These interview questions were posed to me by a student named Riley, the friend of a friend from the community college I attended. They were in a hurry to complete an “interview a published author” assignment that was due the next day. As a self-published author, I was delighted by the opportunity.

R: Why did you start writing?

LQ: I have been writing ever since I was a little kid. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write. By seven I had attempted my first “novel,” and in sixth grade I self-published two books. My writing career literally grew up right along with me. The reason I write? It’s just a fundamental part of who I am. It’s what I was born to do, and I feel that on a very deep level.  It’s how I express myself, think my thoughts, and dream my dreams. My writing is everything to me.

R: Do you get writer’s block? If so, how do you navigate it?

LQ: I sometimes get writer’s block after I have started a project and reached the middle of the process with no end in sight. However, when I am busy generating ideas, I never get writer’s block because my mind is open and I allow myself to get messy, to make mistakes. Otherwise, I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I get to those difficult, boring parts in the middle of projects, I find it helpful to journal and brainstorm so that my creative powers are unleashed again.

R: Where do your ideas come from?

LQ: My ideas come from everywhere. They come from my favorite books, from my music playlist. They come from fleeting interests and from hobbies and obsessions I’ve had from time to time. Often I find myself drawing upon memories of my own unusual childhood for inspiration (I grew up homeschooled). The book I recently published, A Far Away House, was heavily, almost excessively, based on my childhood, although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it an autobiography.

R: What do you think every author should have in their story?

LQ: That’s kind of a difficult question to answer because every author, every story, is so very different. In general, I would say to any author—if you’re going to write, do it with all your heart. Do it for yourself. Do it to make yourself happy. Be gut-wrenchingly honest. Pour the depths of your heart into your writing. Don’t cheapen your craft by just writing what you think people want to hear. Write the truth but use your creativity, your inner power, your unique voice. I’m thinking of an Emily Dickinson quote that sums this up nicely: “Tell the truth / But tell it slant.”

R: What audience do you hope to reach? Why do you choose this audience?

LQ: I write for a young adult (YA) audience, because I am a young adult myself. I want to be on the same level as my audience, talking to them, not at them. However, because I plan to be an educator later on, I may shift to writing Children’s literature also.

R: How many times have you written and rewritten your published work?

LQ: It depends on what I’m writing! I published books at eleven, thirteen, sixteen, and nineteen years old, and each time, as I got more mature and experienced, my writing/rewriting process looked different. Speaking for my latest book, “A Far Away House”—I literally wrote the book twice before it “clicked” for me. I came up with a one-hundred-page rough draft and then ditched it. Actually, I didn’t quite ditch it–I used portions of it to form my second draft. In my second draft stage, I introduced new characters, themes, and plot points. So yeah, I rewrote a lot. 

R: What inspires you to start writing?

LQ: I always feel inspired to write. The only problem for me is time–I never seem to have enough time to write down all the stories I want to tell.

R: How important is criticism to you?

LQ: Criticism is hugely important to me. And yes, while it’s never fun to hear that people dislike aspects of my writing, I need that feedback as much as I need positive, encouraging feedback. I workshop my writing with my online friend, with my writer’s group, and with family members.

R: What did you learn while writing your published work that you will carry into your next writing endeavors? 

LQ: I learned the hard lesson that my published work will never be the Great American Novel.  It will not be widely read or change the world. But that doesn’t matter, because I told a story that was important to me. I shouted into the world. I let my voice be heard. Even if nobody responded, I could feel good in knowing that. Through writing my books I learned self-love and self-confidence. This is what I will carry into my next writing endeavors.