Hi! Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about your background as an author?
Thanks for having me! I’ve been writing fiction since I was eight years old…my first story was a sci-fi adventure. My mother was a fiction writer and an avid reader, so she definitely played a huge role in my love of writing. My first poem was published when I was 16 by a small published in an anthology and my first novella, The Two Worlds, was self-published last year.
What was the first idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?
You know, I totally write books just to read them. I know it’s silly, but sometimes I’ll be lying awake and wonder what would happen if Character A did something to Character B or got into some wonky situation. Once I’ve thought about what could happen, I have to know how the story is going to end! Honestly, that’s how all of my stories have gotten onto paper…I want to see what happens next so I write it. J
Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?
I love the main character, Kay. She’s so spunky and she has a lot of growing to do, which always resonates with me because I have a lot of growing to do as a person as well (don’t we all?).
What's your favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?
My favorite scene is when Kay figures out how to Awaken her house, Dia. It’s so funny! I had a lot of fun thinking of how Kay could use her powers on Turgor.
What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing scenes? Dialogue?
Reading, haha! Seriously, I’m so impatient while writing, I just want to get to the juicy stuff right away.
How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you wing it?
Oh geez, it took me seven years to write The Two Worlds. I had a lot of growing to do as an author and kept trying to make The Two Worlds a full length novel instead of acknowledging what it really was. I think it’s important for newbie authors to take their time and really learn about their own individual writing process…there’s so much information out on the internet and you start to question the way you do things. My current writing process is now: think of an idea, write an outline, write the book, edit and edit again and then publish. That’s it!
What is it about the genre you chose that appeals to you?
YA novels had a special place in my heart for a long time. Like many readers of my generation, Judy Blume’s writing spoke to me and inspired me to create books like her. Then when I received my first copy of Harry Potter…oh, man. I was hooked.
I think when you’re young (as in before 21), the world is your oyster. Right? You can believe in absolutely anything (dragons, fairies, life on Jupiter) because you’re not jaded by ‘real life’ yet. And that’s why I like putting my characters through fantasy situations. I get to live out these wild adventures through them so in a way, I’m still that same teenage girl who would look up at the stars and wonder ‘what if?’ .
Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns?
All the time. (laughs) I totally didn’t see The Two Worlds being what it is today. I wrote a few chapters for my kid brother and he loved it so much he asked me to finish it. Even now he still likes the story! Once I dove into the world of Death Walkers, Awakeners, and Creators I knew I had to keep going. I was addicted to the colorful inhabitants that kept popping up in this new world.
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Alisha Howard lives in Southern California with her husband, dog and two cats. She enjoys watching old Charmed episodes, finding new ways to use Google and writing epic adventure series. If you are interested in receiving emails when she releases new books, please sign up for her email distribution list by visiting her website and clicking the "contact" tab: www.alishahoward.com. Be sure to join Alisha's online community where you will find fun info from her books, news and announcements!
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www.alishamhoward.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/alishamwrites
www.facebook.com/AlishaHowardAuthor
Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you!
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