See corresponding interview on Miriam's blog here.
What genre do you write?
Mostly fantasy and adventure, but I’ve dabbled in a few others. My current WIP is cozy fantasy, and I’m also working on a steampunk short story anthology.
What’s your favorite book/genre? Why?
I actually read around a lot because I navigate the book world by writing style and overall vibe of a story. It’s hard to describe, but I tend to like more witty and thought-provoking stories with a whimsical air to them.
My favorite book right now is actually Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson. It’s a bit on the older side, but she ties a lot of different side plots together and mixes them with the dramatic irony in the main plot to make an interesting and hilarious book. I really admire the way she pulls all the strings together, and I hope to someday have skills like that!
Who is your favorite author / Who do you look up to?
G.K. Chesterton and D.E. Stevenson! Both of them have very whimsical aspects in their writing which is something I strive to produce in my own stories. Even though they wrote very different genres they both captivated me with their storytelling and styles. They both wrote complex plots with well-rounded characters, and I wish I could ask them how they did it.
When did you start writing / When did you start writing seriously?
Though I don’t remember exactly when, I know I started writing a little before middle school. I always wrote a lot, so my writing naturally grew quickly, but I don’t think I started writing seriously until this past January. I honestly hadn’t really thought about writing seriously until I stumbled across Crazy Writing Week and joined the Young Writers Workshop afterwards. I know the Young Writer’s Workshop mission is, “to give young writers permission to dream again,” but I honestly think joining was a more grounding experience. It reminded me that in order to get published someday, I need to put in the work, and it provided me with the tools I need to make progress.
Do you have a blog/email list/where people can contact you if they're interested?
Yes, I do! You can find it at The Well-Worded Orchard. You can subscribe to my email list to receive blog updates, fun memes, and inspiring quotes!
Where do you hope to go with your writing/platform?
The goal is to someday land an agent and start publishing traditionally. I still have a lot of stuff to figure out before that, but I’m certainly on that path. In the mean time, I’ve been looking into literary journals and hope to submit to a few of those.
What is your (life/writing) mission? / Why do you write?
In both writing and life, I want to spread and encourage good literature. There is a lack of wholesome and well-written fiction in our modern world, and I want to show people there is a better option.
Do you have any books published? What are they about?
Sadly I do not but I’m hoping to self-publish a short story anthology called Ladder to the Moon within the next few years.
What’s your favorite part of the writing journey?
Honestly, my favorite part is the writing! Getting to know characters and exploring new worlds is as fascinating as life gets. As a plus, creating something is always a fulfilling process.
What are your favorite resources?
Story Embers was one of the first writing resources I checked out, and I still consider them a great resource for Christian writers. They have a lot of good articles on there, and if there’s a specific subject you want to read about, you can usually find some results by using their search bar.
I also recently discovered Fight Write, a blog for writers with everything an author would want to know about weapons, fighting, and injuries. I haven’t had a chance to explore it, but after attending a talk by Carla Hoch, I will definitely be referring to it for all my action scene needs!
What is your greatest advice to teens/young writers?
Keep writing. I’ve seen so many of my writer friends give up because they’re “not good,” or it’s too hard. It is hard, and nobody starts out good at it, but you’ll never get better if you stop writing.
Even if you don’t relate to that, my advice is the same. You can read all the writing book and plan every tiny scene in your book, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t do the actual writing. You need to practice and expand your skills. Otherwise, it’s like trying to learn how to swim by just watching other people. You might be able to get a basic stroke down, but you need to build muscle to get to the more complex ones.
Plotter, Pantser or Plantser?
I’ve always been a hardcore pantser, but recently I’ve been leaning more toward plantser. Though I think it’s mostly because I’ve been forcing myself to actually finish projects instead of jumping around, so a lot of my projects are on the backburner, where they get a lot of attention plotting wise.
Favorite fruit?
Oranges, of course!