like my own personal drug — I can't get enough of it. 

7. What's your outside life like? 

Right now, I am attending Okanagan College to earn my associate of arts degree as well as a diploma in environmental management. So, aside from work and school, I don't have much of a social life. Classes are crazy at the moment so that the majority of my time outside of Wattpad is spent studying and doing homework. 

That being said, whenever my friends and I manage to complete all of our work, we regularly go out for a bite to eat and socialize. And when we're not doing that or studying/doing homework, I'm at home with a cup of tea and reading a book — or watching the Vancouver Canucks play. I'm also a very family-orientated person. I have a big family, so we do Sunday dinners with each other every night, go camping during the summer, dirt-biking, hiking, etc. 

8. Where do you get your ideas from?

It's hard for me to pinpoint where exactly I get my ideas from. Sometimes it's simply from me daydreaming during a boring class at the college. Sometimes it's from a song I've been listening to on repeat for hours. Sometimes I read a novel and wonder to myself: "How would this story change if ______ hadn't made this decision and done this instead?"

9. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

 When I'm not writing, I like to read, drink tea, watch hockey, hike, dirt bike, swim, play basketball, and spend time with my family. I also love to cook. 

10. What does your family think about your writing?

My family loves my writing, which is something I really appreciate. My mom, my grandma, and a couple of my aunties are always the first ones to read the new chapters I post. They always text me after, telling me that one day, one of my novels is going to make to the big screen or the TV. One of the biggest compliments I get from them is my ability to integrate emotion into my writing. 

11. What do you think makes a good story?

What makes a good story is a conflict and strong female characters. In order to have a strong plot and equally as strong of characters, you need to have a conflict that ties in with the storyline. Also, this conflict needs to be believable, depending on what genre you're writing. Using real concepts of conflict, such as bullying, physical abuse, and mental illness, make your story strong and relatable to many of your readers. Having a strong female character is also a great addition. Without women, this world would be nothing. We deserve a lot more credit than we are given. 

12. What's your favourite genre? 

 My favourite genre is Young Adult. This is because there are so many sub-genres that come along with it. You have romance, teen fiction, dystopian, sci-fi, etc. Sometimes, there are combinations of two or more of these sub-genres. The options regarding what you want to read are endless. 

13. Do you write on wattpad or do you use software (like Microsoft word)?

 I write a lot on Wattpad, that's for sure, but I mainly use Microsoft Word when I'm typing up a new story. I like being able to save my original drafts and go back and compare them to my final product. This way, I can see how much has changed through editing and revising. I also prefer Microsoft Word because I can save copies to my computer.

14. What's the hardest thing to write, for you and why?

The hardest thing for me to write is, surprisingly, happiness. I know I said I want my stories to bring people just that, but if you have read some of my stories, a lot of my characters go through pain before they find happiness. My life has been a very painful journey (those of you who have read Stay With Me will know what I'm talking about) and that tends to reflect in my writing. I don't think, in any of my stories, any of my characters have been happy their whole lives. To me, it just seems too fake. We've all experienced pain and sadness; no one has ever been happy their whole lives. 

15. Do you work on an outline or just go with the flow? 

 This depends on the story. My novel, "Until I Met You," had a consistent, detailed outline, depicting who my characters were and what decisions they were going to make, as well as how the story would end. "The Florist and the Pastry Chef" is one where I went with the flow. Basically, I let the characters themselves dictate where the novel would go. I go back and forth between outlining and going with the flow, really. 

16. Do you have anything specific you want to say to readers?

What I want to say to my readers is, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for giving my stories a chance, for commenting and voting and sharing. Without you guys, I'd be nothing. I would also like to say if you want to write, do it! A great writer once said that all first drafts are shit. But that doesn't mean all of your writing is shit. A draft is meant to help you tone your story and put your best work forward. Even if you are terrified, DO IT! It's worth it in the end. We all have stories to share — stories that are meant to be heard. 

17. And lastly, Do you have any advice for new writers.

For new writers, I would suggest going to Pinterest for helpful tips. There are many amazing websites you can find that will guide you forward. Also, practice with writing prompts (which you can also find on Pinterest). Sometimes, it's also worth contacting your favourite author. I once got advice from one of my favourite romance authors, as well as a couple here on Wattpad. Remember, they were once you, a new writer that is struggling to find their place in the writing world. 

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There you have it, don't forget to vote, comment and share. Also if you want a specific author to be interviewed then please let me know.