Hey there!

Guess what guys? You’re in for a treat! I have yet to reach 50 followers but am doing an interview with the amazing Abby Smith!

Miss Abby has been running the fun blog, 360* Writing, for some time now. She’s going to be launching her new blog though: When Words Fly! This is my stop on the tour for it.

Everyone, please welcome the lovely Abby Smith!

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About 360* Writing

Hey Abby! Welcome to this interview on my blog! I’m honored to have you here, as I’m a huge fan of your blog.

AWWW! Julia’s the sweetest person ever if any of you didn’t know this already. The only people she won’t be nice to are her own characters, but that’s understandable because you’re only a good author if you make them SUFFER.

*evil laughing that sounds more like a choking beaver*

 So, how long ago did you start 360* Writing?

I started in mid-August 2017… with absolutely no plan at all to start writing on it constantly. I didn’t know what I would be posting, either. It was very spur-of-the-moment!

Why did you start blogging in the first place?

Like I said, it was a quick choice, and one I didn’t take very seriously for the first few weeks. But then I thought about it and fell in love with the idea of impacting people through writing. I wanted (and still want!) to inspire readers to be creative and have fun doing what they’re passionate about.

What is it like for you, when you get a like or comment on your blog? How do you feel?

In real life, I’m not much of a people person. I’d rather read a good book than have another awkward conversation. But, on the blogosphere, I am definitely more confident when talking to people.

But the actual feeling of receiving a comment? I get the notification and I’m so ready to respond with a long string of emojis & smiley-faces.     

Do you agree or disagree with this statement: Stats aren’t everything in blogging. Why do you? (That sounded like something I’d find in school 

)

(Come on, Julia, I happen to be on break from school and this comes up. THANKS A LOT xD)

Sorry!

Stats do matter, but they certainly are not everything. I like them because I can see what posts are popular on my blog and what people like to read from me. Plus, I enjoy celebrating little landmarks like 50 followers or 2000 views overall.

But, in the end, stats are just numbers, when we’re dealing with actual, real-life people! And posts don’t amount to anything if those real-life people aren’t treated like people.

Do you make the graphics we see on your blog? If you don’t, where do you get them from?

I do!! I love graphic design and have been wanting to work on it more and more. I use the Canva app – it’s easy and free to use, plus you get thousands of free stock photos to use!

Is it fun for you to work with other bloggers?

Honestly, that’s one of the best parts about blogging – working with other people (like Julia )! Recently, I got to meet Clara @ Clara and Co, which blew my mind because, woah, she’s like super famous!! But she’s actually really sweet and humble  Basically, you get to see a side of people you can’t from just reading their blog alone.

Where did your idea for the name of the blog come from?

I am not a good name-maker, so I grabbed the first name I could. That happened to be 360* Writing.

The idea was that the blog could go any way – writing, life, art, organizing… like degrees in an angle or something, you know? But I’m not very good at math so it didn’t make much sense.

I’m dying laughing right now. These questions make me sound like an idiot xD

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About Ninjago

(I cracked up when I realized I was doing a Ninjago interview… THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER)

You’re a huge Lego Ninjago fan! I am beyond excited about your statement that there’s going to be “200% more ninjago” on your new blog!

Oh, yeah! I’ll let you in on a little secret here… every gif that I’m using on When Words Fly? NINJAGO.

MY JAW JUST DROPPED. THAT IS AWESOME! When did your obsession interest in them begin?

I can’t lie – it is an obsession.

(And who could blame you? 

)

I’ve been watching since the very beginning, way back in 2011. I was taking karate at the time, and from the moment when I first saw those four Lego ninja, I knew I was going to be just as good as them, if not, better (they’re Legos, for heaven’s sake!)

Unfortunately, I haven’t found out how to do Spinjitzu, so they outrank me.

For now.

*rubs hands gleefully* Yes, for now… But ranking aside, which ninja is your favorite?

JAY. JAY JAY JAY JAY JAYYY!

I have a soft spot for the comic relief, the people who aren’t taken as seriously as they should be. Plus, I love the theme of how he hides his insecurity and fear under humor because it’s real. It’s something everybody does, which makes him a more relatable character for everyone.

Love the answer! Jay’s personally my favorite as well. Did you ever have a favorite different from him, and then switch?

Oh, no, it’s always been Jay. I’ve recently begun liking Cole a lot more than I used to, but Jay will always have the prime spot in my heart.

Yes, I’ve always loved Jay as well. How do you feel about Sensei Wu and his tea?

 (Especially in the first couple of episodes, haha!)

I find it rather impressive that Wu can drink tea underwater, and that it can survive being inside the belly of a giant snake and still be hot.

 

Which plot twist in the series shocked you the most? (Anyone who hasn’t watched Ninjago, don’t read the next answer!)

Ohhh, such a hard question… there’s a plot twist in just about every episode.

The absolute biggest of all time (at least for me) was the moment Lloyd was hit by the Time tea (or whatever it was called) and became a young man. Everything changed at that moment – not just Lloyd, but the entire mission. The show was suddenly darker and more dramatic. Naturally, I enjoyed this change 

You’ve watched the new Lego Ninjago movie; do you feel the seasons are better, or the movie?

OH THE SHOW FOR SURE. The show is basically an ongoing timeline of the ninjas’ lives. When we started, they were kids Wu found in random places around Ninjago. Now, they’re (mostly) mature Elemental Masters.

AHHH I’M GROWING UP WITH THEM!

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About Writing

You won NaNoWriMo! Congrats! How did reaching 50k words in one month feel?

Haha, thanks! From the back end, I can’t really remember much about it besides being on the computer 24/7… Hope that’s not a bad thing 

At the end, there was this huge weight taken off of my shoulders. It actually took a few days for the fact that I was DONE to set in. I think it was worth it in the end. I have a document with 50,000 words to prove it!

Your story was Ninjago themed, right?

Yes!! Skybound for the win! It was (in the simplest way I can explain) a rewrite of Season 6 of Ninjago, but better. Since it was written in Jay’s point of view, I had to add tons of scenes that were not in the show to explain things where he had not originally been included. I also added a lot of Ninjago lore and fantasy aspects that were not introduced in the show, but there are a lot of open plot holes there right now.

That sounds so mega AWESOME!! You mentioned in your post about it that the fighting scenes were difficult for you to write; when you begin rewriting, do you have any clue on how you’re going to fix them?

The hardest thing about writing a fight scene is thinking of the moves and trying to put them into words. In my mind, I can see the combat as if in a movie, but explanations are so long and choppy. For my rewrite, I’m going to focus on making the transition between moves more fluid.

#relatable. I went through a phase with the same problem a few months ago. You told me in the comments of the just mentioned post that it’s not for the public; how do you feel about me telling the world in this interview all about it?

Uhhh… no comment. 

Don’t blame you.

 Okay, so your story Skybound aside, are there any other kinds of writing you like?

Obviously, I’m a sucker for fanfiction, but I think that counts as Skybound 

I’ve been really into historical fiction and medieval stuff lately, but I think I’m going to try some dystopian soon >:)

Cool! Do you consider yourself a good writer?

If I don’t believe I am good, I’m not going to be. So I choose to believe that I am 

That is a great piece of advice. What is the (other) best piece of writing advice you can think of?

Write for yourself. If it’s not fun for you to write, your readers will pick up on it. So pick something you *love* to write.

That is another great piece of advice.

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About When Words Fly (Because, you know, this the part everyone’s been waiting for me to talk about already)

 

How long ago did you decide to begin a new blog?

360* started as a sort of public writing diary with occasional tips. Though it was a great start, I began wanting less to talk about my projects and more to be almost like a magazine, but more interactive. I think it was always in the back of my mind to start a professional-type blog, but I never thought myself good enough. After 360*, I realized I could!

Are you planning on continuing 360* Writing?

Ah, no. The final post will be on the 31^st. While this is the end of 360*, WWF will continue in the same spirit, only better (I hope! That’s for yall to decide).

(this question is kind of sad!)

 We shall all miss 360* Writing. May it rest in its numbers of code peacefully. Amen. Where did the idea for the name of When Words Fly come from?

Like I said, I am not a very good name-creator.

I had always had the idea to call my blog When Words Fly – it reminded me of doing impossible things like the southern saying, ‘when pigs fly’ – but for a long time I thought it was awful.

Finally, I asked a few of my friends what their take on it was, and there was an overwhelming positive response. I was astounded. Was it really that good?

After I opened up to the idea and started playing around with graphics, I realized it was the PERFECT name for a place of creativity.

Cool! Do you already have some posts planned for it?

Well… I kind of have 14 drafts in the process of being edited, plus a series in February.

So… possibly?

 Yep, that’s me: yeah, I have like, no drafts. (Then I actually have 20 drafts) How long did it take for you to design the blog?

It took about a month to finalize the setup… in these last few days, I’m double-checking EVERYTHING to make sure it’s top-notch quality!

Are you planning on taking your own pictures for graphics in it?

I do have a couple graphics so far with my own pictures. I’m not a fantastic photographer, but I’ve decided to do what the song says and Try Everything!

Overall, how are you feeling about your new blog and the launch tour?

1. I love my launch team.
2. I love my blog design.
3. I love my new content.

This is going to be so much fun!!!

Whoo, yeah! Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Abby! I wish you the best of luck with When Words Fly!

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Let’s give the awesome Abby a hand for such a great interview!

And yes, I shall give you what you probably are really wanting by now.

Click on the image below, and you’ll be taken straight to Abby’s new blog When Words Fly!

Novel

GUYS…

I FINALLY FINISHED MY NOVEL!!!  The one I’ve been working on since March! Is! Done!!  I sat down on Saturday, deciding that I was going to finish the first draft on that day if it killed me.

I wrote about 10k to finish it. It took me around 5-6 hours. I ended at 2:55 p.m. (Canada time) with 210 pages and 107,190 words.  It took me about 9 months to write this book, and it’s literally the best idea for a story that I’ve finished I’ve ever had.

But it’s a mess.

So I’m going to be leaving the draft alone for a long while, then eventually do some posts here about how to properly rewrite the first draft of a book…  For you curious followers, here’s a line I wrote on Saturday. I made a typo, and then had to correct it:

and always tumbling off the battlements

Oops… meant almost…

Tomorow is 2018; I’ll be posting my monthly overview then. So see you next year!

Are you excited about When Words Fly?

Did you like the interview?

Isn’t Abby great?!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ME FINISHING MY FIRST DRAFT?!

-Julia

Disclaimer: Images used for the blog tour belong to Abby and were given to me for use.