21 Questions with Ashlyn

1. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? 

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At first, I wanted to be an actress. Then a writer. 

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2. What is your favorite part of being a writer?

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Making the voices in my head work for me. 

 

3. What does your family think of your writing?

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My family are my biggest supporters. They believe in me and sometimes give me the motivation to keep going. They've always told me to follow my dream. 

 

4. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

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Read, hang out with my dog, sometimes my friends drag me out of the house for lunch or something. 

 

5. Can you describe your writing space?

 

It's nothing special. A desk with the computer on top. 

 

6. When did you write your first book and how old were you?

 

6th grade. It was for an English assignment. 

 

7. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

 

When I was 13. 

 

8. What is your typical day like when you're writing?

 

I sometimes send the dog next door, put my headphones on, turn pandora and/or YouTube on, and zone out. All that exists is my characters and their world. 

 

9. How do you relax?

 

With a good book or mindless games. 

 

10. What is your favorite book and why?

 

Anything written by J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts or Danielle Steele. The skills they have with drawing a reader in from the first sentence, the character development, the descriptions, it just astounds me. I can only hope to accomplish their level someday. 

 

11. What do you think makes a good story?

 

Equal parts of character development, interiority, setting, and dialogue. 

 

12. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

 

Research is a thing in fiction. The very definition of fiction is it's not real. So it never occurred to me that authors do sometimes hours of research while writing a story. 

 

14. What might your next book be about?

 

I'm writing a 3 book series that follows a mother and her 16-year-old daughter. 

 

15. Do you ever get inspiration from your dreams?

 

No. I usually don't remember my dreams.

 

16. What is your favorite genre to write and why?

 

I only have experience writing YA, so can't comment. 

 

17. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

 

Danielle Steele and J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts. I can't choose between the two. Everything they've accomplished in their lives and the way they tell a story. 

 

18. How do you get inspired to write?

 

I don't. Writing to me is like breathing. It's something I have to do. 

 

19. Can you share an instance where real-life events inspired your writing?

 

The series I'm writing takes place in towns/cities I've lived in. The house described in book 2 is the house I lived in in junior high. 

 

20. How do you handle moments when inspiration seems hard to find?

 

I still write. It can always be edited later. You can't edit a blank page. 

 

21, Can you tell us about a book or author that has greatly inspired your own work?

 

I strive to be like Danielle Steele or Nora Roberts. But seeing as how we write in two totally different genres and they both have about 30+ years experience on me, I don't even come close. 

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