Interview with Clove

Greetings earthlings,

So as you know (I think), I'm a writer. And one of the closest friends I have is also a writer. Hence, we interchange stories and ideas frequently. Clove (Megan Koh) asked me a few questions recently, so I wanted to ask her some back. Here you go.

          1. When did you start writing?

I began writing for pleasure the winter of 2010, thanks to my seventh grade Grammar class.

2. Who is/are your favorite author(s)

I applaud John Flannagan for his original dialogue comedy, something that I'm personally horrible at. C.S. Lewis has particular charm for understanding human capabilities and flaws, and I love how I can relate to his novels. Whoever writes under the pen-name of Franklin W. Dixon for the new Hardy Boys series does a good job of exhibiting the pride and courage of Frank and Joe; he keeps his naturally-genius characters down to earth, another thing that I'm horrible at.

However, through every novel, thick and thin, Stewart Trenton Lee has remained my all-time favorite author for picking me up in his gripping plots, whisking me along with his character developments, and then gently setting me down, satisfied, with an ending that I (for one of the few times) didn't mind.

3. What are some of your favorite books/series?

Any books written by the above authors are good.

Also, modern-day classics - the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowlings.

And for the geeks that remain in this world - Confessions by Saint Augustus, The Histories by Herodotus (PG-13), The 12 Caesars by Suetonius (PG-13), Plutarch's Lives by Plutarch, the Odyssey by Homer, and the Aeneid by Virgil.

My all-time favorite book is The Holy Bible by God.

4. What is one thing you think is absolutely essential for a successful work?

What?! Just one thing?

.....hmmm.....if it comes down to JUST one, then I'd have to say character development. A plot can be super cheesy, but as long as the reader can empathize sincerely with the character, you're good as gold.

5. What gives you the most inspiration?

My friends. No questions about it. :)

6. What is your favorite genre of writing?

If it can be made into an action movie, it's my type of book. :)

7. Who is your favorite character in a book you have read?

Ohhhhh...wow.

Let's see. I certainly don't have a favorite; the ones that come to mind are Carlos Missirian from the Black series, Ripred and Gregor from the Underlander series, Halt and Will from the Ranger's Apprentice series, Kate from the Mysterious Benedict Society series, Paul from The Holy Bible, Scott O'Grady from Basher Five-Two, Penny, Jack, Scruggs, and Jean from the Derwood series, and Socrates, atheistic, logical, and a wonderful orator from...well...

8. Who is your favorite character in a book you have written/are writing?

Hah! Finally! An easy question. x) My favorite, favorite, favorite character is Skain Wolfe (hold the applause), 17 years and seventy-five inches of the most demented, dark, masculine, and uncooperative emotion ever; he's a great character but put in the wrong plot, so I plan to have him come back in a better book. Be prepared!

 

9. What kind of endings do you enjoy?

I don't enjoy endings. Period.

I like stories to go on and on and on, but I have to say I have a huge annoyance with super happy endings and an odd, sadist delight with dystopian endings.

10. What advice might you give to other writers?

Top 3 pieces of advice, as compact as I could get them:

1.) An outline destroys plot-holes, and deviation from the outline lets small surprises sneak in that you won't expect, and neither will your reader. Use them both.

2.) Stop when you're writing is going good. I stole this from Roald Dahl (another brilliant children's author). If you stop when you're writing is going good, you'll know exactly what will happen next when you sit down to write again and can muse further when you're not writing. If you stop when you're done saying what you wanted to say, picking back up is...dreadfully difficult.

3.) Live, yes, LIVE as your characters. Read their dialogue out-loud. Is it natural? Choreograph fight scenes. Is it realistic? And above all, feel for their emotions. If you do so, you can push aside the risk of putting too little emotion or too much because you will know the situation yourself and know what they would do. Oh, how many poor stories I have read that exaggerate and destroy good, written emotion because the author did not put himself/herself in his/her character's shoes.

Oh wait...

I forgot one.

4.) The comma is the dog. The quotation mark is a yard. KEEP THE DOG. IN THE YARD. :)

 

So there ya go! Thanks for her cooperation, and I fully recommend her blog at www.thewingsofmywords.blogspot.com . Unfortunately for us readers, she doesn't post full stories :(  or at least hasn't, yet. But read what she does post, because she's a darned awesome writer.

Signing off!