Interview: Scottie

Scottie is a 12 year old writer from the United States. She juggles both her music channel on YouTube and her account on a writing site called Movellas. She is MrsTomlinson1224 on this site and she loves to talk with fellow writers, poets, and hopeful young authors in search for writing advice. She loves to write songs, stories, and poems. Scottie has been encouraged to write for some time now, but has not really gotten into it until late 2010.

How long have you been writing for and why did you start?

Well, I have been writing poetry for some time, I think since I was 8 years old. So, that would be 4 years since then. I have been writing songs since God knows when. But back in Elementary school, they were stupid songs about stuff like fried chicken and slinkys. Now, I love to write actual songs that would be sensible to put on an album or something. I’m currently working on two; Alright and Famous. I have been writing books for 2 years now. I wrote a full-blown short-story for an english assignment last year- A!

Do you have an author that has inspired you the most? and if so how?

As most others do, I love Jaqueline Wilson. She is a big inspiration, her writing just jumps out at me. I love it.

A book I’m currently in the middle of is Uglies by Scott Westerfield. I’m only on, say, chapter 4, but it really is magnificent work. I haven’t really gotten to the point where everything clicks since I’m so early in the book, but I have a pretty good idea. Where the book is going, I can tell it is a fantastic book.

I also love work by Wendy Mass. She’s written a lot of books, but I really love 11 Birthdays and 12 Finally. There is a 13 one, but I can’t remember off the tip of my tongue. Her writing is humorous and Wendy Mass, I must say, is quite talented with her cliffhangers! I also love to keep my readers on the edge of their seat with my work. I’m not sure how that’s working out for me, though. I also love the Matched series by Ally Condie, the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, and The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (like a lot of other people, I love those books so much).

Whats your preferred genre? (and why?)

I love them all! Biography and information books normally bore me- unless they are world record books or something like that. I really love a really specific kind of genre, probably not even a genre, and those are Dystopian love stories. My favorite out of those is Divergent and Insurgent because it gives me a glimpse of the author’s point of view of the future and Beatrice and Four (Tris and Tobias) going on adventures and going through it all. The Hunger Games is also undoubtedly a fantastic book. I also love Delirium by Laruen Oliver. I haven’t finished that yet. Dystopian stories catch my interest because it tells me what the author’s thinking is about the future and what kind of thing goes on in their thoughts of the future.

Do you plan on making a career out of your writing?

If my whole plan in the music industry and my plans for X Factor don’t work out, then writing and becoming an author is what I really want to fall back on. Writing is really fun for me, any kind of writing. Writing this interview is actually kind of fun too! I love writing everything, but if I ever become relatively famous, I don’t like writing biographies so I can hire someone to do that for me. Haha! I’m interested in making a career off of writing like other users on Movellas, but I’m not sure if my writing would be good enough. I would have to have a lot of time, too!

What’s the process you go through starting from having an idea, to a completed book?

Sometimes, I will just be humming a song and I come across a very good lyric. I write that down on a slip of paper and once I get access to my notebook or my journal, I look at that lyric and think about what kind of ideas could go along with that lyric. Once I select an idea, I start writing a prologue to see if I like where my story is going. If I don’t, I trash that idea and pick another from my list so I always have some other ideas to fall back on and work with. If I do like it, I sometimes go on Movellas and post the first few chapters to see what other users think of my work. If they like it, I keep going until I finish it and see if I complete my book with a cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers- it keeps your readers in suspense! Sometimes, I see people flip out on how much they want the next chapter- some people are crazy like that. Then again, I do that too.

How often do you write?

It depends on what I’m trying to write. If we are talking about a song here, pretty much every day. Just a few hours ago during 2D Art class, I was talking to my friend on how I had a bad day a few weeks ago. I said, “I need a new day.” and a new song was born. I’m working on the verses right now and it should be done by, probably, tomorrow. I usually can’t htink of a topic to write my poems on, so I take an idea from my song and I turn it into a poem. Now if we are talking about stories, it takes me an hour or two to actually complete a chapter. Sometimes, I just don’t have time to proofread and I end up with tons of mistakes! But, everyone makes those now and then. Overall, I would say I write fairly often.

How many stories have you written?

I have written quite a few, but barely any of them are finished. On Movellas, for my stories that are acutally stories, I have 13 stories that I have actually come up with myself. The rest of them are ideas that aren’t really mine, I was just chosen to co-author with certain people. I have a few poems and a lot of songs in the works. I try and come up with ideas for updating quite a lot. My friends say I am completely obsessed with writing! But really, I’m completely obsessed with both music and writing! I love having two things to work with, it makes me feel like I actually have things to do. People like what I write, people like what I sing, and people like what I play on guitar, so why quit if people like it? Ooh, I like that! That is a good bit of advice.

What advice would you give young and perhaps inexperienced writers?

There are lots of books that are really fabulous out there and you never know if it is a good book or not unless you read it. Same thing with movies and books.

Your opinion might not be important to others, but it is important to you. Stay true to yourself, your thoughts, and your writing.

Thanks a bunch Scottie!

Interview: Lia Payne

Lia Payne, known as The Lia Cookie on movellas, is 13 and writes at Movellas.com. She started on the 13th of Febuary 2012 and currently holds over 250 movellas, and is the most published story writer on the site. A poetry writer has recently exceeded her but as Lia doesn’t just write poems, she writes everything, she still reckons she has the most work if put on top of each other. She has a lot of fans for a writer who doesn’t write One Direction, at over 260! She is currently focusing on two main projects one being a story called ‘Let it snow’ for Christmas! She is also focusing on an interviewing project with 3 co-authors called ‘The Interviews’. She is in year 9 in England, and is aspiring to be an author!

What do you use for inspiration?

My mind! ANYTHING can become inspiration. Take that vase over there, make it smash, set free the spirits. A story in a sentence there, that can be the beginning of something wonderful. I find Albert Einstein quotes very helpful when writing, and my favorite quote is by him. ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ I agree with it, and I believe without imagination you can’t have knowledge. Because in order to know stuff you need to think of it and basically, if you have no imagination; how can you think of it? You can’t! I listen to lots of music, such as Nightwish, Evanescence, Linkin Park… Great inspiration. Remember: anything can be inspiration. Even your own mum.

Is there an author who has influenced you in your work?

Not particularly, though I could say stories have. Like, The Lovely bones, The Fear Index, and even some works off Movellas.Com! I don’t copy at all! I simply look at their work and think this is good! But where they lack description/grammar/paragraphs, I tell them, I give honest feedback. I get lots of ideas from viewing work. And as I said before, not copying. Once I read a fantasy story, that gave me inspiration to write a realism story. The other day I read the most poorly written book ever published (besides 50 Shades Of Grey). It was a question and answer session that was unavoidable. So I asked him, ‘how did you get published?’ when really I meant ‘how on earth did you get published?!’. A lot of works don’t inspire me, but simply make me critique them harshly.

What genre do you prefer to write/read in?

I prefer to read Adult Horrors, because I love a good thriller! I’m a very quick reader, once read a 400 page book in under ten minutes! Not scanning! I write everything though, so mostly I put my stories in the ‘other’ category because I don’t know what to put them in! I write songs sometimes, poems sometimes, prose sometimes, script sometimes, non-fiction sometimes, fiction sometimes… I write it all. You name it, I write it. I once wrote a ‘how to’ guide. My first book was about an everlasting family… Don’t ask!

What’s your favourite book you’ve ever read and why?

Well that’s a mixture between 3 amazing books. Cloud Atlas is amazing, and I can’t wait for the movie to come out! Basically, it’s about reincarnation and about the same lives meeting again and again in different lives. In one stage a cannibal is one of their reincarnations… Oh dear… AMAZING! I also love The Lovely Bones, which is already a movie too. It is creepy, gripping and sad. I LOVE IT! I also love The Fear Index for its different way of thinking. It has got lots to do about money which I don’t understand, neither does the author as he said in an interview! But, I still like how it’s written and although the story-line isn’t something I’d usually read I seem to like it lots!

Do you get writers block and if so how do you deal with it?

Is that a real question? If you never get writer’s block, you aren’t a writer! It happens to 100% of us, in my book. How I deal with it is by… STROKING DIEGO! (My kitten). And also by watching television and getting good ideas off that, but not copying. That splat of blood on the floor on that TV program, I’ll use that for a story! I listen to my inspiration, Nightwish, look at more Einstein quotes and then get a story shot at me. I write too much, though. I get too much ideas cramming themselves into my brain and one time so soon I’ll write one story after another after another. A bad habit, I am currently aiming to focus on stories instead of writing and writing and writing DIFFERENT stuff at once. But when I get an idea, I have to write it down. My habit.

How often do you write?

Oh, every day for hours. I once wrote for 24 hours nonstop, literally. Mostly on weekends I write for about 10 hours, on weekdays for about 7.  I literally wont stop writing! I write so much it’s unthinkable! Idea -> written -> new story -> never finished. That’s how my flow chart goes! If you’re on movellas head down to The Lia Cookie and check out my work! If not I reccomend that site. If you don’t write then why are you viewing this!?

What advice would you give perhaps a young, and inexperienced writer?

What does ‘young’ and ‘inexperienced’ really mean? Because I’m young and inexperienced myself. I’m merely a student at school. But, to people who are new to the writing world, I have been writing since I was 3 and a half. First a story called The Cranes about an everlasting family, which sucked. It was a little picture book my mum stapled together for me! Well my advice for you is keep on going, even if the obstacles seem like they’re gonna sweep you away, even if you get bullied somewhere or lost your best friend, keep persevering. The more you run through the obstacles, the further away you’ll get from your problems leading to you becoming a successful author and not giving a toss any more. Writing takes effort, determination and time. If you have those three things you can accomplish anything. Just remember, have good grammar and spelling too! And give amazing critiques too! This way you’ll get on the good books, both ways! And relate stuff in your stories to your personal problems, it really helps get rid of the litten fuse too! Thanks Ollie!

Thank you Lia!

Interview: Chloe Courteney

A girl on a mission

Chloe is an 11 year old girl from the UK who loves to read and write. She can be a little forgetful and says she needs help with her writing, but that doesn’t stop her from aspiring to become a writer. She lives with Tiny, her tan white dog. Chloe however, has blonde hair and blue eyes, and hopes you get the best out of her interview. If you want to find some of Chloe’s writing and maybe lend her some feedback, you can find her on movellas.com her username is Anime-Lover.

What was it that got you into writing?

I read a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books and she made me want to write.

When writing what do you use for inspiration?

I use things around me and sometimes other peoples work.

Is there an author that you find particularly influential?

Jacqueline Wilson.

How much time do you spend writing a day and what on?

Most of my day. Definitely more than two hours. I write on Movellas and paper and everything. I write any story when I have an idea for it.

Do you find that your mood effects how you write and/or what you read?

Yes, I do find that my mood effects how I read and write because sometimes I can’t think straight when Im upset and I dont feel like reading when upset either.

Do you get writers block?

I get writers block all the time, to battle it I ask around the house and if I don’t get any ideas I think really hard. Sometimes it takes a few hours. I found a new technique today. Read other books to give you ideas, but do not copy it straight out, change it into your own words.

Thank you Chloe!

Interview: J.K. Panesar

Promise for the future.

J.K. Panesar, a young writer of 15 from the United Kingdom, joined a writing site called movellas.com in March 2012. From then on she has been writing non-stop. J.K. has the most fans on the site and is currently working on many books, some of which being: ‘Heal Me’ and ‘Fight For You’ which is the sequel to her book called ‘Only You’. J.K., like many writers, loves reading. She is currently in the middle of reading a book by Lindsey Kelk, called ‘I heart London’. Keep an eye out for her books as she is planning to publish very soon. Why not follow her on Twitter? https://twitter.com/LittleMiss_Mwah .

What genre do you prefer to write in and why?

I prefer to write fantasy because you can invent any type of characters you want, and build up mystical creatures. You cant go right or wrong in fantasy. Your basically inventing your own little world. I also like to include life like problems in my stories, such as, self harm, tragic death or anorexia. I feel as if I can write more about that topic, because I pretend to be that person who has the problem, and I set my mind frame to match. I like to write horror and thriller stories too. Sometimes I can think of the most freakiest and scariest stuff, that I frighten myself just writing it.

Fan fictions is also one of my strong points. I like writing fan fictions because you feel as if you already know the person you are writing about. This makes it easier, because while writing fan fictions you become that person and imagine what they would do in a particular situation or how they would act. I like to mix other genres with fan fictions, such as fantasy, because it gives a bit more drama and excitement to the story.

So do you want to make a career out of creative writing?

Yes, I would love to make a career out of creative writing. Being a famous author one day is my biggest dream. By writing small pieces here and there, I wish to full fill my dream some day, and be known for it. I have had some people put me down, and say that I cant achieve my dream. However I’m not the one to back down, if I want to be that famous author, I will be. No body will be able to stop me from aspiring to reach my dream.

Do you have a specific author that really influences you in your writing?

Yes! In fact I have quite a few. I love Becca Fitzpatrick and her ‘Hush Hush’ trilogy. It was a really great read, and so far I have read it about four times. I also love Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga. I have read all the books, and can say that they are way better than the films. I love the say she describes feelings and emotions, it makes me feel like I am one of her characters. I loved Meg Cabot’s books and the way she writes too. My favourite ones so far are ‘Abandon’ and ‘Underworld’. They are really attention gripping. I actually couldn’t put the book down until I finished it, and when it finished I wanted more. I also love they way each one of her characters is very different to her others.

How much do you write?

My writing usually varies. Sometimes I can write loads of really long chapters, which form really good book with good detail. Other times, I can write short stories where there will only be a few chapters. I write whenever I can. Sometimes I get the best ideas in the middle of the night, so I quickly jot it down in the memo of my phone so I don’t lose the idea.

Do you have any advice for young maybe inexperienced writers?

Yes. I’ll tell everybody to keep writing, because the more you write, the better you will get at it. Another thing, don’t let anyone put you down. If they say you can’t write or are rubbish at it, don’t take in what they say. Instead continue writing more and more, because when you become an expert at writing, you can tell them what you have achieved. Also reading what others write is and good way of expanding your writing skills. 

Thank J.K!

This interview was taken on 11 November 2012

Book Review: Kensuke’s Kingdom

Kensuke’s Kingdom
By Michael Morpurgo

What a magical story. I read this first when I was a young boy, I had just started boarding and as you can imagine, used to get very homesick. My favourite time of day would be when I was able to just go to bed and read my book in the quiet confines of my dorm. This was one of my favourite books to read.
The way Michael Morpurgo makes the reader so attached to the main characters is brilliant. In my mind Kensuke’s island represents a whole new world separate to the reality of the real world. The things that Morpurgo does to make this place special and different but not impossible is ingenious. The good thing about Morpurgo’s writing in my opinion is that his style of writing is one that can be enjoyed by all. It is not just for one person. Everyone can get enjoyment out of his writing, and if you haven’t had the enjoyment of his literature, then I highly recommend trying this book, as I have read a vast amount of his work and this is definitely one of his best pieces of work. You will fins yourself getting lost within the magical world of Kensuke’s kingdom.
It is hard to write a review on this book as it is quite simple but amazing at the same time. It is complexity free, and to be honest, you just need to read it to understand quite how amazing something so simple can be.

Interview: Suzanne Van Rooyen

An author with a story to tell

Suzanne van Rooyen is a freelance writer and author. She is the author of the cyberpunk novel ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ (Divertir Publishing), YA science fiction novel ‘Obscura Burning’ (Etopia Press) and numerous short stories published by Niteblade, Space and Time, and Earthbound Fiction amongst others. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, she prefers writing strange tales and playing in the snow. She is repped by Jordy Albert of the Corvisiero Literary Agency. Why not follow her on Twitter? https://twitter.com/Suzanne_Writer

How long have you been writing for and what got you into it?

Pretty much all my life if you count a Philip Pullman fan fiction at the age of 11 and horrendously angsty teenage poetry as writing. I’ve only been writing professionally since 2010 so things have happened quite quickly for me.

Do you have a particular place or time that you prefer to write in?

I write at my desk. This is my happy place and I have everything I need for meeting my daily wordcount within easy reach. I write best after my first cup of morning coffee and immediately after lunch when my sugar levels are elevated. I don’t write at night – that’s my down town for watching (and analysing) my favourite TV shows, reading and hanging out in the real world.

What genre do you prefer to write in and why?

Science fiction and fantasy, because I love the freedom and creativity of these genres. I love taking the real world and pushing the limits of technology, of asking that ‘what if?’ question and getting a fantastical answer. I think I’m more comfortable writing novel length science fiction but enjoy writing fantasy short stories.

Is there a particular author who has influenced you in your work?

Definitely. Poppy Z Brite and Neil Gaiman. Brite with her dreamy, visceral descriptions that made me fall in love with her words and Gaiman for the sheer scope of imagination in his works. He really showed me that nothing is too far fetched as long as you can convince your readers that it’s real.

Do you plan on making a career out of your writing?

Oh yes. Writing is already my career. I write commercial, journalistic, travel and music articles for a variety of publications. I also do some freelance editing. I’d love to be a full time fiction author but I actually like being able to do a little bit of everything at the moment.

What advice would you give young and maybe inexperienced writers?

Keep writing. The more you write, the better you will get at it; the more you write, the more chance you have of finding your unique voice. Read as much as you can and learn all the rules of the craft because you need to know the rules before you can break them.

Thanks Suzanne!

This interview was taken on 02 November 2012

The Evaluation of Imagination

What is imagination? The dictionary definition is ‘the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.’ but is this really all that can be said? Why do we imagine? Is it a choice? If so, is that choice effected by who we are? All questions that for some, remain unanswered. But the real question that I am going to try and decipher an answer for you, is how do we use imagination?

Why do we imagine?

Scientists might say that our imagination is a result of our species evolving. After all it wasn’t just logic that created the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell must have conceived the idea first, imagining being able to communicate immediately to other people across the globe. But another way to look at it is because the human race is curious. We imagine because its fun and creative.

Do we have a choice?

Whether it be compulsory or voluntary, everyone has the ability to imagine. We may imagine at different rates, and some may decide not to take the imaginative path, but what is for sure is that we all have the potential to imagine, even if it’s not to the same extent as someone else.

Is our choice effected by who we are?

Who we are, and how we behave is definitely a contributing factor to our rate of imagination. For example, someone who is generally a very outdoorsy, arty and creative person, may be able to imagine more vividly and to a greater extent than someone who enjoys sitting indoors playing computer games, simply because the outdoors person has seen more of the world, and therefore has more ‘picture perfect’ imagination.

However, some may say that it is the complete other way round, and that the indoors person has a greater imagination because his mind hasn’t been tampered with by the real world, and therefore he does not base his creative ideas on real life.

In my point of view, there is no particular formula to help you determine what effects your imagination. No one is the same, and therefore, the choices we make effects us in different ways. It is all down to you to find out what enhances your imagination.

It is all a great matter of opinion, but one thing we can be sure of is that who we are and what we do, does effect the way our mind works, creating a more imaginative being. Of course who we are is a whole other argument. Some may say that who we grow up with, and how we are brought up determines who we are. While others will state that you are who you were born to be and nothing can change that. Once you have established your ground on that argument, then you are well on your way to discovering what effects you (singular) and your imagination.

How do we use imagination?

Imagination is used by everyone in different ways. Many of you won’t realise that you use imagination in your everyday routine. I have already given the example of Alexander Graham Bell’s inventing of the telephone. But also you use your imagination in things like, cooking, crosswords, and preparing for interviews. Basically in anything that involves intense thinking, and or having to picture something before its occurrence is using your imagination.

The most common form of imagination that we all share is the ability to dream. As you dream in your sleep, or even of your future, you are using your imagination. You are utilising your skill of painting a scenario in your head, and creating desirable dreams and nasty nightmares.

Obviously the way writers perceive imagination is through the art of creative writing. It speaks for itself really, you are creating something made up, something that isn’t real. Something that otherwise can’t be found or created by anyone else. This is the beauty of imagination. The way I see it, imagination is just another thing that makes us all unique. No one can imagine the same thing, it’s what makes you you!

Some Imaginative Tasks:

Picture Recognition

Get with a group of friends and look at these pictures one by one together. Write down what you think they represent or what you think they are on a piece of paper ensuring nobody sees what you write. Afterwards share your thoughts on the photos. Did you all get the same? Did some others show you things that you would never have thought of at first? Check out what I think they are at the bottom after you’ve done yours! Here are some examples.

Imagination: A picture expressing the deep and shallow end of a pool, my best friends favourite colour, a coloured in piece of paper.
Reality: A clear blue sky

Imagination: Cotton wool, An unfinished painting, an interesting wallpaper design.
Reality: A grey, cloudy sky.

Imagination: God’s zip wire, Zeus’ washing line, a flying car highway.
Reality: Electricity pylon on a foggy day.

Acronyms

An acronym is an abbreviation of a phrase. For example NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. However, one can easily play with this and turn them into a mind game  testing your imagination. This can be done by setting yourself the task of translating the abbreviations into weird and wonderful phrases is not only fun, but tests your imagination. NASA as I mentioned before could stand for, Nifty Animals Suddenly Attack. This is just as example. There are hundreds of acronym sites where you can find lists of acronyms, just look down them and see what you come up with. Here are a few I came up with.

ASAP

Meaning: As Soon As Possible

Imagination: Astronauts Salute Alien Personnel

GTG

Meaning: Got To Go

Imagination: Giant Tasty Gateau

RSPCA

Meaning: Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Imagination: Ripe Summer Plums Carried Abroad

Not only can these methods be used for fun, but also to keep your creative side a light.  It is a good idea to get into some sort of routine whereby you are doing some acronyms or picture perfect puzzles a day. Which ever one you prefer. It is a good idea and I promise, even though it might not be noticeable at first, in the long term, you will find writing with your imagination a lot easier.