A.G. Silver: To start us off, what got you into writing?

T.C. Arc: Hmm, I don’t think I can pin down a certain moment when I realized I really liked writing, but I think it came naturally since I read so much. Constantly reading stories made me realize what I would like to see in books which led me to write things myself. I wrote stories with one of my friends for fun when I was in 4th grade, I wrote a short story for school in 7th, and then in 9th grade, I started my first short story by myself.

A.G.: Very cool! I love how a lot of authors find their passion when they are very young. What did you draw your inspiration from at such a young age, and is it still your inspiration now?

T.C.: When it comes to books I have always drawn inspiration from music. Singing is another one of my greatest passions so I think I see the potential for a more in-depth story than what I hear in a song and end up putting it on paper. When it comes to poetry, I think it is mostly inspired by emotion. I tend to write a poem when I am feeling something really strongly so my emotions come out as a passionate burst of 14 lines. Whatever gets me excited about a certain topic whether it may be music, other writing, art, or emotions, serves as the best inspiration.

A.G.: Hahaha, we are twins when it comes to book inspiration. So you said you write when you feel something, what then did you feel that inspired you to write Hey There Delilah? What significance does it have for you?

T.C.: I remember listening to the song Hey There Delilah at night and then just suddenly thinking, “I should write a story about this.” So, that night I ended up writing four scribbly pages which held most of the plot and the general scenes. The next day or so, I typed it out on Google Docs and started to revise it. I worked on it here and there and pretty soon I completed my first rough draft of ten pages. When A.G. and I started Silver Arc was when I worked on it more seriously even though I had also started other writing projects. As I’m publishing Hey There Delilah, the main significance it holds for me is proof that I can finish a story. It's sort of like my first step into the world of writing and committing to furthering my writing career. It may not be my favorite project, but it's a sweet story that helped me hone my writing skills and start my journey.

A.G.: Love the perseverance! So tell us, who are some of your favorite authors you look up to?

T.C.: I think my top three authors are Louisa May Alcott, K.M. Shea, and Marissa Meyer; closely followed by Rick Riordan, W.R. Gingell, our very own A.G. Silver XD, and more recently Shannon Messenger. (I could actually go on, but I think I’ll stop here hahaha). My top three authors have seriously written my favorite stories of all time, and I hope to one day write something as amazing and impactful as them.

A.G.: Oooh a lovely choice of authors (I’m flattered I made it up there <3). You said you want to write something as impactful as they’ve written, so what are your favorite kinds of scenes to write?

T.C.: I absolutely love to read and write banter between characters. I’m tempted to write a story with tons of characters solely because I would be able to have so many character interactions. Since banter is usually written for comedy, there is no pressure to convey things a certain way or make sure the drive of the conversation is just right. On the other side of the spectrum, writing scenes where everything comes crashing down for the characters is quite enjoyable. In those moments, both readers and characters connect thinking there is no way out of the mess they are in and they are able to celebrate together when the mess is fixed (unless a story really does end in disaster…).

A.G.: Yessss banter between characters is amazing. Onto our last question! How would you like to grow as a writer in the next year?

T.C.: Sigh, as much as I would love to rely on an editor to just tell me how to fix all my grammar mistakes, I would like to hone my grammar skills more. Not only will they help for creative writing but also essays and papers necessary for school, and the dreaded SAT. I would also love to be more effective with my writing and meet deadlines when I’m supposed to. My life is pretty hectic and busy but I’m sure there is a small goal that is doable.

That is all for this week Readers, but I hope you have a lovely week, and we’ll see you next year!