Third up in Inkitt’s author Q&A sessions, we have emerging author Benita! Benita writes predominantly Romance and Fantasy novels known for her books The Lonely God, Caught and ongoing book, The Bastard Princess. Let’s go!
Benita, how old are you? What age did you start writing?
I am nineteen years old and I started writing around my mid-teen years.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
The source of my inspiration varies a lot. Sometimes it’s from a book, a song I heard somewhere, particularly the song’s lyrics. Other times I can be from something I saw somewhere, or something that I experienced. Or an anecdote.
When it comes to creating your characters, do you draw inspiration from people you know?
Yes, sometimes. I like to pick certain traits of real people and give them to my characters so that their personalities are more defined and they seem a bit more real. For me, it makes the character somewhat relatable.
Do you identify yourself as any of your characters? And if so, who?
No, I don’t really identify myself as any of my characters. Although, as mentioned, I like to give my characters some traits of real people. Sometimes I like to give my characters certain traits of mine too. It’s fun to sit back and laugh or judge a character by their actions in a fictional book when we ourselves sometimes act like them in our real lives!
Who’s your favourite character in The Bastard Princess and why?
It’s the protagonist – Arsinoe. She is very different from all my fictional characters. I like how she is so self-sustaining and could be delusional sometimes. She is filled with flaws and is contradicting to her surroundings. She gives the story a great element – character development.
How much time do you spend each day writing? Do you have a writing schedule?
A couple of hours. I try to get at least 1,500 words on paper each day. It helps to maintain consistency. I do miss a couple of days but in general trying to write every day helps.
What is writing to you? A hobby or a full-time job?
Currently, writing is more or less a hobby to me. Although sometimes the time I spend managing my books, it seems more like a part-time job. I enjoy it nonetheless!
How do you overcome writer’s block?
Writer’s block can be very nasty sometimes. That’s why writing every day helps. I have been trying to build the habit of writing every day since the beginning of this year. I have seen a lot of improvement in my productivity due to this.
It’s still impossible not to fall prey to writer’s block. I still get it now and when I do, I try to find the reason behind it. If it’s because of stress then I try to do something relaxing and if it’s because of procrastination or perfectionism then I put away my phone and laptop and sit down with pen and paper and do a braindump. It works for me most of the time.
When you’re starting a new book, what comes first, the plot or characters?
When I’m starting a new book, I think of the climax first. Then the rest of the plot is either a build-up to the climax or the consequences of the climax. It depends on whether the climax is in the end or in the beginning of the story.
What do you do for fun when you are not writing?
For fun, I watch documentaries or movies, or I learn a new song on my guitar. Of course, I looking at memes on social media and as every writer ought to do in the first place in order to write – I read books.
What does success mean to you? What is the definition of success?
For me, the meaning of success varies from time to time. Sometimes, it’s the little things like writing and posting a chapter on time or having more readers than last month. Although most of the time, I’ve found myself measuring my success based on progress rather than on achievements.
If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Friendly, Introvert, Ambitious.
Thanks Benita! Anyone else feel much more motivated to write?! Check out Benita’s stories and connect with her over at: https://www.inkitt.com/parttimewolf
