Future Author (Interview): Jillian from Random Ramblings

There are so many wonderful writers who someday wish to be published and become an author. And most of those people, including me, find it helpful to get some advice and just overall support to acheive these goals. I felt a lot of people, including me once again, could learn a lot from an interview. 


So today I am interviewing Jillian from Random Ramblings. Her blog is so pretty, with her wonderful header so I defiantly recommend you check it out. I always love going to her blog and reading her posts, which are always so well written. Her latest post titled Inspiration: Summer is exactly what it says. So I highly recommend you check out Jillian's blog and encourage her and other aspiring authors to keep up the great work!


Here's the interview:

1. Why do you want to be an author? 

I have always been a lover of words, and I love the act of writing itself. Simply put, I want for these words to be read. I want to have the honor and the privilege to speak to readers directly -- or at least one reader -- through empathetic characters and their real stories. I want to be an author because I believe writers and their words, if done genuinely, have the power to inspire and make even the smallest positive impact in people's lives. I want to be able to write those words; the ones that might make a difference.

2. When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I don't think there was an exact moment. I just know I have always enjoyed writing. Also, I have always been a pretty big bookworm, even as a kid. I read, read, and read. I guess I knew I wanted to be a published writer when I would read and finish a good book, and I'd find myself saying, "I would love to write something like that." 

3. Who or what is your inspiration behind your writing?

My biggest inspiration behind all of this -- the one that actually makes me sit down and start writing -- would most definitely be the real stories of people and their lives. Their hardships, triumphs, strengths, weaknesses, dreams, failures, successes, happiness, sorrow, heartbreak. Their emotions. Their thoughts. The things and people they love, value, and hold dear. At the end of the day, real experiences are mainly what pushes me to write.

4. Have you ever felt like you wanted to give up?

ALL. THE. TIME. This is my biggest enemy -- self-doubt. It's horrible. What I try to do to get back on track is to come up with at least one reason NOT to give up. Fortunately, there's a lot of them.  

5. Do you have a daily writing goal that you try to maintain everyday?

No. I tried this before, but it didn't really work for me. I was constantly feeling the need to fill in words just so I can reach my daily goal. Consequently, my writing would come out forced and contrived; almost rushed. I try to do things differently now. While I still do write everyday , I no longer aim for a specific goal. I try to write when I want to and write what I want to. Not forcing myself to reach my daily goal keeps "the real words" flow a lot more, almost without effort. They'll come out when they want to, as they say. Ha ha. 

6. Can you tell us a little bit about your blog?

Random Ramblings is a book blog that surrounds anything that is related to the world of literature. It is the place where I talk about the books that I read and where I also post all the reviews that I write about them. Generally, I talk about anything that I find even remotely interesting. Most are usually just random things I happen to find inspiration from. 

7. Does blogging help your writing and if so, how.

Yes, in a lot of different ways. I learn more about the book industry. I find out more about different readers' points of view. I learn to become more open-minded to different things; books, writing, reviews, different tastes, etc. Last but most definitely not the least, book blogging helps my writing because of its awesome community. They give endless amount of straight-forward feedback and constructive criticisms, as well as the much-needed support and encouragement! 

8. What is your favorite thing about writing?

No boundaries! Ha ha. You can create your own world, characters, and situations. You can make your own beginnings, middles, and ends. You can make them as you want them. With writing, you are unlimited.  

9. What is one piece of advice for other aspiring authors?

Believe in yourself. Be patient. Don't give up. Listen to other people's feedback. Then, let's keep writing, shall we? :) 

10. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years, writing wise?

In the next two years, I'd probably be going crazy, still writing, as usual. In 10 Years, hopefully, finally published. *crosses fingers* 

Thank you so much Jillian. And once again, you should really check out her blog. And if you're an aspiring author and would like to do an interview, please email me at: smittenwithbooks (at) hotmail (dot) com