I am super excited for today’s post! It’s the second interview of an inspiring blogger/writer for Project Inspire. To check out the first P.I. interview with Chelsea R. H., just click HERE.

Today I’m interviewing Jane Maree, who was actually the first teen writer blogger I found. She was a great encouragement to me as I began to take writing (and eventually blogging) more seriously. Be sure to check out her website!

By the way, tell me in the comments how much you are enjoying Project Inspire. Anything I can improve? What inspiring posts do you want to see from me? Anyone else you’d like me to interview?

Let’s get on to the interview! My questions will be in bold, and Jane’s answers in italics.

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First, tell us a bit about yourself, Jane. 😉

Hello! I’m a adventurer at heart, with a love for exploring the wild, untamable places out under the endless blue skies or buried deep in the pages of a whole new realm. Music, Disney, superheroes (specifically Spiderman), books, and chai tea are (some of) the ways to my heart, and I love meeting new kindred spirits!

Oh, I’m also a YA writer, freelance editor, bookstagrammer, and absolute bookworm.

I feel like that barely even scrapes the surface of all my craziness, but I’ll spare you before I go on any longer. 😉

 

01. How/where do you find the most inspiration to create?

On a day to day basis, I find it really hard to sit down and write if I haven’t done everything (or almost everything) that I had to do in the day. That means I can’t start the day off with writing, because I find myself distracted by thoughts of my to-do list and how I’m going to fit everything in.

So I like to get as much of the other duties of life out of the way first, make myself a cup of chai tea, sit down on the couch with my laptop and notebook, and let myself relax and forget about all the other things and just focus on the story.

On a more ‘getting ideas’ level, I get ideas absolutely everywhere. One of my novels was inspired by a snippet of a homeschool science lesson which I heard as I walked past my younger siblings to get myself another cup of tea. Another was inspired by Spiderman Homecoming and my desire to write a superhero story of my own. Another was inspired by a random funny drawing I stumbled across on pinterest once. And the list goes on.

‘What if’ questions always help me both discover ideas and explore them more deeply. What if the sun wasn’t a perfect distance away from the earth, and all mankind had to flee underground to live there? What if the team of superheroes all turned evil and became super villains? What if the guy who everyone thought was the chosen one wasn’t actually the chosen one after all?

You can take almost any statement and turn it on its head with just a few ‘what if’s and suddenly there’s a whole new world to explore!

 

02. What’s your favorite inspirational Bible verse or quote?

Psalm 55:22 — Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

I actually have that verse from Psalms on a sticky note and stuck to the bottom of my computer monitor screen. It’s so important to remember that we don’t have to try carry our burdens. Every day, every hour, come back to the Lord and cast your fears and hopes and anxieties on him, because he’s promised to sustain you. How cool is that?
03. Who’s been really influential in your writing, and never given up on you?

I have to say my family, honestly. Ever since the beginning, my parents encouraged me to go after my passions and use them well and never stop trying and learning and trying again. My older sisters have always been up for brainstorming, or telling me that my ideas are terrible, when I need it now and then. xD And my little siblings are always ecstatic when I write a story that’s aimed at a younger audience so they’re actually allowed to read it.

Another shoutout goes to two of my best friends: Jess and Sarah. They’ve both encouraged me to never give up, when that’s all I feel like doing. They’ve both inspired me, motivated me, and argued me into keeping going.

I’m so blessed to have friends and family like them. <3

 

04. What do you do when you’re feeling down and uninspired to get motivated again?

There are a couple things that always inspire me, and I try make sure that I do them fairly regularly so that I keep my creativity healthy.

Things like going for a walk outside, reading a book, watching a movie, doing something crafty. Or, if I’m totally honest, I go to my family/friends and complain. xD They never fail to give me the push of motivation or “it’s okay to take a break for a while” that I really need.

 

05. When you’re battling through the middle of your book, what do you do to stay motivated?

Everything above! With the addition of drinking 5x as many cups of tea per day as normal.

I normally power through my novels pretty quickly, so I don’t really have a huge problem with mid-book slumps. Battling through the long process of editing is definitely a big thing though.

For me, it’s a matter of making sure I’m still reading books and going outdoors to keep myself inspired, it’s praying before every writing session, it’s keeping my focus up and beyond the mess of this draft to the real reason behind why I’m writing it.

 

06. What’re 5 big things you’ve learned about writing over the years?

I can’t say for sure that these are the five biggest things I’ve learned, but they’ve definitely all been pretty big for me at some point through my writing journey. So, in no particular order:

 

1. Just because you do it differently than someone else doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Everyone has a different style and there’s a million different ways to write and edit and it’s just a matter of finding the one that works best for you. Some people will write faster, some people will edit slower, but that’s okay. Which leads me into the next point…
2. Publishing is not a race. It doesn’t matter if so-and-so gets published before you. Be happy for them, don’t be that grouchy person who thinks they’re entitled to more than what they’ve got so far. I’ve struggled with this a lot in the past, and sometimes I still do. Chill, Jane. Don’t lose sight of the real goal. 😛
3. Writing involves physical health as well as creative health. It’s so important to remember to look after yourself! Get out of that chair once in a while and go for a walk. I try go for a walk every morning, even if it’s only really quick, and it makes so. much. difference.
4. Sometimes book ideas don’t work and that’s okay. Some ideas come like a flash of inspiration and a year later they’re still amazing. Others dull after just a few months or weeks even. That’s okay. It happens. Sometimes it’s best to move on. Some of my best projects have stemmed from bits and pieces of the messier attempts.
5. Do it God’s way not my way. I say this is something I’ve ‘learned’ but it’s more like something I’m constantly learning and I’ll probably still be learning for many decades to come. I make plans, I schedule things, I have hopes for the future, then something comes in and sweeps it all away, leaving me with nothing but a blank slate and no idea what I’m doing. But remember: a blank slate has more room for God to write on. 😛

07. Is there a book/author that has inspired you to write better and craft stronger stories?

Anyone who reads my blog is probably cringing already and bracing themselves because they’ll know what I’m about to say. xD

 

Nadine Brandes! (Author of the Out of Time trilogy, Fawkes, and Romanov.) I talk about her all the time, but that’s because she’s such an amazing author and friend. Her books inspire me, her life inspires me; she’s a beautiful example and role model.

I also can’t not mention another lovely author friend: Sara Ella. (Author of the Unblemished trilogy, and Coral.) Sara is the absolute sweetest. She’s so kind and thoughtful and fun and I just want to give her the hugest hug in the world.

Both of these ladies write their books from the heart. They’re so powerful and raw and real. If you haven’t read their books or talked to either of them before—go do it now! I honestly just love them both so much.

 

08. What advice do you have for other young writers?

This is actually such a hard question. I have no idea! There’s so much about being a writer which I haven’t learned yet, and so much which I know I’ll still be learning when I’m fifty-four.

We all have different struggles, but what I think is one of the biggest things to remember: just because someone is further along in their writing journey than you are and seems really professional, doesn’t mean they’re perfect or they’ve got everything together.

Just because I’ve been interviewed on Jenna’s blog and you haven’t (or even if you have) doesn’t mean I’m better than you. I have a professional website. My job is freelance editing. I’ve mentored other writers.

But I’m. not. perfect. And I certainly don’t have it all together. 😛

Don’t look at other writers and compare. We all have flaws and struggles. We all started from the very beginning and we all have to put in hard work to learn and grow in our gifts.

Don’t compare. Don’t try to be some appearance of ‘what [insert job title here] should look like.’ You’re the only you out there. Grow and learn and never stop learning.

 

09. Anything else to add? {about inspiration, motivation, appreciation, etc.}

Chin up, friends. No matter how many times you fail or you make a mistake or you feel like you’ll never be good enough? Just keep on keeping on. Keep on dreaming. Keep on smiling. Keep on pressing forward.

Tune in next time for the follow-up installment of Pep Talks With Jane. XD

Okay though, it really was such an honor to be here. Thank you, Jenna, for inviting me and asking all these brilliant questions! And thank YOU, my reader, for sticking around the whole way.

 

If I don’t know you already (or even if I do), I’d love to chat about anything and everything in the comments! Let’s be friends! 😀

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Wasn’t that awesome? I definitely learned a lot from her answers. Let’s all give Jane a big THANK YOU for letting me kidnap and interrogate her. 😛

 

Write on,

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