Ask the Author – Allie May

AT LAST! The 20th of August is here!! Time for another “Ask the Author” post 🙂

This month, I’m very happy and excited to do an interview of Allie May. Allie is a very talented writer who weaves gripping stories with awesome characters. I’m a great fan of her writing. And she was kind enough to answer some of my questions.

So without further ado, here are some snippets from our conversation:

Krisna: Allie, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

Allie: I am Allie May, fantasy author and mother of the world’s cutest dog. I run the blog, Hypergraphia. Hypergraphia means the overwhelming and uncontrollable impulse to write, and I combat it by writing fantasy novels and blogging twice a week.

When I’m not writing or working, I’m usually at Disneyland. I’m currently editing my novel, Powerful, while working on another novel that I started when I was twelve called A Fairy’s Tale.

On the weekends, you might catch a glimpse of me in the shadows as a lightsaber-wielding superhero. Maybe.

Krisna: Another Star Wars fan! Awesome 🙂 What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Allie: It would be nice to gain a small following of readers and make some money, but my main goal is to be able to create relatable characters that readers can connect with. I want readers to be friends with my characters.

I struggle with depression, and whenever I felt alone, there was always a character or story to help me. I want my books to be able to help someone else the way books helped me.

Krisna:  I think it’s really admirable to write not just for entertainment but with the aim of helping others too.  Speaking of your characters…

If you could be any one of your characters, who would it be and why?

Allie: Of course, I’d be Kylanore. I took parts of my personality and put them into her character, then made her even better 🙂

She’s snarky, sarcastic, and a little bitter about her unfair situation in life. And even though she doesn’t want to be Crown Princess, she puts up with it wonderfully.

I’ve learned a lot from her attitude towards life, and who wouldn’t want to have her powers? Well, she doesn’t want her powers because people judge her for them (that happens when your parents use alchemy to enhance your magical abilities), but I’d love to be able to control the four elements.

Krisna: Kylanore sounds really interesting! You write great fantasy stories, Allie. What’s your favorite fantasy creature and why? 

Allie: Fairies are the coolest!

They have magic and they can fly. I’ve had ankle problems for years. When I wrote the first draft of A Fairy’s Tale ten years ago, I wrote that the MC sprained her ankle and had to fly around everywhere because I wished that I could fly so my ankles would stop hurting all the time.

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Krisna: Aw! I hope your ankles get better very soon. But it’s a great idea to use the problems we have faced in life for our MCs. It helps us to add depth to the characters and makes them very relatable. Thanks a lot for your valuable tip. 

You mentioned that you’ve finished the first draft of A Fairy’s Tale. After the first draft, do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit? 

Allie: I usually let the book stew for a bit before coming back to it. Even when I get the original idea, I plot what I can, then let it sit before actually starting to write. Stepping away gives me a better perspective on the story as a whole so I know what works and what doesn’t.

Krisna: For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Allie: Traditional printed books all the way. I can’t do ebooks. I need the paper in my hand. I think it’s similar to how I’m better at writing by hand than on a computer.

Krisna: LOL! I was like that too. I love the feel of paper on my hand and it gives a very satisfying feeling once I finish a paperback book. The first time I read an ebook, it felt weird. But then Amazon deviously reduced the cost of ebooks, took advantage of my greed to read more and lured me to the dark side 🙂

Thank you so much, Allie, for taking the time to answer my questions and for your insights into your writing process. I really appreciate it!

CONNECT WITH ALLIE MAY:

You can connect with Allie May via her blog Hypergraphia, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest.

And look out for her exciting YA Fantasy novel, Powerful.