Join us this month as we dig into magnifiqueNOIR and ask author Briana Lawrence questions about her process, her characters, the plot, and everything in between.
What inspires you to write?
Writing is one of those things I can’t imagine not doing, and inspiration comes from all sorts of things. Friends. Family. A TV show or a cool tattoo or hairstyle. I really like telling stories and putting my spin on things. I especially love how fiction can convey important messages to the audience, it’s always been a good way to make commentary on real-world issues. Yes, there’s superpowers, maybe dragons and elves, but authors use their words to express their feelings all the time, and everyone is able to take something from it in their own way.
Is there a particular book or series that really inspired you to be a writer yourself one day?
Not that I can think of. Like I said, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I’m not sure what triggered it. I’ve always been an imaginative person. I was that kid who pretended to be a Power Ranger in the playground, that teenage girl who wrote stories in three different pen colors, it’s just always been a part of me. I can, however, point to different influences in the things I’ve written, like my current book series is DEFINITELY Sailor Moon inspired, and the series I have with my wife was our roleplay logs in book form, things like that. My very first book (which I plan on republishing) was a restructured Naruto fanfic that was inspired by the manga Pet Shop of Horrors (seriously, bless fanfiction).
Where and how do you write?
I usually write at home, either in my office or in my living room if I need a change of scenery. I always have to have something playing in the background, whether it’s music through headphones or old episodes of a show. I need noise – but not too much noise. If I go to a coffee shop or something like that, I either go early so there’s less people and not as much noise or I wear headphones. Typically, when I’m working on a book, I outline the entire thing first so I can have a guideline to follow before I dive in. Lately, I’ve been sketching what the characters look like so I can have a visual, and I make notes of their likes, dislikes, clothes, ect. Ironically… I almost always end up straying away from the outline, but hey, it’s at least a good start!
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Her Story Arc 