1. Welcome to the meme! What's your name? Tell me a bit about yourself.
My name is Phoenix, I write fanfiction and original stories, I'm a sophomore in college.

2. When did you first find that you had a knack for writing?
Well, I've always created stories, ever since I was little. I'd tell them to my mom and she enjoyed listening to them. I started writing them down when I was eight and it continued to escalate. I started to post my fanfictions when I was thirteen--and people really liked them. So probably around then.

3. Do you prefer poetry or prose? Why? Do you like both?
I prefer prose cuz I'm better at prose. But I like poetry too. I'm a songwriter as well, and that is poetry, but I've only started that recently.

4. What is it you enjoy most about writing?
I don't know...I guess I like creating adventures and romances and comedy. It comes easily to me.

5. Do you enjoy roleplaying? If you do, do you use your favorite characters or make up new ones?
I have yet to officially 'roleplay.' I'm still a little unclear on what exactly that is...a friend of mine told me that it was basically writing your characters with other people's characters, and I have done that a few times.

6. When writing, do you think about the techniques you use and how they affect the reader, or simply write away?
It depends on what I'm writing. Almost every story starts out with a picture or a scene in my head and that's generally when I 'write away.' But at certain points I'll think to myself, 'What am I telling the reader here? What do I want them to get from this?' and write for that specific purpose.

7. Do you feel bad when you write your characters in danger?
Naw, it builds character. I do feel bad when I kill characters or put them through emotional agony.

8. Do you have any particular influences? Bands? Authors?
C.S Lewis is a huuuge influence on me. Without even meaning to I will leave little tributes to him.

9. Have you ever joined in a collaboration with friends? If not/so why?
I am currently co-writing a book with my friend Regan and have been working on various scenes with another friend of mine. Collaborations are helpful because they help both writers develop their skills, but it's got to be with someone you get along with. I once started a really good story with someone and because of romantic complications (from his side, not mine) the story got abandoned and he got nasty towards me.

10. Do you show friends your work even if it is not complete? Or do you prefer it to be finished before you show it off?
I have a personal policy that if anyone ever asks to see any of my works, I immediately hand it over for whatever criticism or praise I can get. If it's not complete or a rough draft I'll tell them so. I do prefer to show them finished works but I let them see either.

11. Who was the first character you came up with? Describe them to me!
Oh goodness gracious. Fanfiction or original stories? Geez...I've been creating stories for ages, I'm not sure I can think that far back! I would say my first developed character was Phoenix Talon, for whom I have my name from. She was very much a Mary Sue, but still very personal to me. She was a Time Guardian, basically a superhero character. She was the girl I wished to be. I created her when I was twelve.

12. Do you feel you know your character inside/out?
I know all my characters inside and out.

13. What makes your favorite character angry?
Of my originals, I don't really have a favorite character, I love them all. Of my fanfics, my fave OC is probably Chase...sorry other guys. Not much makes Chase angry, probably people who takes shots at her mom or her family.

14. Do you think why they are as they are or are they so just because you want them to be?
All of my characters have specific reasons for exactly why they are.

15. What do you like most about this character?
Which, I've got a lot of characters...

16. Does your character resemble you in anyway?
Each and everyone of my characters has a little bit of me embedded within them. But they each have their own distinguishing characteristics that are very different from me. Kasdeya is a lot angrier than I am, and darker. So is Skylar. Lindsey is a lot cooler than I am, I tend to lose my temper and cool more easily. Zoe is much shyer than I am and probably more talented. Al can't take anything seriously. Ed is a little too serious and much more romantic than I am.

17. Do you have any shamelessly Mary Sue characters?
Not recently. My first fanfic character, Jacey Chambers, is a very Mary Sue-ish character. Mary Sue characters are acceptable if you're an early writer and just learning to develop characters. Now that I am a more mature writer, I don't use Mary Sues anymore. Don't need them. I can develop my characters.

18. Where did you get the inspiration for this character?
Lots of different inspirations for each different character. I created Kasdeya because I wanted a character that was a decent vampire character. I created Skylar in the beginning as a darker version of myself if I went through the hell she's gone through--and she developed further and further away from me. Lindsey was created as a foil for Kasdeya. Zoe was inspired by the number 9. Al was inspired by a dream, so was Shahar. Ed was inspired by Grimm's fairy tales.

19. Do you have any tips for wannabe writers about creating a believable/good character?
Do NOT create a character you wish you were nor a character that is basically you. Write out every single detail you can, walk through your character's shoes, and write, write, WRITE.