Meet Nella!

Q&A with Nella

Hey. dudes and dudettes, I'm here to answer your questions. Funny thing--I'm usually the one asking questions.

What first got you into writing? Was there anything that sparked your curiosity?

 Before becoming a writer, I wanted to be a mangaka. A mangaka is someone who draws and writes mangas(Japanese comic books). I drew a manga about a vampire and a vampire hunting in love. I did some research and realized I couldn’t ever be a mangaka. But I loved my vampire manga too much to let it go—so to save it, I “Americanized” and turned into a book. I gave up a dream, but gained another. A much better one.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

My favorite genre is sci-fi by far. I love all kind of genres, but this one is my first love because you can do so many things with it. I feel there isn’t enough sci-fi in the YA market and I want o change that. How many stories do you know about teenage aliens or superheroes? I want to be the one writing those stories.

What gives you your inspiration? Do ideas just pop into your head, or do you sit down and focus before getting a great idea?

Best place to get ideas: The shower. I’m serious. All of my best ideas have come to my while I was showering. Sometimes they’ll just pop into my head—I daydream a lot. Other works of fiction will inspire me too, or just a great song works as well.

What's the main reason you love reading/writing?

I love reading because I’m transported to another world. I can forget about myself and focus on other’s people’s lives. Care for them, laugh at them, cry for them.

I love writing—because it’s just so liberating. I don’t know how to explain it honestly. Let me quote Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, “I didn’t love reading, as one doesn’t love breathing.”

Do you plan out the plot and characters of your stories before writing? Or do you improvise and write as you go?

For certain stories, I plan and for others I improvise. I really love planning and it really helps you in the long run.

Did you come up with the original idea for the Sommies?

No, actually, I didn’t. I remember one night, I was feeling lonely and there was this thread calling insomniacs, so I clicked. It was a lot of fun—And then Kara, a sommie from that thread, she created nightly threads. It was amazing. She’s the original Sommie Queen.

What are some of your guilty pleasures?

Guilty pleasures? Disney movies and cartoons.

Tumblr of blogger? What do you like better and why?

I hope my fellow Treehouse Gang members don’t hold this against me, but I love Tumblr better. I like Tumblr better because, believe it or not, I’m awful at blogging. Tumblr posts are shorter and you see more pretty pictures.

Computer or paper?

Computer for three reasons—I’m a tree hugger, I have horrible handwriting, and I’m too lazy to retype stuff.

Favorite Animal?

Tigers—I find them to be cute yet strong at the same time.

Foxes—They’re wise, and if you look out for them, they’ll teach you the meaning of friendship.

That's it for now! You'll see me around, that's for sure.