Bangtan Grammys: Book of Fame

II xomiin II

Picture Perfect by xomiin 

Book of the Year (1st) in Solo Jin Category

1.) What made you decide to make a BTS Fanfiction?

If I'm completely honest, I first started writing because I wanted to feel relevant. An old friend of mine wrote fanfiction and was really successful and popular. I wanted to feel cool too so I started writing- the problem was that I was just writing for the hope of fame, which was where I set myself up for doom (oops). I wasn't satisfied with the exposure I was getting and ended up stopping for a while after that. (My old personality and priorities aren't something I'm proud of, but I've learned from my mistakes!)A while after quitting, I found myself bored pretty often. I decided that I needed something to look forward to and to occupy my mind, so I came back and started writing for myself. That's when it started to be fun! This is when my love for writing really blossomed and now I can't stop. And it'll sound cheesy, but I think it's one of the best decisions I've made. I needed something to look forward to everyday, and it's really changed me as a person. Writing is my new stress reliever and the satisfaction and pride that comes with finishing a chapter that I'm proud of is a huge confidence booster. It's incredible how big of a difference a new frame of mind can make!

2.) What was your inspiration from your storyline?

Picture Perfect was actually heavily inspired by the movie Kate & Leopold. It's one of my absolute favorite movies. I always have liked the idea of someone from another world experiencing the modern day life we live in. So combining that exciting concept with the half-finished drawing on the table, the plot was formed. With a little comedy and magic shoved in there- poof! Picture Perfect was born!

3.) What message or word of encouragement you might like to share with to your fellow writers?

When you truly love what you're writing, your readers will see it. Loving what you do is the most important thing when it comes to writing. Don't feel like you have to stick to a schedule or make excuses. It's your book, you can do whatever you want! If it's a plot you cherish and treat with care, writing fanfiction becomes something more than just writing about your favorite idols. Your mind is a superpower, use it as you will.

4.) Can you give a word of advice to your fellow writers in terms of writing a story? or publishing a book?

I have a lot of advice I could give, but I think this is the most important one: Plan your story before writing!!! It's the most important step in creating a story, in my opinion. Foreshadowing the ending or the "big moment" of your story is incredibly powerful. It's that one factor that will make your readers gasp, but it's something you can only do successfully if you know what it is you're foreshadowing from the time you start your first chapter. Planning your entire story might seem terrifying and complex, but it's simpler than it looks. This is my formula: Who is your character? What's his goal? What can I do to make it difficult for him to achieve it?
One more piece of advice I want to share is that anything can become a story. The tissue you left on the ground? It was the one your character cried into before being swept off her feet by her husband after a year-long disappearance. The chip bag you can't stop eating from? A merman goes through a lot of trouble to grow legs once a week to snatch up that exact brand of chip because its too delicious for him to resist. My examples sound pretty ridiculous, but my point is, literally anything can begin a story if you just sprinkle on a little pixie dust. The world is so exciting and it's really fun to look around and see what your superpower imagination can create with it.

5.) Last question, how do you personally deal when you've experienced a "Writer's Block"? What do you do?

Freewriting! That's my number one go-to when I can't get that new chapter or new plot out of me. I open a blank word document, set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and don't take my hands off your keyboard. The rule is to not stop typing until the timer is up. I try to stay focused on the characters in my book but it could be filled with "Umm"s or maybe a whole paragraph dedicated to my lamp. Even if I don't stay on topic, spilling out whatever my imagination comes up with is waking it my brain up and helps the gears with starting to turn again. It makes me excited about my story without having to worry about the quality of what I'm writing.