30 : Does writing calm you down or stress you out?

A little of each. There’s moment when the narrative just flows and that’s just wonderful. There’s entire days when I can’t drag one word to follow the other, and those SUCK. Nevertheless, I persist.

32 : Do you give your side-characters extensive backstories?

Depends on the side-character. Some get just enough information to get through the scene… some fucking take over and become mains. They grow as they exist.

35 : Is it more fun to write villains or heroes?

I am weirdly proficient at writing psychopaths (and that’s scary). I prefer to do either the heroic type or the villain type, so long as they have a decent personality. Character development counts.

37 : What’s one piece of advice you would give to new writers?

In one word - Persist.

If you keep writing, and write something every day, you will grow and learn and spread some magnificent wings. Take it one story at a time. One day at a time. One day, you might be on the bookshelves and talking at conventions and I hope we wind up on a panel together.

18 : If you could assign your story one song, what would it be?

I have so many stories, it’s not funny. My current novel-in-process doesn’t have any theme music, but I spent a large amount of Clockwork Souls listening to my Steampunk collection. There are some stories that get theme songs, but this time… I don’t have any.

Sorry.

22 : Has your own writing ever made you cry?

Frequently. I’ve also been angered and scared by my own writing. If I don’t feel it, then my audience won’t either.

24 : When did you start considering yourself a writer?

It took me a while. I started doing that when I started writing stories unrelated to fanfic a few years after I left High School, so… around 1992.

27 : Where do you get inspiration from?

90% Spite, actually. I end up yelling at screens about all kinds of things. Some of that list includes: articulated skeletons, daft protagonists, any of the tropes I despise, plot holes as big as a barge, and silly things that make no actual sense that play well on the screen [aka the planar wave in zero-g explosions, the teacup being the first thing that detects danger, etc.] Then I read things on Tumblr and think… that might be cool, let’s try it.

7 : How long is your current WIP?

Which one? I’ve cleared 102K in my current novel, I’m almost up to 22K in my most-active fanfic, and  there’s 53K, 38K, and 6K in a few stalled fics I have waiting on the back-burner for ideas.

9 : What do you struggle most with as a writer?

Being culturally sensitive/politically correct/woke. I am a creature from a bygone era and staying tuned to the pulse of modern thought is something I have to work with.

10 : Do you brain-storm story ideas alone or with others?

Absolutely nobody but @dualityandsuch can stand me, friendo. I keep my novel BS to myself and anyone who cares to read about it in my blog and Patreon.

11 : Do you base your characters off of real people?

Bits and pieces. I tend to stitch together parts of people I know, meld them with attributes I need, and come out with a whole person on the other end. It’s kind’a fascinating.

13 : Do you write character-driven or plot-driven stories?

I like character development. The plot kind of happens around them.

21 : Do you finish most of the stories you start?

I honestly try to. Some just end up in a nebulous state of Schroedinger’s Ending. There, I may have already written an end, or I might have more. I don’t know.

Novels, I definitely finish. I’m good there.

28 : On a scale of 1-10, how much do you stress about choosing character names?

12. Some are easy, some require good research. Some are whatever collection of syllables feels good in my mouth that day.

46 : What Hogwarts house would your protagonist(s) be in?

Hufflepuff. Every last one of them. All of my OC’s are “and the rest”. Some would leave little treats (not clothing!) for the House Elves.

Well. Maybe the psychopaths are Slytherin. Barely.

50 : Would you rather be remembered for your fantastic world-building or your lifelike characters?

Both, please? I like to put the effort into some degree of realism in everything I write. Realistic people - even if they’re technically birds - living in worlds that make sense, if only to me.

I want to write stories you could step into if only there wasn’t that darned book/screen in the way. I want you to feel for my peeps. I want them to be alive in your heads as you read the words I put together. That’d be brilliant.

3 : Do you outline according to big ideas or small details?

A little from column A, a little from column B. Usually, I have the vague shape of the story in my head and, when I get into actually writing it, I get little scenes that just HAVE to be in the thing. For fanfic, the reverse happens. I get a Scene and the fic has to happen around it.

4 : Which do you prefer–line-editing or plot-revisions?

Can I say ‘neither’? I hate editing. It is the bane of my existence. I usually try my best to make certiain my whole story is coherent first before I write a line. That way I don’t have to re-tool a plot. Fixing minor errata is better by far.

8 : What author would you be most excited to be compared to?

Sir Terry Pratchett (GNU), Lois McMasters Bujold, Douglas Adams, and possibly Terry Nation. They’re my heroes.

17 : Do you make soundtracks for each story?

Nope. If I was that organised, I swear I’d be further along in my alleged career. Or I’d have more bonus content for my Patrons on Patreon.

1 : What age-group do you write?

Since I write swears and pseudoswears into my narrative [I’ve been cutting down though] I would have to say “young adult”… but I’d much prefer that everyone reads my stuff. If they happen to enjoy it, then my writing has no real age limit. [I do advise the grownups read first and judge as to whether their littles can withstand the contents]

2 : What genre do you write?

I can potentially write every fiction genre but Romance. There’s something about Romance as a genre that is largely dependant on all parties being inexplicably dense about things way too frequently for my liking. That said, I adore science fiction and keep returning to it like a bad smell.

16 : Would your story work better as a movie or tv show? Why?

Serialised television is kinder to the contents of the books than movies are, but… No matter what, there’s things you can do in prose that just won’t translate to the screen no matter what you do. If I were to pick, I would much rather my works be messed with by Studio Ghibli if they had to be a movie. Similarly, I’m pretty sure someone in Netflix-town knows what’s up.

20 : What book would you love to see adapted for the big or small screen?

I’d most like to see Clockwork Souls adapted. It’s something I’ve written, but haven’t passed through the editing cycle for lack of feedback. First: it’s the only actual novel I’ve written where my mother(nit-picker extraordinaire) has said she liked it. Second: 90% of the main characters are on one spectrum or another. Third: I really really really really [x 20000] want to see what folks would do with that noise. Mal-adaption or no, the end result would be entertaining as hell.

31 : What trope do you actually like?

I’m not too certain of the names, but I can give you the patterns in no particular order:

• Kick-ass ladygal - woman in a ballgown or other fancy duds rips through the opposition. Trashed ballgown post-fracas optional. [Heavily sexualised trashed ballgown is a no-no]
• Shrinking violet, hidden badass - formerly assumed milquetoast gets angry and goes Hulk on the opposition. Instantly resumes former innocent facade after the last villain falls.
• I’m made of weapons - Character is forced to disarm and produces increasingly illogical weaponry from increasingly unlikely places into an increasingly alarming pile. Bonus points for “All of your weapons…” followed by even MORE of the same.
• The Gilligan Cut - “What do you expect, [Highly Improbable Situation]?” [swish-cut to the selfsame situation].
• NARRATIVELY DEPENDENT PUNS - Gods bless you Sir Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and all of the Goons. I wish I had but a fraction of your artistry.
• Expecting an argument and getting an agreement - bonus points for half the counter-argument and a “Wait, what?”
• Rule of Funny - screw the established rules, if it’s funny, it wins.
• Musical Mayhem - fights with excellent timing and pop music.
• That Tribble Scene in Star Trek - if I could have more of that happening, that would be so much fun.
• The One Sane Person - The lunatics are almost running the asylum, but this person has to keep them running in the same direction. [See: Kermit the Frog in the Original Muppet Show]
• They Fight Crime - unlikely duo works like a well-oiled machine to fight and win against the bad guys. Good romance between them for super bonus points.

Yeah, I have lots.

Thanks for asking, I loved this.