Interview with Author Chrys Fey

Chrys Fey will be coming out with her debut eBook, Hurricane Crimes, from The Wild Rose Press in 2014. She has published work with Freedom Fiction Journal, The Write Place at the Write Time, Inner Sins magazine, and Long Story Short. Her blog, Write With Fey, is dedicated to helping and inspiring writers.

I got to know Chrys through her blog, and I highly recommend it to any aspiring writer. To further prove her awesomeness, Chrys was kind enough to agree to an interview for Fantasy Scroll.

Q:	How and when did you get started as a writer?
A:	All throughout my childhood, I watched my mom write, and I thought it was the most magical thing in the world. I was about six years old when I wrote and illustrated my first story, but I seriously started writing six years later after an unusual find: One day, when I was twelve years old, I sat down on a small grassy hill next to my house after a lone game of basketball. I played with the sharp blades of grass when my fingers brushed something stuck deep in the roots. I thought it could’ve been a lucky penny or a key to a secret place. Curious, I dug it out and looked at my find. Unfortunately, it was not a penny or a key but a screw. The tip was crooked, and it was crusted with orange rust. For the strangest reason, while holding that pathetic screw, a story came to me about an extraordinary girl in an alternate world. I rushed inside my house, grabbed an old notebook and a black pen, and then ran back to that little mound of grass to write the beginning of that story. I wrote fiercely, trying to catch all the words stumbling around in my head. I’ve been a writer ever since.

Q:	How do you usually find your ideas? What do you do when you get stuck?
A:	Many of my story ideas are inspired by my dreams, even nightmares. The best ideas tiptoe into my mind after seeing a random object, like a rusted screw, or seeing an interesting person I want to morph into a character. Recently this happened after two trips to Wal-Mart. If I struggle with writing, I take a break. For a day or two, I’ll rest, and then I’ll sit back down to write. If I’m still having trouble with the piece I’m working on, even after reading the last couple of chapters, I’ll pick up another WIP and work on that one until my brain runs out of energy. By then, I am ready to get back to my other project.

Q:	Can you give us your advice on how new writers should handle rejections?
A:	My first piece of advice to new writers is not to take rejection as a personal attack toward you, your story, or your abilities as a writer. Rejections are so common that I actually expect a rejection now whenever I open a letter or email. If I get a rejection, I simply brush it off and send my query or story to the next one on my list. So my second piece of advice would be to harden your expectations and keep the hope that the place that will publish your story is still out there.

Q:	What was the most difficult decision you had to make for your writing, and how did that influence your career?
A:	The story I started writing when I was twelve turned into a supernatural-thriller series. At seventeen, I decided to rewrite the series all the way to book one, and this past year I finished the fourth and last book. My dream was always to publish my series first, but I realized I might have to break into publishing another way after years of no success. In 2011, I wrote a romantic suspense story titled Hurricane Crimes. The first place I sent it to was The Wild Rose Press, and it was accepted for publication as an eBook. Deciding to publish another book before my series didn’t just influence my career; it started my career!

Q:	Did you ever self-publish? If yes, how was that process for you? If no, why not?
A:	I haven’t self-published, but I am definitely keeping that avenue open in the future. You never know where your writing career might take you.

Q:	Where do you see traditional publishing going in today’s world?
A:	I think traditional publishing is going to stick around while also adapting to the new advances in publishing.

Q:	Do you advise beginning writers to seek an agent or try to do the leg-work themselves?
A:	I would definitely advise new writers to seek an agent. Agents can get your book through doors you’d never be able to on your own, and they can help you through whatever questions or problems you may come across. Keep in mind, having an agent doesn’t mean you won’t have to do the legwork. Authors have to do a lot to promote their books nowadays.

Q:	How much importance do you put on the online writer’s platform in today’s social media world?
A:	I put a great deal of importance on my online writer’s platform. Without my blog, Facebook page, and other media profiles, I wouldn’t have my small group of readers or my writer friends. I value each and every one of them!

Q:	You are also a great blogger. Do you find blogging is taking up valuable time from your creative writing?
A:	Only when I participate in blog hops since I like to visit everyone who participates. But day-to-day, blogging doesn’t really take up a lot of my writing time because I have a secret . . . I plan out all of my ideas for future posts a whole year in advance. By the time January rolls around, I am already halfway done writing my blogs for that year.

Q:	What is your final advice for new writers?
A:	Never be afraid to rewrite and never EVER give up!

Chrys, thank you for answering my questions and for the helpful tips you gave us. Good luck with your next project!

To check Chrys’ works, use the links below:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chrysfey
Blog: www.writewithfey.blogspot.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/104393486222481948013
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23533764-chrys-fey

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Iulian Ionescu

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Interview with Author Chrys Fey

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