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➽ QUESTION 1. ❝What is your name (or nickname/pen-name if preferred)?❞ — Michele Sanders, but everybody just calls me Michele or Chele.
➽ QUESTION 2. ❝What started you on the path to writing?❞ — Reading! I loved to read as a child and my parents indulged in my reading too; buying me books every chance they got, no matter what the genre was. I think reading a lot helped my imagination, which then set me on the path to write and see my stories come alive too. Back before Youtube got popular for beauty, pranks, etc., people used to write stories on there and for the longest, I used to just read everything until one day I decided to start writing on there since I saw everybody else doing it lol
➽ QUESTION 3. ❝When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, and specifically in the genre of urban fiction?❞ — I never really had an 'Aha!' moment where I realized I wanted to be a writer. It was just something I did on the side as a hobby, but I didn't realize how well I wrote until I started to get more popular on Youtube and Wattpad. I had more and more people telling me how inspiring my books were and how great of a writer I am. I guess I chose to write in this specific genre because of the movies I've seen and other books that I've read. And living in Detroit, I've experienced a lot and I've seen a lot, which I've used in several my books.
➽ QUESTION 4. ❝When did you write your first book and how old were you?❞ — I can't even remember the name of my first book but it was about the New Boyz (Yeah, the ones who made 'You're a Jerk' lol) and I think I was about 10 or 11.
➽ QUESTION 5. ❝Who are some of your favorite authors on and off Wattpad?❞ — I don't really read much on Wattpad anymore but I want to get back to reading because there's a lot on this website that has great potential. So, if anybody has any suggestions on good authors, send them my way! But some of my favorite authors are, of course, Sista Souljah, who was my biggest inspiration for continuing to write urban fiction. But I also like reading Leo Sullivan and Ashley & JaQuavis.
➽ QUESTION 6. ❝How long have you been writing?❞ — I've been writing on and off since I could pick up a pencil and scribble down ideas. But I really got into writing when I was about ten or eleven years old.
➽ QUESTION 7. ❝How do you think you've evolved creatively?❞ — I think I've evolved tremendously. I jus recently went back and read some of my first books and they were absolutely terrible! Lol I think I've grown more as a writer by taking the time to think of plots, scenarios and to really analyze each character and give them their own personality, so to speak. And a lot of people tell me I'm known for having a lot of off the wall things happening in my books. I can't stand a cliché, so I always throw the story at the last minute and make something crazy happen because it keeps the readers interested and makes for a good book.
➽ QUESTION 8. ❝Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?❞ — Well, I mainly write urban fiction because it's what I'm best at. I write about my experiences, other people's experiences like my friends and family and always put a twist on things that I've seen or heard throughout my life. I think I write about things that hit so closely to home because it's something that comes easy to me. Writing about real life makes for a more realistic book, since that's what I aim for.
➽ QUESTION 9. ❝What are the upsides and downsides to being an author?❞ — Upsides are that anything I see can spark something in my mind about a new story. I could see a flower blooming in a bush and I'll some how turn that into the basis for a new book that I'm formulating in my mind. Having a wild imagination is another upside to being an author. And also being able to convey my thoughts on paper and seeing my characters come alive are always a plus.
The only downside to being an author is actually writing out everything I have going on in my mind. I have so much going through my mind when I'm writing sometimes, that its hard to choose which scenario I want to happen in the book.
➽ QUESTION 10. ❝What do you love most about the writing process?❞ — I love the development of a good book, especially when you see a character develop from good to evil, or the opposite.
➽ QUESTION 11. ❝Why do you write? What keeps you motivated during creative slumps?❞ — I write because it's something I enjoy doing. Now, I take more time and actually put more thought into my writing, opposed to how I used to write just to write something. I really try to put out quality work, which often takes time especially since I'm in college and trying to juggle classes. Honestly, I've never been in a creative slump until recently. I recently took some time off of writing after the passing of my father and haven't been able to get out of a rut. So, if anybody has suggestions on what I can do to get my groove back then it'll be greatly appreciated.
➽ QUESTION 12. ❝Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?❞ — I just write as I go. I find that outlining a book boxes me in and I feel forced to write a specific things and have a certain event happen in this specific chapter. I just like to write as I go and throw in something crazy every now and then lol
➽ QUESTION 13. ❝How many books have you written?❞ — At least fifty. Most on Youtube, some that I have on my computer and never published and about fifteen here on Wattpad.
➽ QUESTION 14. ❝Out of all the books you've written, do you have a favorite?❞ — My favorite book that I've written was from my Sideline Series called "In Too Deep". That book was a turning point for my writing. It made me realize the talent I possessed that I never knew existed.
➽ QUESTION 15. ❝If someone is brand new to your work, what book do you think they should start with?❞ — Start with book 1 of the Sideline Series, entitled "The Sideline Story". It may be a little rough around the edges because I wrote it when I was about fourteen/fifteen but it gets better the further you get into the series.
➽ QUESTION 16. ❝What do your fans mean to you?❞ — My fans mean the world to me! I love reading their comments every time I post, the nicknames they call the characters they don't like, and how they've continuously supported me and had my back from the very beginning. Through all of my ups and downs, deleted books, retractions, and crazy ideas, they've always stuck by me and gave me the constructive criticism I needed to push forward.
➽ QUESTION 17. ❝What advice would you give to aspiring authors?❞ — To never give up. I know, it sounds cliché but it's the truth. Nobody was reading my books on Youtube when I first started out, which can be a little heartbreaking at first but there's seven billion people in the world, so somebody has to find what you're writing enjoyable. And don't write to conform. Write to please yourself, get out your frustrations and don't listen to the negative comments people might write. And persevering through your time as an author, because you will experience hardships, is the number one goal.
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Thank you so much for accepting to do this interview omgchele got words to live by here. Please take the time to check out her works; her books are fabulous, and girl you betta' check out all the books from the authoresses and authors being interviewed in this here book.
