As a lot of young adults do, It is my dream to be a writer. A writer of novels that could make an impact on the world. And on my own personal writing journey whilst on YouTube one day, I came across an extraordinary girl by the name of Mandi Lynn, who is not only an up-and-coming YouTube personality with a fan base growing more and more each day, but an actual, real life published author! Having her first novel, "Essence" self-published and out there, and all before she even finishes school!
I thought I would chance my luck and see if I could get in contact with her as I thought it would be an excellent way to spread the word about her work and a fantastic topic to write about, and luckily for us, Mandi agreed to have a little chat with IWG Books!
A. This isn’t something someone specifically told me, but it’s a piece of advice you hear all the time and that’s to read and write—a lot. The only way to learn how to write a great book is read a great book.
Q. At what age did you know that you wanted to be a Published Author?
A. The first major thing I started writing was my book, and when I was about halfway through I wanted it to be published because I was putting so much work into it. I was only 14 at the time, but I had big, and probably unrealistic dreams.
Q. What keeps you motivated to write during a dry-spell?
A. All my fans I somehow accumulated, which is crazy for me to say because I feel like I’m so little in the world or book writing. But when I have bad days and don’t want to write I always manage to get a message from someone telling me how I’m an inspiration to them and that motivates me to write, because I know I’m making a difference somewhere, no matter how small.
Q. You are a young writer, and sharing your experience with the world on YouTube could make you a role-model to other young writers out there looking to be where you are in a couple of years. Do you enjoy knowing that this is the case?
A. It’s a great feeling knowing that I might be someone’s role model. But it’s also something really frightening because I know I’m not perfect and don’t always follow my own advice because I’m human. But I try my best, and if I manage to inspire others to write than that’s a really great thing.
Q. What inspired your début novel, Essence?
A. Essence was written simply because one day I said I wanted to write a book. The story was inspirited by Sabbaday Falls in New Hampshire where my family had gone hiking on vacation once. I built a story around the location and from there, I don’t know how, but a novel I’m really proud of was born.
Q. Do you think that Self-Publishing your novel was the correct move? What are the advantages/disadvantages in your opinion?
A. I always said I was never going to self-publish my book because anyone can do that. But one day I got sick of waiting around for an agent to notice me so I took things into my own hands and I don’t regret a minute of it. Because even though anyone can self-publish, not many can do it the right way. I may not be making a lot of money out of the deal right now, but I’m just building things for my future as an author.
Q. Do you think that you will move on from writing Young Adult novels in the future or stay with the genre as you progress in your career?
A. I’m not sure. The margin for YA and Adult novels seems to be growing smaller and it’s hard to tell what exactly defines the two different genres. I write what I read, and right now I read YA, but it would also make sense for my reading habits to change as I grow more mature. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what stories come for me in the future.
Q. You've stated before that Essence took you three years to complete. Do you think that with future pieces it could take the same amount of time or a shorter time now that you have done it once before?
A. I hope it doesn’t take that long! I’d like to think Essence took such a long time because I was learning how to write. I’m currently on the first draft of my second novel and even though it’s more of a challenge than Essence, I don’t think it will take as long to write because I know a little more of what I’m doing.
Q. Who are your biggest inspirations and why?
A. My followers on YouTube and anyone else who goes out of their way to contact me. They may not realize it, but when I’m having a bad day they know exactly what to say to keep me going and give me a reason to write.
Q. Anything else you’d like to share with I’m With Geek and our readers?
A. To anyone out there who may have dreams, it’s very important to never give up. There were so many times I wanted to stop writing all together because I didn’t believe I was good enough to be published. But there is something magical that happens when you believe in yourself, and I hope everyone can find a passion in their life that makes me as happy as I am when I write.