interview: jessica

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Jessica, @mibba
Nov. 10/10, interviewed by Taylor

Taylor: If you had to compare your writing to anything known to mankind -- ie. words, colours, actions, objects, people, etc -- what would it be?
Jessica: As silly and simple as it may sound, I would most likely compare my writing style to the season of spring. I definitely aim for that crisp and bold edge to my work that is almost refreshing, as if you went to bed one cold winter night and woke up the next day to the warmth of Spring, and were able to see everything so clearly, through new eyes. I don't like to write choppily or in fragments, but rather in long, rhythmic sentences. Even when writing about dense, demanding topics, I like to keep a smoothness to my writing that, from my point of view, resembles something similar to the purity of spring.

However, even though it is a lot of times seen as an awakening from the long, dead winter, spring itself can also be quite long and droning. There is heavy rain and tons of mud and it seems like it is taking forever to get to summer, the season that everyone waits for! I'm not saying that my writing is long and dragged-out, but rather the conflict I put in my stories are. I tend to reveal the conflict early on in a story, within the first few chapters at least, and keep it going until the very end. I focus on a main conflict, throw in a few plot twists and surprises, and try to keep the reader guessing the whole way through. I also do not always have a happy ending to my stories! I like the poetic, tragic edge, and so you never know if it will be a very long spring, or if summer may never come at all!

T: Would you say that flow is an important aspect of your writing? Is it what makes it dazzle?
J: I would definitely say that fluidity is one of the most important aspects of writing in general, not just mine. Writing is quite literally an art form, and it takes time and thought to make it "dazzle." I try to think of every sentence as a brush stroke in a painting. If it's messy and broken, it just doesn't look right, and it can throw off the whole work. But if it's one fluid, well thought-out motion, it resonates and serves the purpose of bringing the whole painting together into one solid masterpiece. In order to create a work that I am happy with, each sentence has to be carefully planned out and puzzled together to become a pleasing stream of words that rolls of the tongue. My biggest pet peeve is reading a story, and having to read a sentence or two over again because they are messy and choppy!

T: I understand completely what a lack of flow can do to a piece or writing! What other kinds of pet peeves do you have? (Writing or non-writing related.)
J: Well my biggest pet peeve ever would have to be the sound of food being chewed! It sounds wierd, but my little brother especially has always been the most obnoxious eater, and I feel like every single time I sit down to watch T.V. or something, he sits down right next to me and starts chomping on ice or slurping soup. It's just so frustrating, haha. I just hate being interrupted by ridiculous eating noises.

My biggest writing pet peeve, though, besides obnoxious sentence fragmenting, would have to be either when people do not take ten extra minutes out of their day to revise their work (ugh), or when people overuse cliches. Or use them at all, rather. If you're a writer, you are trying to be acknowledged as creative and original, you want to stand out from the thousands of other writers out there. Can't you at least try to put something in your own words? I understand that cliches express a point in a way that is understandable, but they just make a writer look unoriginal and somewhat lazy.

T: Are you picky with what you read? Do you choose only specific genres? If so, what makes a good read in your eyes (internet or books)?
J: I am not too picky with what I read, it just has to be well-written and have an original, interesting plot. One thing I can't deal with in a story is when the outcome is completely predictable. I mean, what is the point in even reading the story if you already know what is going to happen? It could have a really cool idea going, but it is all shot to Hell if it isn't suspenseful. I also can't read stories that look that they have been written by a two year-old. There are quite a few online authors, as well as plenty of published ones believe it or not, who cannot string together one intriguing, let alone coherent, sentence to save their lives. It sucks because a good amount of the time, they have a semi-decent story line happening, but they can't write. So even if a story is interesting, I just can't read it if it's poorly written. I am, however, a little bit picky with what I view as "good" writing.

I don't really stick to one or two specific genres while reading, but I definitely have a preference; I absoluetly adore re-telling of fairy tales, or stories that have that fantastic, magical edge to them. Two of my favorite stories are Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, a Celtic retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans," and The Matchmaker's Promise by Delia, a retelling of "Beauty and The Beast". But, like I said, I don't only read fairy tales. I will read absolutely anything that is interesting to me. This includes science fiction, teen romance, even histiory books. I just love to read, and I love to learn. A good book in my eyes, as I previously stated, is simply something that is interesting and well-written.

T: Are there any stories you can recommend, Internet or online?
J: Oh my goodness, there are a ton! Of course I would very strongly recommend those last two stories I mentioned, but another favorite of mine is The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay. My older sister is also an avid reader and expressed to me how much she loved this one, and because we have very similar interests when it comes to books, I gave it a try. I adored it. I also recommend every single story that Juliet Marillier has ever written, but the series I mentioned in the last question, Daughter of the Forest, is definitely my favorite.

One last book I'd like to mention, and I hope it will not cloud anyone's judgement of myself, but I did really, truly love The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Don't get me wrong, I despise the whole Twilight phenomenon, and I believe that Meyer did not deserve all of that fame for an awkwardly-written story about necrophilia. The Host, however, I fell in love with. I admit, it was not the most beautifully written book I've ever read, but the story line was just so incredibly engaging. I suggest that everyone forget the whole mishap that was Twilight, pick up Meyer's other book, and dive in. Don't even read the back cover of the book, because even that could throw somebody off from reading it. Just give it a try.

I follow many online stories-- generally on Mibba, but also a few of FictionPress. I unfortunately have not been able to find too many decent stories online lately, so if anyone has any suggestions for myself, they would be much appreciated! Here are a few that I have found and enjoyed, however:
Every single story by towers.
Stories From the Back of His Motorcycle by xlaura17x
Four Petals by alexandra.
The Legend of No One by break.my.bones
Sentinels by Maisweetlove

T: What inspires you to write?
J: Everything. You, me, my best friend, my worst enemy, other books, music, God, trees, my gym teacher, my lamp-- you name it. Every single person and object on this planet has a story to be told, and I want to learn them all. I want to tell them all. I actually think this may be part of the reason I love history so much.

Think about it; that money in your wallet has touched so many hands and bought so many things before it reached you. Don't you want to know where it's been, what it's seen? What about that homeless man that lives in your mall? He had to have had a family, or a home, at some point in his life. I look at everything and see a story waiting to make someone laugh or cry or sing in elation. When I lay down to go to bed each night, I make up stories in my head. When I'm taking a long car ride, my mind is bubbling with ideas. If only I could write down every story I've ever thought of.

T: Have you always wanted to write, or was it a talent you simply stumbled upon? Where is your beginning, especially as ‘silvertongue’?
J: No, I have not always wanted to be a writer. Since I was young, all I've wanted to be was an anthropologist. I was always so interested in Egyptology and Celtic folktales. But besides my love for history and cultures, I also loved to read. It was, and continues to be, my biggest passion. I began reading before I was even in Pre-K, and haven't stopped since.

When I was around 12 or 13, I somehow found my way to Quizilla.com, where I would read and read for hours a day. I loved the fact that I could read stories by my peers about things that I, as a teenager, was most interested in. One day I had one of those elaborate daydreams, and decided that it was worth a shot to write it down. English was my favorite subject, after all, and I figured that I knew enough about the way stories should be from reading so many of them. I don't think I was particularly talented when I began writing, but I found it to be something that I truly enjoyed, so I continued. Even when I had only one friend on Quizilla and not one person read my work, I continued. I wrote and wrote and wrote until I developed my own style and a good sense of direction. I never had that raw talent, and I definitely didn't stumble upon anything. It just took a hell of a lot of practice.

Silvertongue began when I first read Inkheart. Silvertongue was the name of a character who could bring stories to life when he read them aloud. A person with a silver tongue is literally defined as a person who is able to clearly and effectively express themselves, or who has a clever way with words. That really resonated with me, and so when I found Mibba, I decided to keep it as my alias. It was clever enough for a writer, I supposed.

T: Do you still want to be an Anthropologist? Or has writing taken ahold of aspects of your future?
J: Here's the thing, I never wanted to pursue writing as a career, not even now. I truly believe that if I went to school for writing and was forced to write about things I didn't care about 24/7, it would ruin my passion. I had a friend who went to college for music, and with all the people telling her how music should be, it destroyed her love for it. She ended up switching schools as well as majors. Writing is solely a hobby for me. I write about whatever I like and only when I have the time. If one day I end up publishing a book in my spare time, hey that's cool, good for me, but it's definitely not something I'm aiming for. I probably could never be a journalist or anything like that; only an independent author if I had the time.

I do still want to be an anthropologist, actually, which surprises me. Usually, one changes their mind a hundred different times before one actually decides, but it has always sort of been the same for me. Not to say that I have never considered any other options, because I have had several different interest over the years, not just one, but that appreciation for cultures and discovering the way of the world was always there. Even now, I am considering the idea of pursuing audio engineering or mass media communications because I would love to work in radio, but anthropology is still a contender.

T: Pertaining to your stories, how did you come across ideas like ‘Skinwalkers’? As mentioned on your formspring, I noticed that the story had changed significantly from the first version. Why did you change it? What did you change?
J: To be honest, very rarely do story ideas come to me like you hear authors talking about-- when they're just sitting on a train or in a coffee shop, and suddenly the entire story comes to them in flashes and they're forced to write everything down on a Starbucks napkin. That maybe has happened once. I have to really, truly love a story in order to continue it, and that usually involves a long process of planning on my part. Everything has to be perfect, and so my original story idea does not stay the same for long. Cutting and pasting, editing, flip-flopping. What I do is I get one or two ideas and, over a period of time, develop and nurture those ideas to be a potential story.

Something I do sometimes is re-write other stories I have heard. I watch a movie or read a fairy tale and imagine it a whole different way in my head, and can't help but do my own version. I of course only re-write well-known works; I don't re-write any stories from Mibba or anything like that. I generally try to stick to original stories, however. Re-tellings are nice, but they can never be completely and one hundred percent original. 'Skinwalkers' specifically came form an 80's movie I saw once called Ladyhawke. My plot line is loosely based around the same general idea of the movie (two lovers are cursed to live as separate forms by day and night), but it changes more than you would imagine from the screen to my keyboard.

'Skinwalkers' did indeed change when I re-uploaded it, and I still am not completely sure that it is going to stay the way it is now. Like I said, it takes a long time and a lot of work for me to be happy with one of my stories. Even 'Pearl and Silk,' which has been up forever, I am thinking about taking down and completely re-writing as a totally different story with the same general premise. As a writer, I feel like I can always do better. There is always something to be fixed. That may be my fatal flaw, but if I eventually get a final product that is perfect in my eyes, then the effort was worth it.

T: The toughest critic is always yourself, as they say. On the topic of criticism, what is your take on it?
J: I love constructive criticism. Love it. I understand that it is very easy to take it to heart, but I see criticism simply as a way for me to improve. I appreciate specific feedback, such as 'I was confused by this whole scene,' or 'this sentence sounds a little awkward,' as well as criticism about my work in general. If no one else told me how I was doing, then how would I truly know? Yes, I read and re-read all my work, but obviously I can only see so much and my opinion could be a bit biased. The only way for me to get better is for people to point out to me my strong and weak points.

I think the worst is hearing criticism from people you know because, of course, those are the people who you want to impress and say, "Look, look! Look at what I wrote!" My relatives, though, are most likely the best critics I know. They are one hundred percent honest. I have actually read things to my sisters before that they told me pretty much sucked. Sure, I love the feedback that boosts your self-esteem where people are like "OMG I LUV UR WORK HADSHKHGLSDKNSDFSDF," but in reality, that's only one person. I of course want to be the best writer I can be and appeal to as many people as possible, and so I equally love those people who give criticism. If my sisters hadn't told me that specific work sucked, then I never would have known and I would have presented it to the world, sucky and all! So, yes, I love constructive criticism. I encourage it, actually, as long as it's not mega harsh haha! I actually do have feelings!

T: What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you – pertaining to writing or life in general?
J: The best advice about life in general was not specifically given to me, but came in the form of a quote by E.E. Cummings. "To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing it's best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting. " This quote really stuck with me, so much that I actually used it as my senior quote in my school's yearbook. I am a person who firmly believes in the power of individuality and non-conformity. I don't purposely try to be wildly different or anything, but I celebrate the underdog and the idea of diversity. It may sound cheesy, but it's honest. Whenever I hit one of those moments, the moments that no one can deny they have had, and I look at someone and think 'I wish I looked like her' or 'maybe I should get trashed at the party since everyone will be,' I try to remember this quote. I'm bound to be different than everyone else in some way or another. So what if I'd rather sit at home and read then go out dancing at a party? So what if I'd rather go to a small Ben Folds show than a Blink 182 concert? I'm constantly battling with myself on who I am and who I want to be, but I know for sure that I'm proud I'm not like everyone else.

The best writing advice anyone has ever given me came form my Aunt Mo on my sixteenth birthday. She knows how much I enjoy writing, and supports me in it, and so she bought me a journal and wrote, "Just keep writing down the bones," on the inside cover. I suppose she meant that, no matter if the words are spilling out of my pen or if they're jammed and wont flow, that I should just keep writing. I should keep writing the basics, the bones, of what I am feeling or seeing or experiencing, and the rest will come. I would give this advice to any writer, of any age or gender. If you simply continute to write about anything and everything, then eventually the words will start flowing! In the words of Dory, "just keep swimming!"

T: What, do you think, does it take to be a good author? For all those aspiring young writers, what would you tell them to work on to get better?
J: In all honesty, there are a million different opinions on what it takes to be a good author, and mine is only one of them. What I look for in an author could very vell be the exact opposite of what somebody else is looking for. For example, I may like it when an author uses contractions in their writing (such as "it's" or "don't"), but someone else could prefer it when the words are individually written out. Every person has their own idea of what a good author is. I personally don't have a lot of requirements, except for a) it cannot be written ~~*LyKE dIS*~~ and b) it must have in interesting story line. I like all sorts of stories written in all sorts of styles.

Here are my tips to a young author:
1. Interest/engage the audience. There is no way that someone will sit there and continue to read your story if it's dead boring. No way, no how. It is totally okay to spend a long time on planning a story before you even start writing it, as long as it helps you to create an original, interesting plot.

2. Don't over-do it. Yes, you want to sound sophisticated and well-developed, but you definitely do not want to sound like you looked up every other word in a thesaurus!

3. Share your work. I know that it's a really humongous issue for most writers to let other people read their works but honestly, the criticim helps. That which does not kill you can only make you stronger.

4. Like I said, just keep writing! A daily journal is a good way to do this. Good work comes with good practice. Even if it's writing about the cheesburger you ate earlier, it will help you in your long run goal of writing smoothly and eloquently.

T: On one last note as we end this wondrous interview, is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and the readers of Chalk?
J: Here's something I tell everyone: don't ever be a silent reader! I know that most authors say that they write for themselves and for no one else, but the whole reason they post things online or get them published is for other people to enjoy. If you read it-- and especially if you read it and enjoyed it-- comment on it! Post a review! Message the author! Your words of praise and of advice mean more than you know. I know for a fact that I myself get discouraged when I post something and it only gets 2 comments. I worked hard on this, yes, for my own enjoyment, but also for your enjoyment. I wrote this in part for you, and how am I supposed to know how you feel about it or if you even read it or not if you never tell me? Writers are human, just like you. Sometimes they need encouragement to do well!

Also... CHALK RULES!