Intuitive Writer Interviews

INTERVIEW: May's Insights

May Ravenwood @ravenwood666may

Welcome, May!

Do you consider yourself an intuitive writer?

I guess I am more and more an intuitive writer although I don't think I was one when I first started writing. At the time I usually had the storylines worked out in advance but these days I let the story flow on it's own with a few general guidelines. So, I think I am mostly an intuitive writer now.

What type of books do you write? And when did you start?

It's difficult for me to say what types of books I write but I guess they are books more focused on emotional journeys of the characters than anything else. They are books about growth, learning to deal with grief, finding your true self and so on clothed into as many genres as I can think of at any given moment. I started writing books sometime after joining Wattpad but before that I did a lot of short stories that were mostly done to entertain or frighten.

What does intuitive writing mean in your process? How's it important to you?

I guess it means having the basic idea and letting it flow in its own way. It often feels more like I am going where the story wants to take me and not the other way around. At times, I snap out of a writing trance wondering if it was really me who wrote this and feeling genuinely surprised. It's important for me because it helps make my writing more real in a way, more raw. It's more connected with emotions, with the thinking processes of regular people, I think.

Is writing more comfortable for you now than it was when you started? Are you quicker? Do you have a system? How did you learn it? What's made it yours?

I think that it is definitely more comfortable for me now as I don't worry as much what other people will say but focus on the writing itself. Also, the more I write the more natural and quicker it seems to me. I don't think I have a system but I do have a rule that I sit down to write but if something feels off, if the writing is horrible, I immediately stop and go do something else. Then I get back to it later or the next day and repeat the process. I've found this very helpful for me because I used to force myself to write a chapter a day and that made for some really bad chapters. This way I sometimes write two chapters in one day, sometimes zero but it somehow manages to balance itself out. I discovered this works for me through trial and error which can kind of be seen when one reads my stories in the order in which they were written.

Oddly, to elaborate, & I think this is the most important question for most people here: HOW do you work?

I guess I work strangely. Sometimes I get inspiration at the worst possible times but if I don't jot it down I often forget so I try to make note of everything fun that comes to mind if possible. Then when I write sometimes what I want and what the story wants doesn't align so I let the story take over which kind of feels like diving into water coming out for air only when the chapter is done.

Can you describe any steps that you'd normally take? Give us a picture?

Usually, I start off with where I want to take the story when it comes to the plot and sit down to write it down. However, most of the time I end up with some added emotional journeys, past traumas or something similar being added to the story to make the characters' reactions to certain things more understandable, I guess. Honestly, I am not sure, it just feels right so sometimes what I planned to write might be postponed, moved to the next chapter but I am usually happy with what I get (that is until I start editing when everything feels horrible).

How does your day look? How do you draw on your intuition?

My day is never the same twice I would say but I do try to carve out some writing time after work but I do the editing whenever I have even five minutes free, at most random of times. I usually have to be in the right mood to successfully draw on my intuition but if I have the time to write at random times when the inspiration strikes the results are so much better than when I sit down with the intention to write.

I think we're all curious to see if other people write the WAY that we do. Am I right?

It is rather interesting and it might also give us some ideas on which ways we might try in the future.

So what role do you feel intuition plays, specifically, in the way you "form" story ideas? Do you use it to outline? To write? To plan your next moves?

I guess for me intuition plays a crucial role in how the story will play out. Generally, when I start writing a story I have a basic outline or at least a beginning and an ending in mind and my intuition often fills out the rest. There are things that I insist on including but most of the time I feel my way through the story and sometimes even those basic notions I started with change and evolve based on my intuition.

Can you share some of your thoughts around the "why" you write story?

When it comes to why I write my stories there are many different reasons in general and also on a story to story basis. Oftentimes I write to grow, sometimes to rewrite the past and help people see different perspective on some topics. I write to set myself and others free of the notion that we have to fit a mold to be 'normal'. Most of my characters learn that being who they are is just right. They can change and grow but they don't need to change the essence of who they are just because someone out there doesn't understand them, or no one understands them.

How much does technology influence the path that you see for yourself?

Technology has influenced me greatly as it allows me to receive feedback from my readers which has helped me gain some confidence and write even more.

How can intuitive writing set flesh and blood writers apart from AI?

I guess the way it can set us apart is that intuitive writing is more about feeling things. You sense which way the story should go, you put yourself in the character's shoes to figure out which emotions they are feeling. That is something an AI as a purely intellectual construct can never do. It is all about the rational while we as human beings are usually more about the emotional side of things.

There are so many creative directions and reasons to write. Are you creating new inroads for yourself in finding your voice and new readers? Have you found your fit? Anything you're doing to reach out here to Wattpadders (or anywhere else) that seems it is particularly suited to your personal style?

I don't think I have yet truly found myself, my voice. I think I am still looking for that perfect fit. Although I do lean more towards horror and fantasy for the time being. However, I do plan to try out many different genres so that I'll be able to know where my heart truly lies in the future.

What do you want to see for writers on whole?

I want their stories to be accepted and published for the beautiful and unique works that they are and not because someone thinks those stories are going to earn a lot of money. I wish they had more opportunities to publish their own unique stories without them being rejected for their beautiful uniqueness.

Wonderfully said. So, lastly... Do you have any nuggets of wisdom to pass along from your journey to new writers? Looking back, what would you tell them?

I don't think I am a very wise person to say anything inspirational. However, what I have learned so far is that we should never stop writing, never compare our writing to that of others (as we are all unique human beings with a unique perspective on the world) and never compromise but write for the sake of writing not only for earning money. In the long run that might only end up killing the person's love for writing and I don't think money is worth such a high price to pay.

Aww. Lovely!

Thank you so much for thoughts on your journey in writing, May!
We really appreciate all you've described!

Scribe on and stay furry! 🐇