Writer Interviews (Pt. 1) Rebecca Ahn
I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca Ahn on Threads and in person since we live so close to each other! They are so amazing and the perfect person to kick of this sister series to the author interviews!
The Life of a Querying Writer
Writer of Fantasy and Literary Fiction, Ahn is currently in the query trenches (we salute you). They opted to share some of their current projects with us so keep reading to learn more…
“I'm working on a fantasy novel about three immortals going on a scavenger hunt to find their lost god. Secrets, regrets, and unresolved feelings come to light. I might reach back to also work on a YA adventure/fantasy project I put on the back burner a while ago. That one's about a group of teens with superpowers (a result of experimentation done on them as children) fighting monsters. Fun!”
What has been the biggest struggle that you have faced as a writer?
I'm not too big on conflicts in real life as well as in fiction, so I have trouble coming up with plot points. Unfortunately, novels can't be made from cool character concepts and a handful of filler scenes.
What are you working on now? Please share as much as you are comfortable with.
I'm working on a fantasy novel about three immortals going on a scavenger hunt to find their lost god. Secrets, regrets, and unresolved feelings come to light. I might reach back to also work on a YA adventure/fantasy project I put on the back burner a while ago. That one's about a group of teens with superpowers (a result of experimentation done on them as children) fighting monsters. Fun!
What is your number one piece of advice for other writers?
Practice!!! So many writing struggles or questions can be answered by writing more. For three years, I wrote a short story every week based on different themes/genres. It helped me more than any writing craft book ever could.
How do you prioritize your mental health when writing?
Bold of you to assume I prioritize my mental health at all. Wish I was joking.
What media (film, t.v., literature, etc.) has inspired you?
I often get inspired by music, especially cavetown and My Chemical Romance. I also draw a lot of inspiration from TJ Klune and Becky Chambers in terms of theme or worldbuilding. They both write character-focused stories with beautiful settings and relatively low stakes, all of which I want to emulate.
What is your favorite part about the writing process and why?
I love writing character backstories. It's so fun to figure out their psychologies and how they've become the trainwreck that they are. I especially enjoy making connections or parallels between the characters to emphasize the tragedies.
How have past successes and failures influenced how you approach writing?
Publishing my stories helped me realize that I should be confident in my writing and approach it with a more professional lens. Being younger doesn't mean that my stories are automatically more childish or shallow. Having this confidence gives me the energy to push on and attempt to do more with my writing. And even if I fail, I can keep going as I always have.
Final Words:
Thank you so much to Rebecca Ahn for allowing me to interview them and best of luck to them in the query trenches!
