Interview with Mireyah Wolfe

Welcome back to We Do Write. We're still brand new but slowly building up a following, isn't that great?

Today we're having a chat with 17-year-old aspiring writer Mireyah Wolfe!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Mireyah.

I live in Louisiana with my parents and my animals. I’m homeschooled and currently studying for my GED, hoping to go to SLU later this year. When I’m not writing, I’m reading or doing research, making knives or playing with the dog. And if I’m not doing any of those things, then I’m probably procrastinating on Twitter with my other writer buds. *blush*

We're all guilty of procrastinating on Twitter, don't worry! So, what is the name and genre of your manuscript?

The title is almost always changing these days, but the current title is “Grace of the Grave.” It’s Urban Fantasy with a few romance elements thrown in.

Love the title! I'd definitely pick it up if I saw it in the bookstore. Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

I tend to get rambly and confusing when I talk about it—which I really need to work on—so I’ll give you the description I’ve got on my blog.

“In Johanna Devlin's world, everything is simple-- her work is fulfilling, her home is warm, and her fiancé is loving. In Joey's world, demons don't exist and angels are simply regular people who are nicer than most.

But when her grandfather dies and her loving fiancé turns abusive, Joey is forced to return to a life she’d long left behind, complete with family secrets better left buried and friendships that hide betrayals.

If only life were simple.”

How did the idea of the story come to you?

To be perfectly honest, I came up with the original idea (which has since evolved and changed quite a bit) while I was brushing my teeth. I had spent the day alternately reading a friend’s book and watching episodes of Supernatural (the tv show), so my head was filled with demons and angels and hunters when I went to go to bed that night. At the time, I was smack dab in the center of a huge idea drought. I couldn’t even dredge up a micro-short story, which I can usually do at any point in time.

Maybe it was a combination of minty freshness and letting my mind wander, but I suddenly had this idea and this character who was going from the normal life to utter chaos. I think I might’ve freaked my parents out when I burst out of the bathroom, practically squealing that I’d finally had an idea for NaNo!

I'm a Supernatural fan myself! Love those Winchester boys! Is your manuscript complete or still a work in progress?

Definitely a work in progress. I started it for NaNoWriMo and I did hit the 50k mark, but the story wasn’t done. I’m in the middle of major revisions because I’ve recently had a few epiphanies about it. (I swear, those things are gonna be the death of me.)

Do you have a word count goal, and how far along are you at this point?

My general word count is 70,000 words, since it’s an Urban Fantasy. I’m not as far along as I’d like to be, but it’s coming slowly but surely. If only I could finally defeat the Procrastination Demon—it sneaks up on me whenever I look at my WiP! I’m gonna catch it one day…

Maybe we should call in Sam and Dean to lend a hand! Hehehe! Do you have a critique group or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I’m a member of an online critique group, but I can’t really post my work there because the group is for YA Authors—I joined because it was the only I could join when I was 15—and my work is definitely not YA. But through that group, I met a few other authors who are wonderful and willing to read and help me out. Minor edits, I do myself, but the major things are usually the stuff I completely miss.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Staying interested. I’m not a fast writer by any stretch of the imagination and I tend to get bored with things after a while. Because it takes me so long, I have a hard time keeping myself from simply drifting away from whatever I’m working on. (And yeah, it’s happened quite a few times before.)

 I’ve managed to find a few ways to keep it fresh—reading an as-yet unpublished work in the same genre, watching movies and television shows that have similarities to my story. I recently started drifting away from my current WiP, and I watched an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer—it made me want to jump back into work. *grin*

Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

It doesn’t have to be a solitary art. With the support of family and/or friends, of other writers, it doesn’t feel like you’re alone in this seemingly impossible endeavor. I think that’s the one thing I see a lot of—writers who think that writing is something you have to do on your own, that you have to be completely self-dependant, and that’s simply not the case. You can if you want to, but it’s not a requirement.

Great advice! Do you have an idea for your book’s cover art?

Oh, I love making mock cover art—and I fully blame SM Blooding (smblooding.webs.com) for that. I have so many thoughts on what my cover art would be that I think I’d be happy with whatever they gave me! *grin*

Who are your inspirations?

I’d have to say that the television show Supernatural is my number one inspiration, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a close second. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series inspired me to write in first person, and many other books have kept my attention there.

My friends, Ceridwen Swift and Ashelynn Sanford, have kept me on my toes and I thank the fates every day for having met them.

SM Blooding, an extremely prolific novelist (sadly unpublished), continues to keep me motivated and reaching for that finish line.

Beyond that, possibilities are inspiration.

Ooh, I like that! Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know (or maybe they do know but they are special traits/hobbies/quirks)?

1.  I love unevenly numbered lists. It’s completely contrary to my mild, but sometimes overly apparent O.C.D, and it drives my friends up the wall, but I do love uneven lists.
2. I’m only a neat freak when it comes to my book shelves. Everything else…I honestly don’t care. (IE: Making the bed does not concern me.)
3. I couldn’t think of something that I haven’t already admitted to on my own blog, but according to my mother, I make weird faces when I’m completely engrossed in whatever I’m doing on the computer—and she doesn’t mean normal weird faces, she means The Incredibles mom faces when she’s feeding the baby. And that kind of freaks me out now. I may never get on the computer in public again.

Making the bed doesn't concern me either - and I'm a mother, so that's probably not good to admit, lol. Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Ah, so many to choose from—I’ve got amazing friends and family, but the major players are definitely my parents, my BFF, Ceri, in Australia, SM Blooding, and my friend Ashelynn. There are many more, through twitter and the blogosphere, and I hope they all know how much they mean to me.

And finally, where can people find you online?

My blog: http://m-wolfe.blogspot.com

My twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MireyahWolfe

Mireyah, thank you so much for letting me interview you. Good luck with your book, and please keep us updated when you've reached the next phase of your publishing journey!

Thanks so much for asking me, Dorothy. I thoroughly enjoyed it!