1. Where did you get your idea for Opposite Ends of the Spectrum?
Opposite Ends of the Spectrum was originally a very different story. I rewrote it, and that is when it got all the attention it has now. The inspiration for the original was just your typical love-hate story. It is by no means a very original, creative story line! My inspiration for Aaron to have a boy's name came simply from the fact that I did not originally realize Aaron wasn't actually a girl's name! As soon as I figured that all out, her character came sort of naturally. This spunky girl with a boy's name. As for Matt, I just wanted him to be this sort of intimidating, unapproachable, angry character that no one had been able to crack... until Aaron comes along of course.
2. Do you ever base characters on people you know in real life? If so, who?
I don't base characters on people I know in real life. Not that the people in my life are uninteresting! I just try to keep it all very fictional. Sure, some mannerisms of my characters I borrow from real life, but that's about the limit of it.
3. What do you do to get rid of writer's block?
Writer's block is tricky. I'm notorious for slow updates for this exact reason. I try to not force myself to write if I'm uninspired because the product of uninspired writing is always a very dry chapter. If I'm not happy with it, I don't expect my readers to be either! I guess my take on writer's block is to just take your time, as much as people won't want to hear it. Forced writing won't make anyone happy!
4. Who are your celebrity crushes?
I have a humongous crush on Seth Rogen. He also totally dumped on Chris Brown for beating up Rihanna which makes me love him more, he said "You say a few hateful things, they don't let you within a few hundred yards of the Oscars. You can literally beat the ** out of a nominee and they'll ask you to perform twice at the Grammys." Love him. Helps that he also has the cutest laugh on the planet. And now that I sound completely creepy, I'll move onto the next question...
5. If you could collab with anyone on FictionPress, who would it be and why?
Euphorialie, for sure. She is fantastic. Sadly, all her stuff is mostly taken down, but Die, Everyone's Doing It is to date one of the greatest pieces of writing I have ever encountered on this site. So original, so captivating, so completely well done. I would love to write something with her.
6. What are your favorite stories on FictionPress?
My favorites are all listed on my profile. Die, Everyone's Doing It. Close Encounters, Inc., Jilted, The Matchmaker (of course), So Much To Learn (total classic), and Rules of Engagement. All phenomenal. Some cheesier than others, but I happen to enjoy my fluff every now and again!
7. How did you get started on FictionPress?
A friend recommended I read a story on the site. It was called Seeing Through Tears. Frustratingly enough, that story has never been completed and likely never will be. After the tragedy of getting hooked on an incomplete story, I spent two years reading several stories a week before I actually made my own account and tried writing some myself. There are probably 20 or so stories I have finished and published on the site that I then promptly deleted. I cringe when even thinking about how terrible they were. The computer they were all saved on called it quits a few years ago, others I would post some hilariously awful excerpts.
8. Do you like to plan a story before you write it or do you just write it?
I plan the entire thing, chapter by chapter, before I write anything. I have complete, detailed plans for probably 10-15 stories, but writing the plan itself is far simpler than actually writing the story. Often I will plan for a story to be 20 chapters, and once written it is significantly longer than that.
9. When did you start writing?
I started writing 'seriously' when I made an account on the site, in 2007. I always enjoyed writing fiction for fun, but I never finished stories until joining the site.
10. Can we see an excerpt of an upcoming chapter?
Here is the opening to the third chapter of Blood Race:
My arms preoccupied with carrying Chloe's lifeless form, I kicked the door open towards the kitchen. Red, James and Tim had been sitting around the counter and looked up in alarm upon seeing the wilting girl in my arms.11. Are you a closet writer? If not, who knows about your writing?
"What the hell happened?" Red asked, staring at her pale face with dread, "She was talking just fine not fifteen minutes ago…"
"I came back into the room and she was unconscious," I said, looking down at the girl in my arms hopelessly.
I had very well been aware that the way we were taking advantage of this girl was unethical, but it dawned on me then that we were nothing more than kidnappers. If we had simply brought her home the moment we had realized she wasn't Natalie, she would have been able to receive proper medical attention by now. If she died… this was on us.
"It's okay," Red said, confidently now, "I know a doctor that owes me one."
"You only mention that now?" Tim sputtered loudly, "Where was that gem when we first brought her here!"
Red wasn't shaken. "Tim, you killed our lead, so can you shut your damn mouth," and then, shoving his hands into his pockets, he added, "I neglected to mention it because he isn't exactly the most legitimate doctor… I was saving him for worst-case scenario. He's an hour away."
"Well this qualifies as worst case scenario, and we don't have time to waste," James said, as he cocked his head in the direction of the front door. "I'll drive."
Closet writer. A few very close friends know I write, but only my best friend even knows my username on the site.
12. Have you been a victim of plagiarism? If so, how did you cope with it?
Yes, several times. The first time I was alerted by the FP Watchers who linked me to the site. Someone had taken Opposite Ends of the Spectrum and turned it into a fan fiction about Cristiano Ronaldo. I was very offended and publicly shamed the user in a chapter of the story, and eventually she wrote to me via private messaging apologizing. She said she wasn't english and just wanted people to like her writing. I mean, it's flattering someone would feel something I wrote is good enough to steal, but it's also so frustrating that someone else gets credit for something I wrote. The other times it has happened I have been less offended, it appears unavoidable on this site. One time, someone plagiarized Caller Unknown and literally did not change a word. Stole my summary, and then essentially copy pasted the story onto FF. Frustrating!
13. What shows do you watch? Which books do you love?
My favorite books are the Harry Potter series. I consider To Kill a Mockingbird my favorite novel of all time though. As for television, I watch a lot of cheesy shows with good looking people in them. Favorite shows are Grey's Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, Awkward, New Girl and so on... My friends make fun of me, but I have no shame. Sometimes a girl just wants to watch some brainless television!
14. How do you deal with rude reviewers?
Generally I try to ignore them. It's just an attention seeking thing they do to make themselves feel better. I'm not forcing anyone to like what I write. If they don't like it that's fine by me!
15. Do you still go to school? If yes, is it high school or university?
I'm in my second year of university. I go to McGill University in Montreal and I'm studying Microbiology & Immunology in the faculty of science. It's a fantastic school and I am passionate about what I study!
16. How old are you?
I am 20 years old.
17. Have you ever considered getting your work published?No, I haven't really considered publishing. Every now and then, I'll get a sketchy PM from someone claiming to want to buy the rights to Opposite Ends of the Spectrum, and I just ignore them. I write for fun, I have never really thought about getting it published and doubt it would ever happen.
18. How did you come up with your pen name?
It comes from a song by The Killers, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine. The line goes: "She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go"... It was just playing as I was signing up for the site and I figured, why not? I wanted a pen name that my friends in real life would never be able to figure out, and I think that did the job!
19. What are your pet peeves in stories?
Well, my pet peeves are all addressed in my one shot "Insert Catchy Title Here". It's a brief piece where I rant about things that bother me in stories on fiction press. Overall, I broke it down into the following: putting an author's note mid story, no chat speak, general lack of grammar, reusing the same adjective a hundred times, abusing question marks or exclamation points, dull story introductions etc.
20. How do you manage to make your characters different in every story?
I'd say the only reason my characters vary is primarily because of how far apart I've written my stories. At least a year usually passes between writing and completing a story and starting a new one. By then, a new and different character and personality happens pretty naturally.
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