To start off, my writer's bio:
My name is Grace Yee. I’m a follower of Christ, a writer,
a dancer and many other things. I first began writing fantasy and fiction when
I was about fourteen or fifteen and absolutely fell in love with it. Ever since
then I have been studying and perfecting my craft, indulging in classics like
Sherlock Holmes, The Screwtape Letters,
Shakespeare, as well as modern fantasy.
What are you working on? I’m hopping around four stories
at the moment. Yeah. Four. Don’t ask me why, it just kind of happened. My first
priority is a series called Colony Zero,
which I contribute to along with six other authors. It’s a sci-fi in Christian
Short Stories but despite all of our differing styles, each writer has really
come together to make a truly fascinating story. Secondly is a story that is as
of yet untitled, but I have the plot mostly mapped out and have been working at
the story for quite some time. Thirdly is my take on Cinderella, but trust me,
it is not what you think. And finally there’s a story I’m usually quiet about
because it’s so important to me, but suffice to say that in a world ruled by
the fair but conniving Vivia, four strangers may find the power to resist her.
And perhaps even… usurp her.
How does your work differ from others in its genre? It’s
hard to place my writing into specific categories within a genre. While a lot
of books may fit under the “Action,” “Romance,” or “Dystopian” categories, my
stories would only vaguely touch a few categories. As far as differing from
everything else on the bookshelves, my series “The Woman in Scarlet” tries to
tell a story through a child’s eyes, but children are not the intended
audience. I am fascinated with how different a child’s mind works from, say, a
teenager’s. Children will come to different conclusions, face different fears
than a teen or adult would. In my other stories, it’s fun to write from
multiple points of view, especially the villain’s point of view. I am rather
enjoying writing with a male protagonist in some of my stories. It is quite the
experience.
Why do you write what you do? As odd as it sounds,
fantasy/fiction is the only thing I can connect with. In some ways it is
something I can relate to. I love the concept of creating something out of
imagination and then running with it. Writing about mystical, magical
characters is something I have always loved. But mostly, I write the things I
do because they are stories I would
want to read. When the movie The Hunger
Games first came out, my parents and I went to see it. I had read the books
already, so it was an interesting experience. Later at dinner, my dad asked
what I would have changed if I had written the book. My response was, “I
wouldn’t have written it.” This is not to say that The Hunger Games is not a very good book, but I could not have written The Hunger Games myself. I have an issue
with killing certain characters, and the books themselves are such a different
style than what I’m comfortable with, that I could never bring myself to write
it.
How does your writing process work? I have to be honest,
there is a lot of procrastination. Have you ever seen that t-shirt where it
says “Procrastinators Unite!” on the front and on the back it has a picture of
a guy sitting in a recliner in front of the TV with the caption “Tomorrow”?
That’s what it feels like. I will sometimes get these streams of inspiration
and think, “Aw, yeah, that would be so cool! I wanna write about that!” I will
usually be at school or work or something when it comes to mind. Then later as
I am mulling over my plots, characters, etc., I’ll think, “I really do want to
write about this.” Spare a glance at the clock. It will most likely read
somewhere past midnight. “Tomorrow,” I mutter. You’d be surprised how many
“tomorrows” there are yet to come. I can’t tell you what the secret is because
I am still trying to uncover it. Is it a combination of adrenaline, music, and
inspiration? Is it a deadline that forces the imagination into overtime?
Probably. But you know what? I find I am at my most inspired either when or
after I have read a book purely for enjoyment, with no grade or pending review
behind it. I just finished a new book recently and it still has me a little
jittery. I want to write. I just have to work up the motivation, put pen to
paper. Oh, that’s another thing. I like to write long-hand first, and then
transfer it to the computer. Yeah, I’m mad as a box of frogs, but that’s just
how I roll.
I hope you enjoyed that little interview. It's always fun to talk to other authors. :-)
As promised, here is the link to Patti Smith's blog: http://gridirongrannyfootballfanatic.blogspot.com/ And in case you're wondering, that URL reads "Gridiron Granny Football Fanatic". Y'all should ask her about it, and check out her other books, including Moments with God and the Grave Obsessions series.
Here are the people I asked to participate in the blog hop, although their interviews will not be up until next week:
Mark Venturini, author of Whispers from Forbidden Earth, Dark Passages, and Colony Zero : http://www.markventurinijourney.blogspot.com/
Karen Malena, author of Shadow of my Father's Secret and Reflections from my Mother's Kitchen: A Journey of Healing and Hope: http://karenmalena.com/
Unfortunately I could not find a third writer, but I would highly recommend looking up Dana Arcuri ( http://www.danaarcuri.com/ ), Angie Black ( http://coffeeshopreader.wordpress.com/ ), or the four lovely ladies of the blog The Call: Willow Silver, Darrion Marine, Ammelia Gabriella, and Billie Catherine ( http://www.willow-the-call.blogspot.com/ ).
-Grace
