Q&A with Tiff

Well, Dustin has thrown the gauntlet. The problem with someone who has known you for half your life, is that they really know how to push your buttons. I am, admittedly, something of a closet competitor. So here we are, answering questions, before I go throw a tractor tire at Dustin.

Phil: How do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Tiff: Eeeee. That’s a tough one. I think that I’m slowly learning about good story telling strategies and techniques. I’m working to incorporate these strategies into my writing. I’m not always successful at it, but I think I’m starting to think more like a writer in terms of set ups and pay offs, character traits and backgrounds that play into even small character decisions, and understanding pacing. As Dustin would say “Know the Iceberg, write the tip”. I still have a long, loooooong way to go.

Phil: What do you like about writing in a fantasy world?

Tiff: I’ve never really thought about it, but I imagine for the same reason I like reading the fantasy genre. I like to read to escape the limitations of reality. When you’re writing fantasy or fiction, you’re not limited. If I want dragons and vampires and magic, all those things are possible in a fiction setting. What if the sky opens up and I get sucked into another dimension? What if I get kidnapped by some crazy cult members who think I’m the reincarnation of their deity? What if fairies were real and I got pulled into the fairy realm? In fiction, all those things are possible. You can have a grand, sweeping adventure, use magic or high tech, save the world, so much is possible. It feels limitless to me.

Phil: What inspiration from your own life do you put into your writing (if any)?

Tiff: I have a whole series of blog posts about where to get inspiration from coming up, and some of my favorite books, movies, video games, etc. that have inspired me. But, I think from my own life, I use empathy and emotions to try to really bring depth to my characters. I try to use personal experience to put the reader right there with the character. For example, when I’m hiking, I try to take in the sounds, the sensations, the smells. Walking along a trail, through the mountains, surrounded by pine trees, my brain automatically wanders to adventure. What do the pine needles feel like under my feet, are the shadows of the trees cool, what does it smell like, what does the wind in the branches sound like. I try to really soak things in as best I can and save them for future reference material.

Phil: What do you like to do to recharge your creative batteries?

Tiff: Admittedly, this one is hard for me. I struggle a lot with feeling guilty when I’m being non-productive, even though, logically, I understand rest and recovery are essential to the creative process. There are a couple things that get me really pumped to keeping working or get back to work when I’m feeling depleted: spending time in nature, talking with Phil and Dustin about where I’m stuck or frustrated, or switching to a different project (if I’m stuck on writing, maybe I’ll draw or paint for a while). I also really love looking at artwork or reading a good book.

Dustin: What’s your favorite kind of story?

Tiff: I have a couple of ‘story sweet spots’. A lot of my favorite stories revolve around some kind of journey the hero must undertake, in which they must do the right thing, regardless of the consequences, and their journey will likely include some degree self-sacrifice. I’m also partial to female heroines who are smart and capable. I like a story with an epic struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds and high stakes. I am also a complete sucker for ‘ancient lost civilizations’ or ‘ancient but highly advanced technology’. If the ancient civilization disappeared without a trace and no one knows what happened to them, I’m hooked. And of course, a little dash of romance doesn’t hurt.

Dustin: What makes a good villain?

Tiff: What makes a good villain or what makes a good villainous character that I like? A good villain is most likely going to be a character that I would absolutely loathe. They’re completely self serving and will do whatever they want to achieve their goal, including lie, cheat, steal, or kill. They see others as beneath them. People are simply tools to be used and discarded. If you want to go the extra mile, make your villain evil, but make his reasons for doing what he’s doing be just sympathetic enough that you almost find yourself agreeing with him. He’s charismatic enough to sway people to his side, and his cause is sympathetic, which makes him extra dangerous, but he’s merciless enough to discard any man, woman, child, or animal who might stand in his way.

Dustin: What’s your biggest creative challenge?

Tiff: DEFINITELY finishing a project. I have an entire drawer full of projects, some of them dating back 10 to 12 years, that have yet to be finished. Lots and lots and lots and lots of aspirations, not as much time. Plus I get stuck in the “I’m not good enough to do this yet, so I need to get better at the thing before I do the thing.” I have since learned this is a lie. JUST DO THE DAMN THING. Second biggest creative challenge is believing that my work is actually any good or that anyone will care about it.

Dustin: If you could steal a single character from any other story, who would it be and why?

Tiff: Like, steal them and write them into my own story, or steal them and make the real and have them be my friend or…? Assuming you mean steal a character from a story and use them in my own work, I used to write fan fiction involving Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. Now, I’m not sure who I would steal.

Dustin: Where do you get your ideas from?

Tiff: I kind of mentioned story sweet spots earlier. More often than not, I pick elements out of stories that I really like and decide I want to do something similar. Its human nature to want to emulate things that make us happy or inspire us. If I see something in an anime or a video game and think “Wow, that’s really cool. It moved me in some way, or it felt unique in the way that it caught my attention, or it was just plain fascinating”. I’ll inevitably start thinking about how I could incorporate something similar into one of my stories.

Whew. That was a lot. If you made it to the end, congrats, and thank you for sticking it out.

Until next time, I’m off to TN to throw a giant tire at Dustin.

I’m coming for you, Dustin.