What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?

I used to write up a storm as a kid, but dropped it around junior year of high school. Then, after I graduated college and started my first job (in China, where I knew no one, no less), I suddenly found myself with more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. So I decided to revive my writing habit pretty much out of boredom… and soon found it so engrossing that it took over my life.

What inspires you to write?

Everything! Anything! I never know what’s going to trigger a story idea. In the case of this latest novella, I was reading the lore on this cryptid, found it interesting that early 2000s New Jersey was central to it, and had a flashback to when I took a filmmaking class in high school… how I went into the woods late at night once to get a shot for my movie. I remembered how creeped-out I was by the oppressive blackness, and how even a forest in a densely populated state could feel like the middle of nowhere when you’re a lone teenager. The convergence of these thoughts led to the novella idea.

What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?

Strong leading ladies are a big one. And not necessarily physically strong – though I have a few of those as well. There are many ways for a gal to show strength, whether it’s through actions, resilience, kindness, intelligence, or a whole host of other traits. One can be the quietest, meekest person in the room but still the strongest in ways that aren’t always obvious. Another thing I tend to revisit a lot is the abstract antagonist – a faceless villain whose power is felt but who isn’t physically present, or an antagonizing force that can’t be pinned to an individual, or an unknown evil that must be unmasked and defeated. I think the reason I tend to do this is tied to the explorations of strength; by keeping the antagonist in the shadows, the focus is more firmly on the heroine and how she handles the obstacles thrown at her.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Writing the first draft is the hardest for me. Blank pages terrify me. I like brainstorming, and I like revising after I have something to work with, but to create something out of nothing? Yikes!

Read more:

https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2021/08/especs-books-focus-6-mary-fan.html