A Note From the Heart

What has influenced you most in your love for art?

 

This is a great question! For as far back as I can remember, art has been a way to help me explore. Growing up in a family that values art and immersing myself in various creative disciplines has really fostered my love for diving deep into anything creative.

 

What is your opinion on the Kansas City Chiefs?

 

The Kansas City Chiefs seem to be rather impressive—I’m not exactly a football enthusiast, so I don’t exactly have strong opinions, but I’ve heard about them a lot, all in a very positive light.

 

Do you talk to yourself? 

 

Actually, yes, I do! It’s quite motivating. But you won’t catch me doing it.

 

Have you ever jumped off a cliff into the ocean while screaming "GERONIMOOOO"?

 

Nope. 

 

When did you begin writing? When did you start to get serious about writing? 

 

I’ve loved stories for as long as I can remember, and the writing units in first and second grade were my favorite. I began writing stories on my own time when I was eight or nine, and started writing consistently at the age of twelve.

 

What is your favorite food? 

 

Lemon ice cream. 

 

Who is your favorite author?!

 

J.R.R. Tolkien. His books are filled with phenomenal characters, places, stories, and themes, and I just can’t help but reread them again and again.

 

Where do you see yourself in a year? 

 

I see myself still exploring the world around me, trying new things, learning, dedicating time to school, and progressing in the hobbies I love—music, art, writing, and blogging.

 

What is your most defining character feature?

 

This is a fun question! I would say integrity or creativity. I value integrity because I believe in doing the right thing, even when it's not the easiest path; and I value creativity because I’m always trying to find new ideas and ways to approach things.

 

Do you like hoodies? 

 

Yes! They are very comfortable.

 

What's your favorite animal?

 

Dolphins. 

 

What is your favorite Bible verse? 

​

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” –John 15:12-13

 

What is the name of the main character of your favorite WIP?

 

Avenell is a name I thought of one night for a main character in my fantasy novel. I love it!

 

How has God affected your path in writing?

 

I think that God has been here, every step of my writing journey. He placed the love and joy of storytelling in my heart and has guided me; He is the reason why I write. 

 

A couple years ago, I had a strong urge that I wanted to publish, but God told me to slow down and grow first, both as a person and as a writer, to further seek and find love and deep purpose in what I am doing. Praying and reading scripture have guided me immensely on my journey.

 

How has your testimony affected your writing?

 

My testimony has shaped my writing by giving me a desire to share how God has worked in my life. Writing about my journey of faith, struggles, and victories allows me to communicate His faithfulness and encourage others in their own walk with Him.

 

It has also given me a sense of purpose in my writing. It’s no longer just about sharing personal stories—it’s about glorifying God and spreading the message of salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ through my writing, to inspire others to seek Him in their own lives. 

 

If you could only pick one book to ever read again (except the Bible) what would it be?

 

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, because it is so rich in detail and has everything I like in a story. But there are so many good books out there; I would be very miserable with only having to read one of them.

 

What are some books that have been most influential to your life?

 

I’ve made a list below! What is funny is that I read these all around the same time in my life (2021) and they’re what have stuck with me the most!

 

The Lord of the Rings series; Mere Christianity; The Silmarillion; The Children of Húrin; The Chronicles of Narnia; The Little House on the Prairie series; the Harry Potter series.

 

If you could marry any fictional character who would it be!??

 

This is a really tough one! I think I’d have to go with someone like Mablung from The Children of Húrin. I admire his courage, loyalty, humility, and hint of mystery. . .

 

What is your favorite topic to write about?

 

I’ve recently developed an interest in World War II. I also think writing about royalty, espionage, and time travel (among many others) is exciting and rewarding. 

What authors have influenced you the most, and what lessons have you learned from them? Who are some of your biggest literary influences?

 

C. S. Lewis, Oscar Wilde, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J. K. Rowling, J. R. R. Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Agatha Christie are the authors I look up to the most. I’ve learned a lot from these authors about prose, plot, characters, themes, and everything that makes a great tale.

 

What's one thing you would say to encourage your younger writing self?

 

I would tell my younger self to write regularly, to not fear the future, to cultivate a deep love and joy for my passions, and to write for God’s glory, and not for my own.

If you could be best friends with any character, who would it be?

 

The Little Prince, from The Little Prince. 

Why do you want to inspire the world through your writing specifically? 

​

I’d want my readers to really have this set in their hearts: that God is bigger than the world that we live in, bigger than despair and darkness, and when we set our eyes on the endless eternity, and hope, then that’s what makes our lives worthwhile.

 

If you could live in any story, which would it be?

 

I would live in the story of The Silmarillion (more specifically, in Gondolin).

 

What is a quote you recently came across that you like?

 

“We write of eternal things.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

​

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

​

What's a book that made you cry? 

 

Brother’s Keeper is a book that made me cry. It’s a historical fiction novel written by Julie Lee (not me!—another Julie) that follows a young girl and her brother during the Korean War. It’s raw and heartfelt, a book that reached deep inside me and tugged at my heart.

 

Who is a character you relate to the most?

 

Sora, the main character from Brother’s Keeper (the book mentioned above), was someone I really related to.

 

What are some Tolkien scenes and/or quotes that send chills down your spine every time you encounter them? 

 

"‘Can I not, can I not, Mablung?’ cried Turin. ‘But why no! For see, I am blind! Did you not know? Blind, blind, groping since childhood in a dark mist of Morgoth! Therefore leave me! Go, go! Go back to Doriath, and may winter shrivel it! A curse upon Menegroth! And a curse on your errand! This only was wanting. Now comes the night!’" (From The Children of Húrin)

 

“Though here at journey’s end I lie / in darkness buried deep, / beyond all towers strong and high, / beyond all mountains steep, / above all shadows rides the Sun / and Stars for ever dwell: / I will not say the Day is done, / nor bid the Stars farewell.” (From The Lord of the Rings)

 

“As he fell slowly to sleep, Pippin had a strange feeling: he and Gandalf were still as stone, seated upon the statue of a running horse, while the world rolled away beneath their feet with a great noise of wind." (From The Lord of the Rings)

 

Also, when Gandalf reads about the “drums in the deep” in Moria while reading the Book of Mazarbul, and when Pippin sings The Edge of Night in the films.

 

You have such a lovely style of writing. What three authors' works and styles do you think most inspired that style?

 

Thank you! I think that my writing style is actually a combination of all the things I’ve read, as well as the way I think, and the way I and the people I spend time with, talk. Some authors I spent time studying their works are Edgar Allan Poe, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and J.R.R. Tolkien. 

 

​