Holiday Guest Author: Andrea Judy

This holiday season, I’ve decided to promote some of my writer friends and ask some of the questions that folks ask me. Today’s guest/victim is:

Andrea Judy

First, a little something about Andrea.

Andrea is a writer who makes her home in Atlanta, Ga. Passionate about language, she writes in multiple genres, and has had poems and short stories appear in various literary magazines as well as in several anthologies. She also studies and writes about fandom and video games. Her first digest novel, The Bone Queen, was published in October 2013 with the sequel, Blood and Bone released in February 2015. 

At what age did you start writing or know that you wanted to write?

From as early as I can remember? When cleaning out my room once I found a terrible short story that like 10 year old me wrote. I’ve always wanted to write but never really realized it was an option until later in life.

Do you plot out your stories or just make it up as you go?

Both and neither? I like to describe myself as a pantser with a belt. I sometimes have very detailed 5000 word outlines and other times I have no outline and just wing it. Usually I have at least a basic idea of my plot. The more I write, the more I tend towards outlines.

Do you listen to music while you write and if so, what do you listen too?

I make playlists for what I’m working on and then listen  to them when I work. It helps get me into the mindset of the book. Once I find the right musical tone, the book usually flows a lot smoother.

Which of your stories/books/works do you consider the best?

I really love my origin story for the Bone Queen. That’s probably my favorite because she’s one of my favorite characters I’ve put together.

How much do you write each day/week?

I’ve fallen off the writing horse for a while lately but I usually aim for at least 750 words a day. Lately I’ve been hitting 3000 a words a day.

What is your latest project/release?

My latest project I just finished is a male/male murder mystery about a recovering drug addict whose sober sponsor is murdered. It’s a dark book that I’m really excited about. I’m currently revising it but it’ll be ready for the world soon.

Favorite authors?

Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Lisa Mannetti, Delilah S. Dawson, Gwenda Bond, Claudia Rankine and many, many more.

Do you have a dream project that you want to write in the future?

I would love to write a YA featuring Harley Quinn. I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN.

How much of you is in your characters?

It’s hard to gauge. Sometimes I don’t think there’s anything of me in my characters but people who read it can peg parts of me immediately. I draw on my own experiences so I’m sure my reactions and wordage tends to infiltrate.

What are you working on now?

I am currently writing a YA murder mystery set in a girl’s boarding school for monsters.

What 3 things do you feel every aspiring writer should know?

1.      You’re going to write awful, crap drafts and it’s okay.

2.      You’ll never learn anything if you don’t finish a story.

3.      Learn from other writers and make friends.

What is your funniest/ awkward moment at a convention/signing event?

The time a drunken Pikachu started hitting on me then was picked up and carried away by a very large friend of mine.

How do you use social media in regards to your writing?

Ah social media. Honestly it’s hard. I like to tweet random thoughts and opinions, my Facebook pages I mainly blog and article posts, and my tumblr is everything and then some. Social is a hard beast to rangle if you think about it too hard. You need to be authentic and engage with people and not treat it like a bull horn or a billboard.

Do you read reviews of your books?  If so, have you ever engaged a reviewer over comments they’ve made?

Nope. Nope. Nope. Do not engage.

Thanks Andrea. To checkout her website, Click below: