50 Subscriber Special: Interviewing You, Part 2!

Here’s Part 2 of the subscriber interview!!! 😀 (Jump over here for Part 1!) The questions answered are: “What time of day (or night) are you most creative?” “What fictional book has given you the most hope, or most impacted your life?” “What’s a misconception you once had about writing?” and “What book do you recommend to people by default?”

And again, I italicized book titles, but not series titles because apparently that’s a differently story. No pun intended. Wow, I keep making these unintentional puns! Weird… 😀 Anyway, ENJOY!

What time of day (or night) are you most creative?

Madi: Early morning.

Grace A. Johnson: Well, I’m all the time coming up with ideas, but I usually write best between 8pm and 10pm! (Possibly 11pm if I’m on a serious roll. XD)

Sisters Three: After lunch and between 8:30 and 10:30 pm

Rylie Goodwin: I usually write/edit in the morning or at night. I guess whenever I’m free. XD And when I’m free I’m creative.

Kristina Hall: I do most of my plotting when I should be sleeping 🙂

Louise Taylor: Usually when I’m working. And I have no way to capture my ideas and save them for later, there’s no paper, pens, nothing to make notes with… XD It’s dangerous to try to remember everything.

Lily Y: Either around or before noon or sometime in the middle of the night. 😂

Allyson: Morning? It always changes for me. 😂

Annabelle Batie: Probably in the evening time, when my siblings are all in bed. 🙂

Joy Caroline: My creativity turns on as soon as the sun goes down! Lol. I’m very much a night owl, so I do most of my writing at night and find that I come up with my best ideas then.

Emma: Midafternoon. It’s when I have time to write after school, and the sunlight is shining through my window.

Joelle: The morning, about 8:00. Sometimes I get burst of inspiration throughout the day. 😉

Elisha: Whenever I shower, usually rather late at night

E. G. Bella: In the morning, but not early morning. Typically between 8-noon are my most productive and creative hours (which is difficult when I’m almost always at work during that time!).

Mary Ann: Umm… 3:00. Probably

Amelia Cabot: Probably day. I typically do my writing in the afternoon, because in the day I’m doing schoolwork or something else and at night I’m tired…LOL!!

Sarah Lawton: Night for sure, normally 8-10 PM. After that (when I’m in bed) I do still get some pretty good ideas.

Tauriel Wingfeather: Day: around 5 to 7 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. Night: 8:00.

What fictional book has given you the most hope, or most impacted your life?

Madi: One of the books that has really impacted me is Resistance by Jaye L. Knight. It is so applicable to what’s going on today and is an excellent reminder to never hesitate in defending your faith and freedom.

Grace A. Johnson: We will be here all day. Again. But probably Isle of Hope by Julie Lessman. This novel was the first to introduce me to her writing, and it has really given me hope for my own books and impacted the way I write! All of Julie Lessman’s novels have really strengthened my convictions and inspired me to write boldly and authentically! 😀

Sisters Three: Gonna go with some series here…

The Green Ember Series

And The Wingfeather Saga

Rylie Goodwin: Hmm, i got to think about this a ton. Nadine Brandes historical retellings have impacted my life and made me think about history more (so do Jennifer A. Nielsen’s historical fiction books). Coral by Sara Ella is also really deep and has a great message. lol

Louise Taylor: The Green Ember series, probably. It’s a wonderful story, and deserves more attention in my opinion. XD “A new story with an old soul.” Picturesque and truthful to the end.

Lily Y: The Silmarillion. It’s epic, it’s tragic, and it shall always and forever be my favoritestestestest!

Allyson: It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. 😂 I don’t think I have any specific one, a lot of books have impacted me in my life.

Annabelle Batie: Either the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, or The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. The Wingfeather Saga stirred up so many emotions and so much hope at the end… it was just amazing. The Hiding Place was such a great autobiography; it really made me realize how much I have in life compared to other people out there who suffer daily for their faith in Jesus.

Joy Caroline: That’s very difficult to say, because there are so many incredible books out there that have impacted me so much. But I’d have to say Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is definitely one of the top most inspirational books I have ever read. The themes of unconditional love and redemption really stuck with me long after I’d finished the book, and I still think of the story often.

Emma: The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. That book has brought the goodness and mercy of God in sharp relief, especially as contrasted with my own selfishness. I cry at LEAST once every time I read it.

Joelle: LOTR give me hope every single time I read it, but “The Wingfeather Saga” helped me see my family and enemies in a new light, which changed the way I treated them.

Elisha: I don’t know about MOST, but Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness duology has stuck with me for a very long time, vividly illustrating the power of prayer in our world, and how it’s our main weapon in spiritual warfare. Those books have helped me realize that I have nothing to be afraid of, because all I have to do is call upon Jesus and He WILL answer, and He is so much stronger than the most formidable of foes.

E. G. Bella: I’d have to say Hind’s Feet in High Places by Hannah Hurnard. It’s an allegory, so while it’s fiction, it heavily draws on biblical themes and teachings, and I love it. It’s inspired, comforted, and encouraged me so many times when I’m struggling in my faith walk.

Lily K: Probably The Bronze Bow had the most impact on my writerly life. I was blown away by Speare’s ability to weave such depth into both her characters and themes. And I knew that I wanted to create relatable characters like her and tug at the reader’s heart strings.

Mary Ann: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

Amelia Cabot: Ayyy, well, a lot of the Christian fiction I’ve read has been a let-down because of all the “romance” in it…LOL!! But I think so far I’ve liked Pilgrim’s Progress. PP is an allegory and I’m far from finishing the book, but it is such an inspiring allegory because I as a Christian can relate to poor Christian and can understand what’s happening in the book.

Sarah Lawton: Girrrrrlll there are so many! But I would always go back to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe or The Heart of Splendid Lake. 

Tauriel Wingfeather: Either The Wingfeather Saga, The Green Ember (sorry that those two were series!!) or The Horse & His Boy, or The Nativity Thief. They all impacted me deeply!

Me: YES for The Green Ember and The Wingfeather Saga and Julie Lessman’s books and LOTR and The Bronze Bow and… I’ll stop. XD

What’s a misconception you once had about writing?

Madi: When I first began writing, my primary misconception was that I’d automatically be good at it. Flawless plot, well-written characters, and a strong writing voice. I was woefully incorrect.

Grace A. Johnson: You don’t need to indent your paragraphs.

Seriously.

That, and it’s easy…and quick…and everyone’s gonna love it.

But it’s not and they won’t. Sorry.

Sisters Three: That it was easy…lol…we mean it was when we first started because our writing was horrible but to write something really good that people want to read is hard!

Rylie Goodwin: Umm, that it has to be long. like a ton of words. and that it has to be awesome. But I’ve learned now that i can write really short stories that don’t have to be awesome cause editing kinda helps with that. XD

Louise Taylor: It was easy. XD

Lily Y: That I had to write a story all in order from beginning to end. It was basically a fatal mistake.

Allyson: You have to be perfect. But no one is perfect and your writing never will be either. There comes a point where you have to stop fixing and start doing.

Annabelle Batie: That the main characters should never act, the villain always had to act first. I heard that piece of advice from a writing class I took, and later found out that it was completely wrong. I wrote my whole WIP that way, with the MC hardly ever acting, and now I have to change that because I realized that when your characters act, it will make them so much more likable, fun, and realistic.

Emma: It wasn’t worth anything. It didn’t pay. It was a dream that I should be smart enough not to fall for. Also, if it was meant to happen, it would just happen, and it didn’t require any work.

Joelle: It would always be fun. XD

Elisha: That it’s easy, and that I’ll be able to publish my first draft (I was a terribly optimistic child, okay? XD)

E. G. Bella: That it had to be perfect before anyone should read it. Obviously writers should do their best to make their works high-quality (ex. re-writes, editing, other opinions), but in the end, nothing will be perfect. And a story or an article doesn’t have to be perfect to impact others for the better. An imperfect story shared can make much more of a difference than a perfect story never shared.

Lily K: Ah, good question! I’d say that once upon a time, I thought that in order to be a stand-out author I needed to start publishing books in my teens. I mean, pretty cool if you were doing so at a young age, right? But God had a different plan for my life; He needed to teach me and grow me in a few areas first before I set out on the publishing road (I’d be somewhere in my early twenties when I did so. Yikes! So old! *winks*) Even still, I sometimes wondered if it’d have been better to start sooner. Then I realized that God has me right where He wants me.

Is it better not to publish in your teens? Absolutely not. I believe if God opens a door for you at that age, go for it. And if He wants us to wait just a bit, then that’s okay too. Because He knows us best and He will get us where we need to be at just the right time. We just keep trusting in Him and seeking His wisdom and guidance.

Mary Ann: That it was limited in some way. Writing is such a broad term, it can be ANYTHING you chose to put on paper or type.

Amelia Cabot: My old way of writing with all the lengthy descriptions and other cringy…cringe…was fine…LOL!!

Sarah Lawton: I can think of two right away that go together relatively well. (1. I was too young to write. No. Just no. Even if my stories aren’t good, any writing practice is amazing! (2. No one wants to read books written by Christian teens. This is totally not true. Some of the most amazing books and stories I’ve ever read are by teens.

Tauriel Wingfeather: That is hard to answer!! Maybe that every story had to be in second or third person?

Me: The consensus is pretty much unanimous: writing is hard.

What book do you recommend to people by default?

Madi: “The Ilyon Chronicles” by Jaye L. Knight and, hopefully soon, DECEIVED by myself.

Grace A. Johnson: The Bible, naturally, but also ANYTHING by Julie Lessman! Her novels are so full of hope and love, and she’s so full of the Holy Spirit and such an advocate for purity and passion!

Sisters Three: The Green Ember Series

Wingfeather Saga

And Wars of the Realm…just depends on what they say they like to read…lol…

Rylie Goodwin: THE FALSE PRINCE. and so many more but i start with that one and if they’re interested, i recommend about fifty more. XDD

Louise Taylor: The False Prince and the following series, it’s the BEST. I listened to it (have actually never read read the books, can you believe it? XD) just a few months before I got serious about writing and I loved it so much. Like SO MUCH. Words cannot express. It’s EPIC.

Lily Y: The Lord of the Rings! Like, come on, it’s a must read! And if someone has already read LotR, then I excitedly introduce The Silm to them! 🎉

Allyson: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Annabelle Batie: THE WINGFEATHER SAGA!!!

Joy Caroline: I’ll tell you guys about a book that most recently went on my “recommend by default” list. That is The Vault Between Spaces by Chawna Schroeder. It was absolutely beautiful and tore my heart into pieces – so go read it right now. 🙂 Seriously, I really don’t think I will ever recover from that ending . . . but yes, this book is amazing with its faith allegories and the way God is portrayed.

Emma: The Wingfeather Saga! Since I’ve already talked about that, I’ll go to my #2 pick—Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. Dawn of Wonder is an amazing story of love, loss, pain, perseverance, and one young man’s coming of age against all odds. I LOVE it. The characters are SO rich, the world is so compelling, and the actions and their consequences are just so realistic! It deals with some heavy themes, so read at your own discretion—but it is well worth it.

Joelle: LORD OF THE RINGS! AND THE WINGFEATHER SAGA! AND DO HARD THINGS! AND THE ASCENDANCE SERIES! AND A LOT MORE!!

Elisha: This depends on the age of the person and their literary tastes, because I practically have a favorite book in every genre. XD But I suppose my overall go-to would be The Ascendance Series for younger audiences, and the Red Rising series for older ones.

E. G. Bella: Blank Mastermind by Rosey Mucklestone. So far I’ve gotten my sister and her friend both hooked on it as well. It’s funny, clean, unique – with a superhero, dystopian genre, and uses one of my favorite plot tropes of an amnesiac protagonist. I know it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s one of my favorites!

Mary Ann: Books? Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Amelia Cabot: If I had read some of the fellow indie writers’ novels, I’d probably recommend those…LOL!! But I’d probably have to say Silas Marner by George Eliot and Pilgrim’s Progress. 

Sarah Lawton: The Green Ember.

Tauriel Wingfeather: The Wingfeather Saga.

Me: I’m SO thrilled at how many of you all love The Green Ember and The Wingfeather Saga!!! XD And The False Prince – such a good book. 😀

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The end! *bows dramatically* Thank you so much, everyone who participated – and I want to thank all my wonderful subscribers, when you answered the questions or not!! 😀 I hope you had tons of fun reading this! Soon, I’ll be answering these questions myself 😉

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SIDE NOTE: Lillian-Keith at The Introspective Introvert made a short story of everyone’s last written lines from their WIPs (that was in part 1 of the interview), and it was so cool that I had to share it here.

The Compilation of Last Written Lines

My life was no longer a mystery. Now, I finally knew my Identity.
But it was a side that very much intrigued and enthralled me.
I would be alone, but that was okay. Wasn’t it?
The thoughts stayed in the back of my mind as I continued reading the last chapter of my book.
The next part of the story goes back even farther, to my great-great-grandfather, Balkie Sinclair, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
Part of him longed for a home, for the family who’d turned their backs on him, the family he’d been stripped from, but it wasn’t possible.
I wonder what would happen if I could bribe Sadie into going in there tonight.
Drake made some quip about dying, but she couldn’t hear him.
“Save us all.”
He smirks and presses the point of his blade against my throat, pinning me into the corner.
“You’re not the only one who people think are cursed.
“You seen a kid come by here? A girl, a bit shorter than me?” He indicated her height with his hand, underestimating her a few inches, I noticed.
“Definitely, Dani. Knocking over Wren, George (the dog) leapt after the cat, while muddying the carpet with his paws. She sprang.”

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Wasn’t that AMAZING (and… ahem, kinda scary 😜)? I can’t believe she made them all flow so well together!!! 😀 Go comment how much you loved it!