Mondays are popular author interview days! I have three amazing authors with me today, and I’m really excited to introduce Kristi McManus to my blog! She’s a fellow fanfiction veteran who is working on breaking into the more “original” publishing world. She’s a lovely individual, and I’m really happy to have connected with her through this process.
Take it away, Kristi!
- What was your first experience with writing?
The first real experience of writing I can remember was when I was 10, and in the 5th grade. Our class was given the assignment of rewriting a fairy tale. No parameters or restrictions were given, and I was immediately thrilled at the chance to give a new twist to an old tale. I chose Little Red Riding hood, and while the story line remained the same, my rewrite offered the story from the perspective of the wolf. That he was a kind and misunderstood soul, who was unfortunately mistook for a predator.
My teacher was quite impressed with the story, so much so that the school had a printed copy made for the library, as well as featured readings of it during assemblies periodically through that year. I remember at the time thinking that i had found what I wanted to do, even at that young age.
- Did you enjoy writing in school?
I have always enjoyed writing in some form. I used to joke with my colleagues in university that I would rather write an essay or paper a million times over than take an exam or lab any day. Even while doing my studies in nursing, I was still writing. My sophomore year, I wrote a sci-fi drama entitled Control. Every night once my homework and assignments were completed, I would turn to writing as my outlet. I have had a deep rooted love for writing for as long as I can remember.
- Any advice for new writers?
Just write. There are no rules, no boundaries and no limits to what you can write or where your mind can take you. If you have an idea in your mind that just keeps nagging at you, start writing. Write a little one day, or alot the next, just do it. Even JK Rowling came up with the Harry Potter series while on the train, and used her time to put those ideas on paper. It is the easiest and hardest thing you will ever love!
- If your two main characters had a “ship name”, what would it be? (Example: Brangelina, Clintasha, Bellamort etc.)
Oh Lord lol. Ive had readers give me a few ship names for various books I have written. My first popular fan fiction was of Niall Horan (One Direction) and Dylan Page, and the ship name Nylan began to circulate.
The series that really started to get my noticed was the Through the Dark series, another AU fan fiction featuring Harry Styles and Aubrey Smith. Haubrey was born of my readers and their love of the characters. So much so, what was originally written as a single instalment quickly became a trilogy.
- Have you ever experienced any sort of “fandom” hype around your writing?
I have had some die hard readers, yes. Ones who vote, comment and promote my works better than I do myself. Their dedication and love of the little stories from my head are why I write as much as I do, and I love hearing how they react to the events. In terms of a ‘fandom’ I definitely havent reached that sort of hype, but I love and appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my work.
Here’s a spot to pimp one of your writer friends… GO! (Or to gush about a recent fave read)
There are so many excellent writers on Wattpad I am so thankful that I found the site. The variety of genres and talent is endless, and if I didn’t ever have to actually take part in life and adult on a regular basis, I would be holed up in my room reading endlessly. Just browse Wattpad for five minutes, and I promise you will find something you fall in love with.
Afterlife (trilogy)
Secrets.
It was a fairly simple topic that provided a broad spectrum of opportunity. It was a subject that could be taken in a million different ways, depending on how you wanted to direct it.
This was the challenge Lane faced. To find a subject that embodied this topic, something captivating and enticing, something that would draw the audience in. And then, be able to justify her choice.
By a random meeting, a simple click of a camera, Harry became that choice. His eyes were what drew her in, the knowledge that the eyes were the gateway to the soul, and the guardians of ones secrets. But he wasn’t going to concede to wishes easily, and certainly wasn’t going to let her in. He was hostile, mercurial, and completely captivating. Despite their time spent together, and their forming friendship, she always felt at arms length.
Then something changed; something she never expected. She fell for him. But now, they are both making plans to move on with life after college, and in their cases, to the opposite sides of the world. Is it too late for them to finally come together? And is Lane ready to face what Harry is really hiding?
*Afterlife will be a Wattpad Featured Story as of November 9, 2015*
I am a Registered Nurse by trade, but avid reader and enthusiastic book lover all my life. My preferences are broad, ranging from the young adult blockbusters such as Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins to The Headmasters Wager by my emergency room colleague Vincent Lam. My own writing experience lies in the online and social media realms, hosting various popular One Direction fan fictions and other stories through Wattpad and Archive of Our Own. I find the online world of fan fiction to be a new, exciting avenue of reading, and I have encountered captivating and enthralling stories that engage a new generation of readers. My writing is inspired by this new path in literature, finding a dedicated online following of my own.
Catch up with Kristi on twitter, Wattpad, and her personal website!
Liz Meldon - Romance Author 