Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce your last name?
Eye-ring.
How long have you been writing?
Since I was 10, earlier if counting journal entries and short stories.
Do you have any formal writing education?
I do not! Everything I learned was from other authors, beta readers, and years of experimentation.
What genres do you enjoy?
Horror, sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, and of course, romance. Anything created by Mike Flanagan or Guillermo del Toro will instantly win me over.
What was your first full-length novel?
BRANDED, which is set to debut with City Owl Press. More coming soon!
Do you plot, or do you discover?
For many years, I thought I was an outliner, because I would create rough drafts using a bullet point system. Sadly, bullet points do not an outline make, and I had to accept my fate as a discovery writer. Writing an outline seems a lot less terrifying than making it up as you go, and I envy the plotters for their beautiful architecture rather than my wild garden.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
As the wise Alexa Donne once said, I don't believe in writer's block. Not because you can’t be blocked from writing, which is very possible, but because you can’t wait for the muse to arrive, especially as a professional author. Set a routine you can stick with, get rid of the distractions, take care of your physical and mental health, and just write. Sometimes, your greatest writing can come from your most frustrating starts.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Writing is a solitary task, and ultimately, the only person in charge of your writing is you. Finding your voice is one of the most important tasks as a writer, and relying on the opinions and suggestions of others can smother your voice when you’re first learning to recognize its cadence.
My suggestion is to write frequently and often, without the thoughts and opinions of others shaping your journey. You will write poorly, and you’ll make lots of mistakes, but you’ll discover things you can’t learn from anyone else.
Once you’re confident and familiar with your voice and style, that’s when you can—and should—open yourself to learning from others. Attend workshops, listen to lectures, join critique groups and book clubs and attend conferences. You’ll enjoy the writing journey so much more when you understand who you are and where you fit in this exciting world.
Most importantly, have fun! As Brandon Sanderson tells in his lectures at BYU, writing is good for you. Writing nurtures the soul. Writing will enrich your life and bring you joy, and if nothing else, it will remind you that magic is real. All you must do to conjure it is open a book.