I’m SO excited to share this interview with you today! Marisa Phillips is releasing her anthology Emotional Commotion and I got to ask her questions about her favorite of the short stories the anthology features, called “Forgiveness.” (*whispers* Which is my favorite story too… 😉 ) Without further ado, here’s the interview! Enjoy!
Forgiveness Story Interview
Hi Rissy!! I’m so excited to interview you today about Forgiveness, one of your short stories in Emotional Commotion! To begin with, what was the first image that popped into your mind for this story?
The man standing over the dragon was the first image I had for the story, and what Jaidie decided to draw for the story’s illustration. The image just popped into my head and I had to do something with it!
Where were you when you got that inspiration for it?
I honestly can’t remember…lol…I think I was in my bedroom, but who knows…haha…maybe I was at a homeschool group and someone was talking about dragons…yeah, that sounds right.
How long did the first draft take you to write? Did you write it in one sitting?
It took me all day…literally I was outside working on it, which is not like me. I did finish it all that day, but it was like multiple sittings in a single day…lol…
Where did you write the story?
Outside on the porch. We have a big porch and a quite comfy outdoor couch out there…It was cold and mom wasn’t too happy that I stayed out there all day…lol…but I got the story done!
Did you write in silence or listen to music?
I wrote in silence. I can’t have distractions…so, music is a no go. Plus, I use a voice to text app, so music and me trying to speak the story wouldn’t work very well…haha…
What was the most difficult thing about writing it, and what was the easiest?
The most difficult thing was the ending, because I wanted the theme of forgiveness to come through but I didn’t know how to do it. I had a hard time pinpointing how I wanted the story to end…without it being cheesy.
Easiest, I don’t know, I didn’t really have that hard of a time with any of it but the end…lol…the rest was pretty easy.
Why is the theme of Forgiveness important to you? Did you use any of your personal experience in writing the message of the story?
Forgiveness is sort of a personal story to me, because forgiveness is something that I’ve struggled with. For years I had a time forgiving my bio-parents (I live with my aunt and uncle whom I now call mom and dad.) I fought it for years, not wanting to forgive them for the choices they made. But God worked on me, especially through this story that He had me write. Teaching me that although forgiveness isn’t easy, it is definitely worth it in the long run.
Thank you SO much for coming on the blog, and congratulations on the release of Emotional Commotion!
Thank you ever so much for having me!!!! I had a lot of fun answering these questions!
Emotional Commotion Blurb
A whirlwind of emotions…creating a commotion in your soul.
Emotions are a part of everyday life. Something we feel and think…and live. Often they overpower us pouring out in a commotion of actions or words. This collection is comprised of five short stories based on, Love, Loyalty, Bravery, Joy, and Forgiveness to take you deep into the souls of the characters and let you experience their Emotional Commotion.
Find the Book!
About the Author
Marisa Philips is a teen author, saved by the grace of God! She was born and raised in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. She is the sixth child out of seven and has been homeschooled her whole life. She likes to write fast-paced stories that catch the attention of all and that will hopefully inspire them in a wonderful way.
She enjoys hiking, writing, reading a good fast-paced book, baking, daydreaming, teasing her sisters, and playing with her dog, Ruger.
Follow the Author!
Tour Schedule
Monday, Oct. 24th
Sisters Three – Blog Tour Launch Announcement
Kylie Beevers – Spotlight and Author Interview
Tuesday, Oct. 25th
The Introspective Introvert -Author Interview, Story Quote, and Spotlight
Writers’ Vision – Spotlight
Wednesday, Oct. 26th
Saraina Whitney – Interview and Story Quote
Issabelle Perry – Author Interview
Lorelei Angelino – Story Quote, Spotlight, Review
M. C. Kennedy – Spotlight
Vanessa Hall – Spotlight and Story Quote
Thursday, Oct. 27th
Kristina Hall – Review and Story Quote
Joy C. Woodbury – Review
The Rainy Day Writer – Review
Writers’ Vision – Interview
Friday, Oct 28th
Saraina Whitney – Review
Old Fashioned Book Love – Review and Spotlight
Vanessa Hall – Review
Sisters Three – End of Tour Post
And now for the quote from Emotional Commotion!!!
Wow, I don’t know about you, but I LOVED Rissy’s answers!!! What was your favorite part of the story interview? Has God ever used a story you write to help heal you and strengthen you in struggles you’re facing? (For me, all. the. time.) Are you excited to read the Emotional Commotion anthology? Do you write in silence or with music?
Saraina Whitney 
Ack! This was a fantastic interview and I absolutely loved it, guys!
Lol, I can’t write with music on, so I like the silence. We don’t have a cool porch, but writing outside is so much fun.
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Yay!!! So glad you enjoyed it, Lily!!! 😀 ❤
Haha! When I'm writing by hand, I never listen to music because I'm not on my laptop and don't have Spotify playing, and sometimes silence just helps me HEAR the characters' voices. 😉 So I get that! YES, writing outside is so fun, though we don't have a cool porch either lol!
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Oh cool, do you write a lot by hand?
Yes! Sometimes, those characters need to be heard *hugs them tight* 🙂
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I actually do write a lot by hand, then type it later! Usually because I’m somewhere without my laptop and I just have to scribble a certain scene hahaha! What about you?
YES! 😀
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Oh, cool idea! I usually only write story notes and snippets of conversation by hand. The rest is done on my computer 🙂
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Ah, yes! Gotcha! I have to say, it does get chaotic for me with all the random papers with random parts of the story written on them 😂
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Haha, I feel ya…*glances at papers fluttering around the room* XD
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Awww, thank you so much for doing the interview, Saraina!!!! It means so much!!! Just thank you soooo much!
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Aww you’re so welcome, Rissy!!! Thank YOU so much for your wonderful answers!!! ❤
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Ahh, that is such a beautiful story about the background of “Forgiveness!”
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Yes, it was so beautiful – and I think knowing about that makes the story even more powerful! 😀 Thank you for reading, Vanessa!!
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