Tips on Drawing on Inspiration to Write
Hello! You’ve arrived at the next stop of the Brazen Blog Tour. I’m excited to celebrate the release of the final book in the GILDED series written by Christina Farley. For those who are interested in learning more about writing inspiration, or just curious to see how the GILDED series was inspired, you will enjoy reading this interview with my friend Christina Farley. I really appreciate the opportunity for my blog to be part of the this amazing book release celebration. I can’t wait to delve into Jae’s story once again, and see what Christina writes next. If you have arrived to this blog post and have no idea what the GILDED series is about, I recommend reading this wonderful fantasy series with a contemporary look at Korean mythology. If you’re a fan of Rick Riordan’s YA novels, you’ll find a familiar yet unique story with Christina’s series that will make you curious to learn more about Korean culture and myths. Also a strong female lead that inspires readers of all ages that they can do the impossible. After the interview, you will find all the information you need to enter into the special giveaway.
To learn more about this series, visit the Gilded Series website. Watch GILDED’s book trailer here!
Be sure to pick up the letter for this stop at the end of this post to earn extra points in the Kindle Fire or $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! Collect all the letters during the blog tour to spell out the secret message to earn more points. About the Book:
Tips on Drawing on Inspiration to Write
Interview:
1. Where do you draw inspiration for your writing? How do you find ideas for your stories?
Photo taken at Mont Saint Michel
Every story that I’ve written so far stems from my travels. I love to travel and I find so much inspiration in it. Whenever I go on a trip I make sure I bring with me a journal. I make every attempt I can to make notes of the architecture, the dress of the people, the way they interact with each other, their tone of voice. I make sure I visit as many museums of history and culture as I can so I can learn about that area’s past and discover what made them to be who they are today.
Here’s a video I made about tackling writer’s block:
2. What drew you to create the GILDED series? What surprised you the most when you wrote the series? What is your favorite scene from each of the books?
It was the Korean myths and the Korean culture that really sparked my interest in writing the Gilded series. When I came across the myth of Haemosu and Princess Yuhwa, I was completely riveted about the what if’s of that myth and what happened next. I originally hadn’t expected it to be a series, just a standalone but as I started revising GILDED, I realized there was SO MUCH MORE to this series. So I kept writing!
Here’s a video clip where I talk about the inspiration of GILDED.
I’m a sucker for writing fight scenes. So my favorite scene in the series is the last two chapters of BRAZEN. I was completely inspired when writing it. I remember not being able to type fast enough to tell the story that was unraveling in my mind.
3. How did the process go to publish your series?
It wasn’t an easy journey, that’s for sure! I started out writing to fulfill one check mark on my bucket list. But once I started writing, I was hooked! So I started off writing for magazines, writing short stories and articles.
Then I took a class with Jill Santopolo and learned how to write a young adult novel. I wrote a lot of books! But when I started writing GILDED, I knew deep down inside that this was the one and I told myself I’d do anything and everything to get it published.
So I revised heavily and then sought out an agent. I got three agent’s who offered representation and choose Jeff Ourvan. We went out on sub a few months later (after revisions) and sold five months later to Skyscape/Amazon Children’s.
This video pretty much sums it up!
4. What is the most memorable reader/fan interaction?
I’ve had so many memorable moments. But going on an author tour to Korea was incredibly impactful. Not only did I get to return to the roots of Jae Hwa’s story, but it was so neat talking to students. One high school boy at Chadwick International came up to me and said, “I’m Korean-American, a black belt in tae kwon do, and I’m from California. Jae Hwa’s story is so much like mine. Thank you for writing this book.”
I was like WOW!!!
And then I got to meet a 7th grader from Seoul Foreign School (the school that’s in the books) and her name is Jae Hwa Lee!!! How crazy is that?
Such an amazing experience. You can watch my video here that reflects on the trip.
About the Author:
CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the Gilded series, a YA contemporary fantasy series set in Korea. GILDED was nominated for Korea’s 2014 Morning Calm, Ohio’s 2015 Buckeye award, and the Tome’s It List. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. Christina’s adventures sparked her to write stories, infusing the real world with fantasy. Currently she writes from home in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.
Find Christina Here:
The Giveaway:
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To celebrate the release of BRAZEN, Christina is giving away a Kindle Fire (US only) and a $50 Amazon gift card (international). The letter for this stop is S. Collect all the letters from the blog tour to earn more points!
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