About B.A. McRae:
I am a quirky radically optimistic author who has been pursuing my passion for writing since 2008. There was just always something about stories that lit me up inside; whether it was through the pages of a book or watching on the TV screen, I couldn't get enough. And upon discovering that I had a knack for creating stories of my very own, that's when I found my livelihood and I never looked back. My first writing adventures were embarked through poetry, I loved bending the rules of it and creating mini stories within each poem. Presently, I have published 5 poetry books and I have now just released my debut novel 'I've Never Danced'.
This story has been in the works since 2014, and I truly never even imagined I would finish it let alone publish it! I started writing it, chapter by chapter, on a site called Wattpad and the sole purpose of it at the time was another writing outlet when I wasn't in the right mood to write my poetry. But as I continued writing and receiving comments about the story and its characters, compliments that filled my heart, I fell in love with this story and the quirky characters that lived there. They have grown with me through various seasons of my life, through countless good days and bad, and now they are finally ready to go out into the literary world and be embraced by others who I hope will love them as much as I have. And my sincerest hope is that this story will bring comfort and enjoyment to those who read it, as it has brought so much fulfillment to me.
I reside in the tundra of Wisconsin, where I spend my time being groovy and drinking coffee.
What inspires you to write?
Truthfully the really small details that are embedded in life spark the writing fireworks for me. It can be the way I saw a stranger smile at the store displays while I'm on my walk or the sound of pure laughter coming from my partner after I've made a terribly corny joke, it's these minute worthy moments in life that I love to pull inspiration from and create something that is cozy to the memory and inspiring to the soul.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
This is quite difficult, typically I am one of those people who has favorites for EVERYTHING but ironically enough as an Author I find it so hard to have just one favorite Author. Maybe it's because I appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a book, that to me I feel guilty just claiming one as my favorite. Two Authors that have inspired me to fall in love with reading, and therefore help to bring out the writer in me more and more, were Mitch Albom and John Green.
Tell us about your writing process.
Alrighty, here we go, I shall try my best to sound professional. My writing process would look like a hot mess of anxiety-riddled notes, tabs, and folders upon folders of ideas, stories, and poems, to a writer who works with outlines and structure (Which I admire very much!). While other chaotic creatives like myself may see my writing process as a temple of creativity but with perhaps one too many cups of coffee.
When an idea sparks in my brain, I immediately write it down. I have several notepads on my phone that is dedicated to that compulsion. And when the idea has built up enough in my imagination, I take the plunge when the time feels right, and I start creating.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Oh absolutely, truly I think every writer does in some kind of form whether it's in their heads or out loud. I believe when you're looking for your characters to be authentic and relatable, it's best that you really know them. And to get to know someone, you've gotta spend time with them!
What advice would you give other writers?
If a writer approached me wishing for a piece of advice, I would first throw them a friendly shaka and tell them this simple secret: it's all about writing for yourself.
When you fully embrace the mindset of writing for yourself and what that means to you, authenticity, passion, and light is going to shine through your work because you aren't writing for the money, for other's approval, or for fame. You're writing because this story lives inside of you and you needed to let it out and share it. Those are the things people want to embrace and fall into, something real, not fake.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Ultimately I decided to go with the self-publishing route because I love the satisfaction of doing the work and accomplishing something on my own. Although along this journey, I realized that I don't need to (and shouldn't) do absolutely everything on my own it's more than okay to seek guidance and help from others you trust.
Research has been the hugest tool for me in not only finding my path to publishing but also what that entailed. YouTube, I thank you.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Perhaps I'm a wee bit biased, but I really think self-published Authors are going to make a huge and radical wave.
What genres do you write?: Young Adult & New Adult Contemporary, Poetry Fiction,
What formats are your books in?: Print
Website(s)
B.A. McRae Home Page Link
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
