Interview with Gifted Teen Writer Nic Q.

Welcome to Romancing the Genres, Nic! Thank you for doing this Guest Interview for our Highlighting Young Writers Month.

Tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to start writing fiction?

I am fourteen years old, turning fifteen in over a month, and will attend L.O. High School next year. I first began writing fiction in the second grade, but, since it was many, many years ago, I cannot remember just what my main inspiration was. 

Over the years, however, my inspirations for fiction pieces have included works like Star Trek, Star Wars, The Hunt for Red October, and others.

What’s your favorite place to write? 

I generally prefer to write in a quiet place with computer access where I can feel comfortable and at home. My room fulfills all of those requirements, so I generally do most of my writing there.

Tell us about your latest writing project.

I am presently working on a science fiction novel, which is for the moment untitled, that is set in the far future. It tells the story of a naval officer fighting in a centuries-long interstellar war that has long since degenerated into a long, protracted stalemate, with a corrupt totalitarian regime using it to stay in power. The protagonist finds himself caught in a covert resistance movement attempting to overthrow the government, while simultaneously attempting to end the war through any means necessary. I have actually been developing the plot, characters, and setting for several months now, but due to the pressures of school and recent surgery I have been unable to make much progress.

What was the last great book that you read?

Just a few months ago I read H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds and found it to be quite a good read, even though some elements appeared scientifically dated or outright absurd.

What types of scenes (dialogue, action, romantic) do you most enjoy writing and why?

I enjoy writing description, as it allows me to vividly flesh out and elaborate upon the detailed minutiae of my fictional worlds.

Who has helped you most as a writer? What did they do?

All of my teachers since the beginning of my formal education have helped enormously with my writing ability, helping me to refine my work while simultaneously giving considerable support and encouragement. My teacher last year was especially helpful, and I am actually maintaining an email correspondence with him to assist with my novel.

Are your friends writers, too?

Some of them, yes, but they are not quite as interested in writing as I am. However, both of my parents are dedicated writers.

Where do you go for writing help?

Usually I consult online sources (no particular site, just whatever comes up on Google), my parents, or my teachers whenever I encounter difficulties when writing.

What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I hope to finish and publish my science fiction novel by the end of high school. Beyond that, I simply aspire to be at least moderately successful as a professional writer.

What question would you like to ask the writers in our audience?

What is the easiest way to get one’s writing published?

 I hope you get some thoughtful answers to that question, Nic. thank you for sharing your experiences and perspective as a young writer with our audience.

ESCAPING THE MODIFIERS by Emily Golden, Young Author,

Emily Golden is an award-winning young playwright.

A typical first-draft sentence for me looks something like this: The long, verbose blog post was playfully written with convivial humor and mirthful metaphor.

            Needless to say, brevity has never been my strength.

EMILY GOLDEN

It takes a tremendous amount of work for me to weed out all of the extra description and just leave the distilled meaning of what I’m trying to say. With some brutal rewriting I usually end up with something fairly concise. However, rewriting my reputation takes a bit more effort.

            As a young writer I’m constantly struggling against modifiers. I’m always “a great writer for my age” or “excellent for a college student.” I’ll win the student or young writer division in a competition. When I first started writing I relished being the exceptional new kid. I loved the feeling of being the only high school student who managed to get into a night of ten-minute-plays. Now that I’ve graduated from college, I find myself trying to break away from such phrases, but it isn’t easy.

            Even more important than outward perception are the modifiers I place on myself. Recently while having a conversation with my dad I referenced the two successful playwrights who graduated from my college. After asking whom the second one was, he was surprised to discover that I hadn’t included myself in that list. But, in reality, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I was now joining their ranks.

Being a “student writer” is my comfort zone. It gives me a constant fallback if I’m unsatisfied with my work. It’s okay if my last play felt mediocre because I’m still young and I have plenty of time to improve. Now, by trying to break away from this label, I have to also let go of it in the way I see myself. I have to become comfortable saying “I am a playwright” rather than treating it as something I’m trying to become in the future.

            I’m starting a new period in my writing and, in fact, my life, in which I’m going to have to embrace a brand new list of modifiers. The words “early career” and “emerging” are starting to find their way close to my name, and I’m going to have to get used to seeing them there.

            I think that’s one of the biggest struggles that young writers face—figuring out who they are once the “young” goes away and they simply become writers. I don’t yet know how I’m going to handle this change, but I’m excited to give it a shot. 

PEANUT BUTTER AND PLAY WRITING  In a June post, Emily Golden uses a metaphor to explain how she became a playwright.