If nothing else, you should read this next writer’s advice. I absolutely love when she says “Writers are the voices of every generation.” I think this is a point that we should all try to remember! Writers are the ones that chronicle events to share with the next generation. Allow me to introduce Fayette Bruun. Trust me, her interview is worth a few minutes of your day to read!
1. Please tell us a little bit about you as a person.
I’m scatter-brained. This is both a description of myself and a disclaimer for this entire interview.
In my own way, I’m many people. I’m your stereotypical reclusive writer, who periodically locks herself in a room to stare blindly at a monitor while sending tremors through the entire desk in the aftermath of a massive dose of delicious tea-infused caffiene. I’m in spurts a hyperactive socialite, a giant kid, a closet nerd, an endless dreamer, a technophobe, a technophile, a bibliophilic hoarder, a naturalist, an innovation addict, and a mental dimension traveler. I’ve got so many people doing so many different things, often at odds with each other, in my head at any given time that it’s a wonder I don’t go insane. I spend a lot of time doing or wanting to do things that I’ll later be completely against, all because I live from so many different perspectives. Ultimately, it boils down to doing a lot of thinking and multitasking no matter what I’m doing. I’m usually doing about 3 things at once, just to keep from exploding.
I’m fairly open and insanely curious about all the things. My biggest pet peeve is to have a wall dropped on a path of curiosity. I want to do everything, experience everything, know everything. This leads to a lot of disappointment and even more fantasizing and writing about hypothetical situations. And definitely a lot of reading and watching just to absorb every story I possibly can. Basically, I’m obsessed with experience. That’s why my life revolves around reading, writing, and being a parent. I find these to be the ultimate experience outlets.
Finally, I’m someone who doesn’t like to rule anything out. I like to believe that anything people can think of either has happened/existed, is happening/existing, or will eventually happen/exist. This applies to all things. The human mind is a powerful and perceptive thing, and I prefer throw my winnings into that pot.
Oh, I’m also horrible about rambling; so, I’m not even sure I’ve done this right.
2. Tell us about you as a writer.
I got into writing by reading, and because English teachers are generally amazing.
Reading was nearly the only thing I did for the first half of my life. I honestly had no idea that people wrote the amazing stories I was reading. I didn’t know where they came from, if they were real, or anything. I just know that they were a vast comfort and a place to go when I couldn’t deal with the world anymore. My mother got me into haiku, then other forms of poetry. In 8th grade, an English teacher said “You should try writing stories.” That’s when I found out where books came from and a realized another path existed for me. I started writing immediately, only to be randomly stopped by the occasional writing demon or naysayer citing “more useful pursuits.” I’m only now putting most of them aside.
I’m not published yet, aside from a few short stories and snippets I’ve posted online myself. I’ve spent 7 years finishing my first draft and subsequent planning for the series I based my writing career around. Now I’ve locked it in a drum to ferment for a bit while I discover myself more as a writer. I absolutely plan on returning to it when it’s ready to mature into the beautiful beast I know it’s meant to be. Until then, I’m surprised to find myself working primarily in younger fiction. All things going as planned, I hope to be seeking agency opportunities a year after my January graduation, and moving on to publication from there.
3. What types of writing have you written? Which is your favorite to write and why?
I’ve dabbled a lot. I don’t think I can say I’ve tried everything, but I’ve definitely dabbled. I started with haiku before moving on to other forms of poetry. From there it was short stories, and this is where I’ve done a lot of my dabbling. Not accounting for the large amount of academic writing I’ve done at this point, it’s been mostly fiction. I’ve touched on personal memoirs for my own purposes, but otherwise I like to soak my roots in fantasy. I’ve written supernatural, science fiction, satire, horror, parody, and I used to write fiction. I don’t think I can say that I’ve written romance, but I do like to include romance within my plots in other genres. My favorite, though, is definitely fantasy. I realize that’s a bit general, but it allows me to include bits of the other genres I like and mold them in whatever way I wish. Science fiction feels too limiting most of the time, but with fantasy I get to make my own world and rules. The science fiction I’m writing for NaNoWriMo this year is even tailored with a more fantastical feel. That sort of creation has always been my favorite part of writing. Beyond that, while I would love to one day write adult fiction, I seem to have found my writing home in Children’s and Young Adult fiction.
4. What are the three things you need at your side as you write? Why?
Munchies—I’m a fidgeter. Having something to munch on or drink gives me an extra 25% chance of maintaining focus and remaining seated.
Some sort of music—I can’t stand silence. It drives nuts and makes my brain go into overdrive. At the same time, having people talking around me or a tv going just creates overload. Sometimes I like to hear human voices so I don’t feel alone when I write. Other times I need voiceless feeling. In either case, Pandora always has a solution.
Some sort of fidget object, like a clicky pen. This keeps me from poking my phone or some corner of the internet when I’m still thinking but unable to put words to paper.
5. If you were to give other writers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Do what you have to do in order to survive, take care of yourself, take care of your family, but beyond that don’t let anyone tell you that writing is frivolous or useless. Writers are the voices of every generation. Centuries from now, it is your passion as a writer and your literary place in the world that historians will see, not the socially acceptable job people say you should get instead. Write what you love, and the world will know and remember you for it.
6. Where can we find out more about you?
To find out more about me as a weird person obsessed with amusing memes, my son, and pictures of the sky, you can find me as Fayette Bruun on Facebook.(https://www.facebook.com/fayette.bruun)
To find out more about me as a writer (and by that I mean what writing-centered posts I find useful or amusing or what goes through my mind when I should be writing) I’m Faye Bruun on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/FayeBruun) In theory, my WordPress blog includes snippets of my writing, thoughts on writing, and other random stuff. (http://yukazshadow.wordpress.com/) So, I suppose it depends on what you want to know.
