Q&A

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Seeing all of these questions made me feel so giddy inside, I even went overboard in answering some because they put me in a good mood!

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How old are you?

I started this story when I was 15. Now I'm 17, but I'll be 18 in a couple of weeks!

How tall are you?

5'6 (barely)

At what age did you start to take writing more seriously?

I started Badly Broken about three years ago, but I was dealing with severe mental health issues at the time and I was also trying to write other stories at the same time so I ended up dropping everything I was doing. I was 15 back then.

I tried to pick writing back up several times after that, but it didn't work out. It wasn't until last summer that I started taking it more seriously. Because of quarantine, I was finally able to get into the right headspace to right lightheartedly and freely. I got a couple of comments asking me to continue the story even though I hadn't updated in years.

At first, I went in with the mentality that I'll just give it a shot and drop it if it gets too stressful or boring. But then I started to get more attention and I began to realize that some people actually enjoyed my story, which was extremely motivating.

I began to enjoy writing it more and more, but I didn't start truly taking it seriously until around August this year. So to answer your question, I didn't start taking writing more seriously until I was 17, just before my senior year of high school started.

How do you write so well?

Writing has always been one of my strong suits, but my specialty is writing formal things such as essays. At first, I had a really hard time making this story fun because I was so used to writing in a strictly academic way, but the more I wrote, the better I became at it. My writing isn't perfect and I still make a lot of mistakes, I am also pretty bad at editing, but I'm trying my best :) Also, I believe I am only good at writing because I am complete shit when it comes to math :)

How many chapters are left of this story?

I don't have an exact number, but there should be around 10, possibly less, and possibly more. (I will be finishing Badly Broken before I start any other stories)

What are your plans for the next story?

I actually have five stories in my drafts that I have detailed plots for in my head. I haven't completely decided if I am going to write Kalen's storyline next or follow my original plan to write a best friends to lovers story that heavily deals with homophobia and mental illness. And although that story will be heart wrenching, even so, compared to that I am only in the mood to write Kalen's story when I'm extra sad... So I might wait to start it until the weather gets a bit more gloomy. I will start planning my next story out after I finish Badly Broken.

I'm really interested to know what got you into writing.

It's actually not a very interesting story. I didn't start writing because I like it. It was because I have so many ideas and stories swirling around in my head, and the only thing I can do with them is to write them down. I had read countless stories and there were always things I wish could have happened, so I took my own ideas and mixed it with things I wanted to read about. I actually hated writing stories when I first started. I didn't want to actually be the one to write it, I wasn't good at it and it took so much time. At first (6th-10th grade) I would have rather seen them in a TV show or as an anime, writing used to feel like a chore to me. It wasn't until recently that I started enjoying actually writing.

What is the inspiration behind Badly Broken? (this is a very long answer)

One of the reasons I started writing was becauseI hate some of the stereotypes in dominant/submissive relationships.

When I started reading gay stories, I absolutely loathed seeing a character go from snarky and independent to submissive and needy. Although some people like that which is perfectly fine, it makes me uncomfortable. In so many stories, the character's personality completely changed after going into the relationship. The dominant male lead would be borderline abusive and I couldn't stand seeing the toxic relationships as if they were the most normal thing in the world. It is not healthy nor normal for someone to change so much after beginning a relationship.

I wanted a story with characters on equal grounds. I couldn't find what I wanted so I decided I would just do it myself. I model my characters after my own specific type, and I prefer an equal dynamic in relationships, not where one person is seen as "higher," or "more" than the other.

Honestly, I created Kai and Lucas' characters with the intent of them being switches, and then created their personalities based off of that.

As for the plot, there was a mystery/thriller show I was watching at the time about this police investigation and I thought it was super cool so I wanted to include something similar, but I also wanted my characters to be in high school. And somehow I ended up with an underground fight club.

I want to know (and I know it's a silly question but) what do you like the most about rain and storms?๐Ÿ™‚cause your profile was the first thing that caught my attention while I was searching for a random story to read.

Honestly, I just thought it sounded cool when I made it because I was young. I liked the rain because it was kind of sad and melancholy, and I thought it was cool if I added storm at the end lol

Have you ever thought of making Badly Broken a paperwork or book?

I think about it all the time, but I'm still young and have no clue how to make that happen. My parents don't know that I like to write, and I don't feel comfortable asking them because they would heavily judge me, a girl, writing about a male gay couple. Not to mention the smut... If I could do it on my own, I definitely would, but as of right now, it's not something I am capable of. Maybe in the future!

In Kalen's story, will you put some focus on why Kaleb is homophobic?

I'll definitely be explaining it and making a redemption arc for Kaleb in Kalen's story!

There were also some people who would prefer a Kaleb sequel rather than a Kalen one, but the story I planned out doesn't fit with Kaleb's personality. When I made Kaleb's character in my head, although it is not written in the book, he is a straight male. He is homophobic for a reason which will be revealed in the Badly Broken sequel.

What's your favorite genre of music?

I really like modern rock, alternative, indie, and Kpop!ย 

Some of my favorite songs at the moment are:

Lonely by Palaye Royale

I See You by MISSIO

Me and My Friends are Lonely by Matt Maeson

Some Kpop groups I like are Stray Kids, NCT, ACE, ATEEZ, and many, many more.

Do you read manga?

I read A LOT of manga! Literally almost every genre, action, adventure, fantasy, yaoi, slice of life, you name it! Some of my favorites are Solo Leveling, The Beginning After the End, and Cherry Blossoms After Winter! I also watch anime, and when it comes to dramas, I will watch anything in any language as long as there are subtitles.

What's your favorite color?

That's a tough one, probably purple.

Can you tell us a random fact about yourself?

Hmm, I have a dog named Koda, he's a bernedoodle :)

Do you like martial arts?

I know absolutely nothing about fighting, I am trying my best to incorporate different things and make them interesting... but I have no clue what I'm doing.

How are you generally feeling about so many people reading your story?

It honestly doesn't feel very real. I doubted myself quite a bit while writing this, I still do, but seeing people enjoy my story makes me so happy!

Could you do a chapter where Kai is top?

Y'all aren't even ready for what I've been planning ;)

Is there any inspiration for when Kai goes into sicko mode with the cold eyes?

Well, I was rewatching Hunter x Hunter, and I somehow ended up incorporating part of Killua's character into Kai. Some anime characters do this thing when they get mad, I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, but if you've watched anime, you probably know what I'm talking about.

What's something you're most proud of?

I don't have a lot of things I am proud of, but I do have a fan account for an actor I like that I made in 8th grade that now has 103K followers...

What's your greatest fear?

I have quite a lot of fears, but I'll only disclose the surface-level ones to not make this too deep. I am absolutely terrified of witches. Green ones, the old lady from Snow White, the candy cottage ones, etc. As a kid, instead of having monsters in my closet or under my bed, it was witches. I am also scared of clowns and being alone in the dark.

What's you're favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate :) I'm not a big sweets person but I love anything chocolate!

Do you have any tips for people who want to write a story?

I am in no way a professional writer, so I can only give tips based on my small amount of experience. Also, this question isn't specific so I'll just mention a couple of things that came to mind. First, I recommend that you have a solid plot with characters and their unique traits and personalities planned out. Know what you want to do, I recommend planning an outline of what you want in each chapter. This can be extremely loose or detailed, mine is more like a vague guideline that I follow for plot and pace, but I do not follow it exactly. For me, I think the most important thing to focus on when doing the writing itself is grammar and pace. If things are too fast then it will seem awkward (I struggled with this at times). Try not to rush things or drag things out too much.

If there is anything more specific anyone has questions on, Im more than willing to give some advice. But keep in mind I am also an amateur so my writing isn't perfect :)

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Those are all the questions I've received thus far, but if there is anything else you are curious about, just comment and I'll reply there! Same goes if you want to know more about something in one of the questions I already answered above, I love interacting with you all so feel free to ask whatever :)

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