Interview by the great Miss Jaclyn

So, a friend of mine who is aspiring to become a journalist came to me with a proposition this evening. I was, as per usual, having troubles getting myself to stop procrastinating and get to writing, and she offered me a reason to procrastinate further. “Why don’t I interview you? We could make it a monthly thing.”

So I thought I would share with you what went on:

Jaclyn [JK]: When did you first realize you wanted to write professionally?

Jade [JB]: Probably when I was around 16. I’ve been writing since I learned cursive, but I never realized how much I wanted to make people fall in love with my stories until I really hit adolescence.

JK: Do you usually plan out your stories, or do you “pants” them?

JB: They all start as a “pants” deal, but once I write a little, I can’t help but plan. Not that I actually follow the plan one hundred percent, ever… But I find it really comforting to have an idea of the direction I’m going in.

JK: So, is it usually just a brief “I think this is where it’s going” plan?

JB: Uh, usually, yes, but for this particular project I’ve been working on an annoyingly extensive outline. Like, it’s already ten pages and it’s only six chapters in. It in no way began like this. It started as “dragons are pretty awesome” and then I pantsed the first five chapters. Now I find myself rewriting the first chapters already and I’ve created this huge monster of an idea.

JK: What is Dragon Runners about exactly?

JB: The basic concept is that only people with royal blood are able to tame dragons, and they’re also called “Dragon Runners” (a little joke in my head about how they can run beside them without getting stepped on). Anyway, so it’s been that way forever. Royals come of age – 18 – and a baby dragon is born. The first thing the hatchling sees is their “master” or “partner”, however you’d like to define it, and then the dragon is named. It creates a bond. However, everything kind of goes haywire when a mere serving girl stumbles upon a dragon egg of her very own.

JK: Ooh, sounds interesting. How long have you been working on it?

JB: Well, I got the idea in the beginning of April, four weeks back. But I’ve only been working on it for about two weeks.

JK: Do you have any big plot twists planned for this wonderful novel of yours?

JB: Oddly, I don’t. I  usually have several huge plot twists looming on the horizon but I haven’t been able to figure out how to properly make the reader’s head spin in this story…. yet.

JK: So you like to use multiple plot twists? What’s the usual amount for one story?

JB: Haha, usually only 2-3, but I remember when I was little I had a story where it was just constant plot twists, like a soap opera.

JK: Yeah, soap opera stories aren’t as fun to read as they are to watch. What is the genre you typically write?

JB: Fantasy, all the way. I’m a huge fantasy nerd.

JK: What’s your least favorite to write?

JB: Non-fiction. I find nothing more boring than real life. I’ve always been a daydreamer; there’s a reason for that.

JK: Ick, I agree. So, how often do you usually write within a week?

JB: I try and write a little bit every day. It doesn’t always happen that way, but it’s important to flex the writing muscle.

JK: Is there a certain person that influenced you to begin writing and flexing that lovely writing muscle?

JB: Not that I can remember. I’ve always just loved it. I was, however, influcenced to try and publish and share my writing because of wonderful authors that I loved as a teenager, like Holly Black, JK Rowling, and Shannon Hale. Oh, and Heather Dixon!

JK: That’s great that you have always enjoyed it. Too many people are interested in just the money. On that note, you have one hour to write about anything you chose. What is your topic of choice?

JB: Oh crap, that’s a toughie. I have a lot of loves right now, and currently dragons ranks pretty high…. but I’m going to go ahead and say either fae or modern magic.

JK: Oh, those are the best kinds of things to read about. One last question, If you could meet one of your character in real life, who would it be? What is their personality like?

JB: Huh, another tough one. I’m going to say Ein, from my Mechanical Maladies series. He’s a bit rough around the edges, and he ABHORS pocket watches, but he’s a stand-up guy.

JK: He sounds quite interesting. I’m glad to have had the chance to ask you about all these wonderful things. I hope everything goes great with Dragon Runners.

JB: Well, thank you. I look forward to seeing how it develops myself.

It was certainly an interesting experience! If you want to support her and her writings as well, please visit her site http://stealmedead.blogspot.com