Featured Interview: Adrianna Joleigh

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Hello readers! If you are on my page reading this or perhaps you are one of the 35 lovely people out there following my blog right now, I would want to let you know something about my writing journey and how it has actually grown and developed into what it is right now. If you think my writing is making an impact and you are impressed with it, you should also know the people behind the person I am now. 

Writing requires perseverance! Writing in a language that isn't your first language can be painful at times and reaching out to readers from the English speaking world is another big challenge. Without the support of lovely writers, I met through Google + I would have given up writing by now. One such lovely soul is +Adrianna Joleigh !!! And she is also the reason why I decided to write a book! She is the ultimate support behind the project I have started featuring lives of women in different parts of the world, a non-fiction collection! She is an incredibly talented writer who will leave you amazed with her poems greatly intertwined with emotions! 

Adrianna, I'm happy to have found you in Google + and I'm really so proud of the achievements we all made so far! This exclusive interview is for you! Cheers!!

Where are you from? I am from a breathtaking city called Århus, in Denmark.

Why do you write? I write to release any built-up frustration I have. It’s my punching bag. If I feel an overwhelming emotion then I use it to create.

What do you write about? I write about fears, my reality, and battles that we often face but are too embarrassed to admit them.

Do you have a specific writing style? I’ve been told that I have a unique writing style, but I have no earthly (or universal) clue what they are referring to. I write the story as I see it in my head. I have a vivid imagination so maybe that helps a bit but I’m not sure what sort of ‘style’ I have. Maybe someone can elaborate on what they refer to when they say that. I’d like to know so I can answer these questions proficiently lol.

What are the obstacles that come in the way of writing? I’m a full-time mother to twins. They are my life entirely and such a joy to be around. I do crave to write often, every second of the day, but the twins need me much more than my stories. Finding the time to write has its obstacles but no doubt, they are wonderful obstacles.

What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work? The first time I turned my Oh-so-raw rough draft in to my editor he mentioned that I had a lot to learn, but I had raw talent. And another said that I had the ability to grab the emotions in a reader and manipulate it, causing them to feel what I felt when I wrote it. I’m not sure if they were just being nice or serious haha but I’ll never forget what they said.

How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing non-stop since September of 2012. I’ve written off and on in the past but never had the knowledge or interest to finish them.

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer? I’d have to say it was this past September. I remember going through some tough times with my emotions and I went to my computer in desperation. I had to write down what I was feeling so that I could breathe. Well, one paragraph led to a page and a page into many pages and before I knew it I had a lot to say. Of course, this was a diary of mine. I reread through it and saw 1 paragraph that stuck in my mind. It was about when I was a child and the sound of footsteps walking to my room at night, and how afraid I was because I never could tell what was going to happen next. Once I read that paragraph I had an epiphany, I should write a book. If I’m going to write in my diary why not write a book? And thus came Nadia. Don’t get me wrong. Nadia isn’t about me, but if you were to dig deep into the symbolisms and really see the big picture behind it all, you’d see it also contains a diary of some sorts. The craving to write hit me then and I never and still do not rest until I write down everything I imagine.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I would say my quirk would be how I write. I write fast and to the point the first go round, the skeleton so-to-speak. Then after I’m done with that I go back and add the muscles to the story, and once I’m finished with that I add the meat. Finally, I finish it with touchups and rewording to make it flow better. It sounds like a long process, and would be to someone trying it for the first time, but it’s how my brain works and I can’t function in any other manner.

How long does it take to write a book? (if you've written one -published or non) I’ve not finished Nadia yet. However, I can guess that it will probably take me a year to write it and get it ready for an agent to view. I would finish already if I had all day and night to write, but I share my time with my babies and they come first, of course. I can easily write a chapter in an hour if I was allowed a solid hour. That would be nice.

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? I’m not sure I’m a person to ask about this. I’m in no way a great writer. I can tell you the advice from other writers and that is to read. Read a lot. I have my debates on that idea actually but I do, in all, agree with them.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story? Sometimes my character argues with me. I want to go into the next room in the story and she tells me no. Unruly characters are ruthless sometimes.

What do you think makes a good story?

A convincing, relatable antagonist. A villain that is unique but with qualities that are real enough that I can relate them with a villain I have in my own life. It makes it a bit more personal that way and takes me along with the writer’s imagination.  A good conflict too.

Unpredictability. I don’t like knowing what is going to happen before it happens. I’d rather be blown away at the end. Too many clues along the way ruin the story. Like the story ‘’Book of Eli.’’ Through the entire story it took you on an emotional, thrilling, violent, and horrific ride about this man’s journey to protect something priceless, and then at the end BAM! It all falls together and what you thought was, really wasn’t. And after the puzzle pieces all came together I was in awe. I wanted to see it again. That’s what a great book, in my opinion, is about. Unexpected events and outcomes. A journey through a parallel tale that captivates us entirely to the point that we don’t know that we are reading words. But instead, we are living the life the author has laid before us. Nothing quite like it, I must say. The greatest stories ever written have to be read repeatedly to grasp the full effect of what the author is really trying to convey.

What does your family think of your writing? Some don’t know that I’m writing. I’ve shared writing with them before and I was laughed at. Not the pointing and laughing but I felt I wasn’t taken seriously and all they could do was pick at the names of my characters and the storyline, saying how it sounded silly. So, I never mentioned it to them again. My mother is now proud of me. At first she thought it was rather unimportant but now that I write for an online magazine and am published she is seeing that this is something I dream of doing.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? The moment I realized that it’s everything that I am. It’s all I think about. I thrive off of the next idea. I live in my own fantasies. I’ve always been a writer, I just never knew it, until once I began writing a few months ago it began to consume me.  You are what you dream to accomplish, and therefore I’m a writer.

Do you see writing as a career? I definitely do. I’ve had publicists contact me in the past week alone wanting to know more about Nadia and when I’ll be finished with the book. I definitely see the potential of making it far. I just need to focus and see it through. Keep the momentum going and not back down.

Do you have anything specific you'd like to tell the readers? If you want to become a writer/editor/publicist, etc, by all means, dream it. Dream it through your veins. Let it fill your lungs and invades your mind entirely. Those dreams are yours. No one else’s. Be proud of what you accomplish and never degrade your efforts by allowing others to bring you down. Writing is a lifetime of opportunity. To create is only a talent you can possess. And the ability to conquer lies within your hands and imagination.

She can be reached at her page http://adriannajoleigh.com/. 

What do you think about this post? I welcome your thoughts and views!

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