What does the very first version of your work usually look like? Mine used to be 30k words longer than it should be. Now I have to go back in and add details and some backstory #writingq #WritingCommunity

What would be the best part about writing full-time? It would be nice to have more time to work on the laundry list of ideas I have #writingq #WritingCommunity

#writers, what do you love about your chosen genre the most? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Are bestselling books popular because they’re good or because they’re heavily marketed? Or is it about something else altogether? #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity

What book affected you the most as a kid? I don’t think I will ever forget the Velveteen Rabbit #ReadingCommunity #WritingCommunity

What trait defines your MC as the story progresses? For Blake, the need for revenge #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you prefer creating a world from scratch or using a pre-existing one in your stories? I love creating my own so I don’t have to hear “but that’s not what X city looks like anymore.” #writingq #WritingCommunity

Which writing resource could you not live without? The read aloud function has been life changing for me when editing, so definitely that one #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s the hardest thing to write well in your opinion? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you feel just as confident using past tense as you do present tense in your stories? Present tense is starting to grow on me #writingq #WritingCommunity

Which writer do you admire most for his/ her balanced description? I’m looking for some additional models/examples #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you have a favorite time of day to write? If I don’t write in the morning, I end up running out of time or energy or both #writingq #WritingCommunity

What do you think the hardest part of writing is? For me, it’s getting stories out there. In second place is having someone actually read them once they are out there #writingq #WritingCommunity

Describe your ideal editor. I would love for someone to embrace the vibe from my stories #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s one thing you’ve been focusing on that’s improved your writing? I started noticing how often I make generalizations. Being more precise about comparisons etc has helped so much #writingq #WritingCommunity

When did you first feel like a writer? Even though I started writing at 13, I didn’t feel like a writer until college #writingq #WritingCommunity

If you could never write in your chosen genre again, what would you write instead. I write horror stories, so I would probably turn to psychological thrillers next #writingq #WritingCommunity

How important is social media to your writing career or profile? I’ve never been much of a social media person, but I’ve heard agents want to see a strong presence so I have one. I do really love engaging with writers and learning from them here, beyond that #writingq #WritingCommunity

Where do your best writing ideas come from? Daydreaming #writingq #WritingCommunity

Ok I’m reading a thriller written in first using present tense and now I’m inspired to do the same with my current novel. What book has recently inspired you to try a new approach? #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s your favorite type of character to create? #writingq #WritingCommunity

How do you feel about the use of present tense in stories? It always feels awkward to me to use as a writer or to read as a reader. Short bursts of it are okay, though #writingq #WritingCommunity

Have you had any luck with writing contests? I have not. Even when they say they’re for emerging writers, that doesn’t seem to ring true #writingq #WritingCommunity

How do you celebrate the end of a writing project? Wine. Lots of wine 😂#writingq #WritingCommunity

To get traditionally published, do you think it’s only about following industry trends or do you think there’s more to it? I really hope there’s more to it #writingq #WritingCommunity

What does your MC fear the most? Ginger fears being alone after being abandoned as a child #writingq #WritingCommunity

What helps you figure out a story’s title when you have trouble coming up with one? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you think there are more pros than cons when self-publishing? I can’t get past the marketing and the worry that the story is flawed #writingq #WritingCommunity

Which part of the writing process has taken you the longest to improve? I really wasn’t taught to edit my own stuff well, so that’s been a challenge #writingq #WritingCommunity

How do you feel about your first draft when you’re finished with it? For me, it’s usually 🤮 #writingq #WritingCommunity

If you could instantly level up one writing skill, what would it be? Editing, always editing #writingq #WritingCommunity

What has been your most rewarding moment when working on your current WIP? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you ever compare your writing to others? I just finished Penpal and thought, my books aren’t as good as this one. I don’t do this every time I read an excellent book—just when it’s truly spectacular #writingq #WritingCommunity

What part of writing do you look the most forward to? Worldbuilding, always worldbuilding #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do you ever use unreliable narrators? What do they bring to your WIP that reliable ones don’t? #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s the most unsettling story you’ve ever read? I’m reading Penpal right now and it is beyond unsettling (but in a good I-can’t-wait-to-see-what-happens kind of way) #writingq #WritingCommunity

What part of your story did you struggle the most with? I had a little trouble with the passing of time in my current WIP #writingq #WritingCommunity

Do your characters take on traits or behaviors that are different than you initially planned? Their backstories evolve over time for me, so that changes the direction of the story sometimes. #writingq #WritingCommunity

Where do you do your best writing? Sitting on my bed. I do my best editing at work, for some reason #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s the smallest world building detail that you’re most proud of? #writingq #WritingCommunity

What do you cut the most when editing: words, paragraphs, scenes, or something else? For me, it’s always useless words, but rarely a paragraph or an entire scene. In fact, I usually have to add to scenes #writingq #WritingCommunity

What’s an ordinary object that you could build an entire story around? A necklace. In fact, that’s what I’m doing right now #writingq #WritingCommunity

Why do you think stories matter, especially now? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Which of your characters was the most fun to write and why? I loved creating Ray, a guy who is the complete opposite of who I am. That’s what made him fun to write #writingq #WritingCommunity

Where do your story ideas usually come from? Sometimes, I’m just watching something unrelated and it just pops into my head…what if…then I think it through #writingq #WritingCommunity

Is there a part of the writing process that hasn’t gotten easier for you? I still have issues with filler words, but I think it’s getting better…slowly #writingq #WritingCommunity

What makes a character believable to you? #writingq #WritingCommunity

Nice to see my name in print, especially given how much time this article took to get just right. What keeps you going when projects go on longer than expected? #writingq #WritingCommunity

What do you read when you get burned out on writing? What brings the motivation back? #writingq #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity

Do you describe what your characters look like in detail or do you leave the idea of them up to the reader? I always describe; however, I expect that readers still imagine what they want to #writingq #WritingCommunity