This is part two of the young writer interview series. If you haven’t yet, go check out part 1.
And now, get ready to meet young writer Aci Enrica.
About Aci
Bio
What genre do you write in and why?
I write predominantly science fiction/futuristic and fantasy. This is because I enjoy a good creative challenge and crafting whole worlds, magic, technology, and new species, and then spinning stories that bring all that to life.
What genre do you read in and why?
I read the same genres I write in because it has often been stated that you have to read the type of books you want to write. If you want to write a dark fantasy, action-adventure type story, then those are the types of books you read so you can get a feel of what that audience enjoys.
What do you blog about?
My blog is about writing, books, and story science. I post reviews about my writing exploits, and just writing in general.
Who or what inspired you to write?
My family has been friends with another family for as long as I can remember, and when I was ten, one of their teens was writing a book. I was so fascinated and inspired that I resolved that if he could write a book, I could. As a child, I always made up stories in my head and with my stuffed animals. It never occurred to me that I could write those stories down and he was the wake-up I needed to see that I could bring the stories to life. He doesn’t write anymore and has moved on in life, but I can see now that God used that short time of his life to set me on the path of an enthusiastic writer. Nothing we do goes to waste.
What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?
Self-discipline. Writing isn’t easy by any stretch and I spent a good part of a year teaching myself to write regardless of whether motivation was present or not. Self-discipline is a huge part of writing because most of the time you won’t want to write, and it takes steeled determination to sit down and meet your daily word goal. I can now use that skill on any hard project I need to complete.
How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?
I know if I wasn’t a Christian, chances are my books would have a language, sketchy scenes, and morbid elements. As a Christian, I can write good, clean fiction that Christians can read without compromising their Christian morals.
What do you want to accomplish with your writing?
I want to fill a void in the market—providing clean fiction that isn’t strictly “Christian fiction” but conveys Biblical themes and certainly isn’t written from a worldly perspective. I also want my books to make people think. Stories carry a lot of power to change perspective and I’d like to use that power for good.
How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?
Success is different for every individual. It changes with each step in life I take. I don’t believe it’s riches or fame—but I will know I have succeeded when readers are telling me my books are conveying exactly what I wanted them to.
What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?
I don’t have much experience but I will say this: It’s okay to love something flawed. Your book will never be perfect. Especially the first draft. Someone once told me that as the writer, you know what your book’s potential is. But the reader doesn’t. They only see the book as it is and if it’s truly a good story, they will love it. As the writer, you will always think it could be better, but that’s just your perfectionism talking.
Conclusion
That’s the end of the interview. If you want to see the interview Aci did for me, check it out on her website.
Aci’s website: https://acienrica.com
Aci’s author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acienricaauthor
If you enjoyed this interview, make sure to head over to Aci’s website and subscribe to her email list.