Author Interview with A.Y. Daniels

Hello, folks! Today I’ve got with me an interview with an author friend of mine, A.Y. Daniels–AKA Vonnie.

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What first got you inspired to write?

Vonnie: 🤔 I think it was my “imaginary friend.” I wrote “short stories” about her life as a Christian. I even illustrated some of them. 🤭

Lucy: Oh fun! 🤭 I love seeing the different ways people start writing. 

How long have you been writing for?

Vonnie: I’ve been writing since I was about eight! My imaginary friend stories were the starting point, and I transitioned into fan-fiction and retellings of my favorite books later on until I found my own ideas to work with.

Lucy: Cool! Retellings or fan-fictions seem to be somewhere in the beginning of every writer’s journey. 🤔🤭

What genres do you write in most?

Vonnie: I think retellings/fan-fictions are handy tools and necessary steps to a writer finding out his/her genres or skills.

I find myself in contemporary the most. True-to-life sorts of stories. 😉 I like sharing pieces of my life through stories, and contemporary is one of the easiest ways to do that for me. 😁

Where is your favorite place to sit down and write?

Vonnie: 

I like writing around people, so my go-to place is the living room. I tend to end up on the couch, but I love laying on the floor, too. 😁

Lucy: Hey, same as me! 😂 The living room is a great place to write, couch or floor. 😇 

On that note… 

When do you like to write? Morning or evening?

Vonnie: That’s a tough one. 🤔 I like writing whenever my brain has the inspiration. But it’s probably night. That’s when my brain is most active. 🙃

Lucy: I’m the same again. 😆 

Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

Vonnie: C.R. Hedgcock is one of my favorites. She writes strong Christian values with practical applications, even though her characters go through some unusual adventures. 😉

One of my favorite new authors is M.L. Milligan because of her amazing characters, fantastic sense of humor, and strong themes.

Lucy: Ohh, yeah, I’ve read some of M.L.Milligan’s work, and she’s really good.

Are there any authors who have been especially influential in your writing journey? 

Vonnie: Definitely! There are at least two that stand out. 😁

Priscilla Shirer is the first. She wrote the Prince Warrior Chronicles, which I enjoyed. I ended up starting “my own version”/retelling of that series. That was the first time I ever completed a story longer than a few hundred words. I do believe the draft landed around 10K, if not longer. And while I started out “stealing” the character types and basic fantasy elements, I began developing my own unique plot and character personalities.

C.R. Hedgcock is the second. I loved the simplicity of writing stories based off of verses from God’s Word, and I really loved her characters. When I took her fifth book and used similar characters and beginning scenes for a book, the foundation for a later series was actually being laid. I strengthened my plotting skills while working on that project, too.

There have been many others, but not all I know by name. 🤭

 And really, you can learn anything about writing from the books you read and the movies or TV series you watch. Either what to do, or what not to do. 😄

What do you enjoy writing about most? What are some of your favorite themes?

Vonnie: I enjoy writing about close-knit and/or found families. There’s something satisfying about a family that loves each other and work hard to get past their differences and arguments. As for found families, I love bringing characters from all sorts of pasts and healing their broken hearts with love and humor.

Ooh, that’s a tough one. 🤔 Hmm… Ah, I know. Victory over fears and/or anxieties. Those are things I struggle with, and I know plenty of other people do, too. Stories of courage and peace are my favorite. 😁

Lucy: Found family stories are some of the greatest kinds of stories. 🤩 And oh, yes, I love those themes.

On sort of the same topic as themes… 

What is your favorite writing trope?

Vonnie: Ah, beloved tropes. To be honest, never heard the word until KDWC and still don’t totally know the defined tropes. 😆

Uh . . . I s’pose I like writing about orphans? Not sure if that’s a trope . . .

Lucy: 😂 I still barely understand tropes. Perhaps that’s why I ask about them… 🤔😆

Here should be something that’s easier to answer… 

What is your favorite type of character to write?

Vonnie: Hehe. 🤭

Ooh! Yes! 😁 I love the broken, selfless characters. The ones that ignore their hurt to help others recover. It’s really sad. 🥺 But that’s where the healing comes in with the found families, so it’s all okay. 😇

Lucy: Oh, those are such great characters. 🥺 I suddenly want to go read about one right now. 😂

Okay! Last question. 😎

If you had to write a kangaroo into your current WIP, how would you go about doing so?

Vonnie: Good gravy, a kangaroo??

My current WIP? I could do that. 😎 Now to go about answering the questions without talking about the story . . . Hmm . . . I’d probably slap it in the background as my characters explore their unchosen destination. 😇 I wish I could make it talk, now. I could, but . . . 😆

Lucy: Background kangaroos. Got it. 😎 😂

Welp, that’s all I’ve got! Thank you so much for letting me interview you! 😄

Vonnie: 😁 It was fun! Thanks for letting me hop over to your blog! 😉 🦘

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If you had to fit a kangaroo into one of your current writing projects, how would you do so?

Be sure to take a peek at Vonnie’s blog, The Journey to Write! She’s got some great stuff there.