With fully fleshed-out characters, Influent is a tale of two sisters and a brother trying to survive against impossible odds. The oldest sister has the psychic ability to manipulate people and she struggles with its ethical use even when she uses her talent to escape brutal confinement and dangerous people.
I was fortunate enough to obtain an interview with this up-and-coming author to discuss not only her first published work but also her philosophy of writing and advice for those just starting out in their writing career.
1. What was the inspiration for Influent?
Most of my stories begin with a “what if” question that then builds a world and characters around itself. What if someone needed to make their greatest enemy into an ally? What if orphaned children had to force an adult to be their guardian? The premise for Influent was born a few years ago while I was lying in bed daydreaming on the way toward sleep, and I added it to my list of story ideas and rediscovered it last year while looking for something new to work on.
2. Influent is not your typical adventure story as it centers on the compassion of the two main protagonists and the main antagonist. Could you comment on your decision to center more on the virtues of your characters than just the plot?
My favorite part about a story is developing and getting to know the characters, and I let them tell me the story through how they feel and think about their situation. In Influent, all of the action is dependent upon the decisions the main characters are forced to make, and all of those decisions have clear moral consequences, so developing their motivation and moral struggles was especially important. This particular story could have taken many dark and tragic turns if told by less admirable characters, and it was important to me to resolve the tension and the relationships in a positive way. It’s also a shorter story with a smaller scope of risk--with only the lives of a few people at stake, instead of a regional or national crisis--so the story naturally narrowed in focus on those few people, which gave them the space to open up about their struggles and desires. Most of my stories have large-scale conflicts of good vs. evil and are driven by more external forces beyond the characters’ control, so those would have a different balance between the plot and the characters’ internal struggles.
3. What is your next offering?
Several years ago I finished the first draft of a six-book epic fantasy series, 17 Crowns, which I’m now planning to edit and publish. It follows a company of kings who have been brought back from the dead, as was prophesied long ago, to rescue their country from a mysterious and pervasive darkness. I hope to have book 1 completed and available sometime this fall.
4. Tell us about your writing discipline, i.e. how many words a week? Daily or weekly writing goals? Do you outline your story or just write it with a general idea of the direction?
While working on a writing project and carrying a full-time job, I usually aim for a minimum of 1,000 words a day, with an extra push on the weekends. When inspiration strikes, I often write during every free moment and hours into the night until the momentum fades, then I take a break for a week or two to brainstorm and give attention to other areas of life. For this year, I’m trying to be more structured and set quarterly goals with small daily tasks, but I’m still working out the best system for my ever-changing schedule.
Writing for me is very intuitive, without a lot of planning at the beginning. When I have a new idea, I brainstorm until my brain switches from theorizing mode to writing mode, and that’s when I know I have enough figured out to begin. When the first section of the book is complete, I brainstorm again until I have a few scenes approximately figured out, but I don’t plan much in advance because the characters usually don’t end up doing what I expected them to, anyway. I write for the same reason people read: to find out what happens next.
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| Ariel Avelar |
5. What advice would you give to a beginning writer?
There are a lot of aspects of writing that are difficult and unavoidable, especially in the publishing process, so I’ve found it’s essential to remember to enjoy the part you love: telling the stories that inspire you and compel you to write. Find something that you can’t stop yourself from writing, rather than something you have to force yourself to work on. There are always dry spells, but the best writing and the greatest joy come when you are excited and energized and having fun in the process. There’s hardly anything more difficult than forcing creativity out of yourself when you’re tired and unengaged, so be kind to yourself and be willing to step back and take a break until you’re inspired again. If writing becomes entirely like a chore, with none of the joy, then it’s worth the time to reflect and get back to what made you write in the first place.
It’s also important, in my experience, to find at least one person in your life who is willing, at any time of day and as many times as needed, to listen to you talk about your story, whether you’re stuck or discouraged or excited. In most cases, writer’s block will break after a good brainstorming session with someone willing to care about your story even half as much as you do. Writing itself is usually a solitary endeavor, but even writers have to come out of their caves now and then, and if you have someone willing and excited to join you in the worlds you’ve created and to value them, treasure that person and don’t let them go.
Note: No money or services were exchanged for this interview. My desire is only to introduce my readers to a new author and her work.
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