Special Author interview with Brooke Nelson!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re good!

A couple of days ago, I interviewed a special author, Brooke Nelson! Here it is, enjoy…

Brooke Nelson is a debut young adult novelist and full-time college student. She lives in the upper Midwestern United States. She enjoys spending time with her pets, family, and friends.

1. What motivates you to write? 

My main source of motivation as a writer is my sister. My younger sister is a huge reader, as in, she will sit down and read a book in one sitting, every single day. When I began writing The Half Theft, I asked her if she would give me some feedback since she is more well-read than anyone I know. She was immediately enthralled with the story and the characters. Since then, she has provided me daily encouragement to keep writing, and continue working toward the goal of completing my story. With the release of book one, I am halfway there. Even now, she continues to remind me when I spend too much time away from my writing.

2. What have been the highs and lows of writing your book?

The writing process for my debut novel was a series of ups and downs. One day, I would be ecstatic at the thought of publishing my story. The next, I would contemplate deleting the whole thing because I thought it wasn’t “good enough.”

As in, I didn’t think I measured up to other authors I admired. That was until I realized that every one of us has the potential for success. I don’t have to write exactly like anyone else. In fact, having my own voice only strengthens my story. After a couple years of hard work, I did end up publishing my book, and I am immensely thankful I pushed through all my doubt to arrive here.

3. What do you enjoy most about writing?

The aspect of writing that I undoubtedly enjoy most is the freedom to create a whole world of my own making. It is immensely exciting to write about the world of Collinswood and the characters within it.

Sometimes, I even forget they are actually fictional characters. They feel so real to me, they’re almost like family. It’s incredible how comforting it can be to write out your thoughts and bring them to life.

4. Where do you get inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from a wide range of sources. One is myself and the people around me. Sometimes, a bit of a person’s personality will strike me as wonderful, or fascinating, or even a little creepy, and I will decide to incorporate that into a character. I also draw inspiration from the television series, Gotham.

Certain aspects of my setting and characters were crafted with the series in mind. Morally questionable (yet lovable) characters within a somewhat creepy setting is exactly my type of entertainment. None of my characters were created as carbon copies of other people though, fictional or otherwise. It’s exponentially more fun to piece together various character traits to create someone brand new.

5. What is your favourite quote? 

There are about 250 quotes I could utilize here. What can I say? The human mind is incredible. But for the purpose of this question, I will whittle it down to one, from William James. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” I feel like I sometimes forget that I matter, and what I do matters. This is my favorite gentle reminder that we are here for a purpose, and how we live our lives matters. What we say matters. How we act matters. Who we are matters. And in terms of authors, what we write matters.

6. What advice would you give to any aspiring author?

As a new author myself, I am still just beginning my journey into this new world. But my best advice would be, if you have a story to tell, don’t be afraid to do so. No matter how silly or far-fetched it may sound, there is someone out there who needs to hear your story. Who knows? Maybe there are even thousands that do. And when you do begin to question yourself (because it will likely happen at some point), please refer back to the quote in my last answer. Your voice matters. Please don’t be afraid to use it.

Thank you again for the opportunity to be interviewed for your blog. I appreciate it.

Thank you Brooke, it was a pleasure having you, and thank you for reading!

Don’t forget to give Brooke a follow on Instagram: @BrookeNelsonAuthor