Book: Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Yes, I am from Dallas, Texas. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, but now work in the education field and hold my Master’s in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University. However, I still love writing and do it in my free time. I also advise for my sorority, Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing’ book?
I struggled a lot with the content and whether it was too mature to publish. There are a lot of explicit words and mature topics included and because I put a lot of my own emotions in my main character, at times I became very hesitant to publish the book.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Before I started writing the book, I read a book called “Constantly Constance” which is written in blog format. This inspired me to also write a book this way, so in this book, my main character is writing to her fanbase through a blog. I like the way it flows and how much of the her voice you can hear in her writing. Another book that influenced my writing is Stephen King’s “On Writing”. One big takeaway for me was to not be afraid to be explicit and just express yourself the way you need to. It gave me the push I needed to publish this book without cutting a lot of the mature content.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I’ve only been a couple of times, but I fell in love with New Orleans when I first went to visit. It has a very rich and unique history and culture. As a foodie, it’s also a lot of fun for me to try all the restaurants when I go.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
No, normally when I get an idea, I just start writing immediately with very little planning. I have a horrible habit of not outlining my books before diving into them. It makes the process a lot of fun for me, but I do have to go back through and clean up a lot of plot holes and make sure the timeline of the story runs smoothly. I’m sure there are a few plot holes I missed (lol).
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing’ book?
It took me about seven years to complete. I started writing the book while I was in college and took a break while I was starting my career and going to graduate school. Right before everything shut down due to COVID, I joked that if I had one more week at home I could finally finish. I ended up finishing the book during the first week of quarantine and spent the following months editing and putting the finishing touches on it.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing’ book to buy?
Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing is currently available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The audio version will be out by early 2021 and will be available through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing’?
I think the title is funny. I originally wrote a lot of the entries as a way to vent and explore my feelings, which often occurs late at night when I was so tired I almost felt drunk. It was a working title that I put as a joke. One of my friends actually liked the title, so I stuck with it. I worked with a friend and colleague of mine, DeMarcus Tucker, who took my very vague cover idea and turned it into a beautiful cover. I love it because it grasps the tone of the book and the juxtaposition of trying to work diligently under pressure while trying to hold onto your sanity.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
When I’m writing, I like to harness how I’m feeling and pour that into my protagonists. As I learn and experience new things, my perspectives and feelings often change, so in many ways my characters mature as I do.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Since this book was so personal and special to me, I took some of my interest and made them interests of Leyna as well. They’re small details, so I think of them as little “Easter eggs”. People can stumble upon them and see the parts of me that I hid in the story.
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Late Night Might As Well Be Drunk Writing
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