Please welcome Willa R. Finnegan to my blog. Good morning, Willa. I’m so happy to have you here today. With hot cocoa in hand, shall we get down to chatting about your phenomenal writing story?
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
Hello, everyone! I am an author, and writing has been my passion for a while now. I am thirteen years old; I began the publishing process when I was twelve, and I wrote Snow: Cursed when I was eleven. My message to other aspiring authors out there is to let nothing stop you.
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
I would say that storytelling has always been a part of my life I suppose but not always to the degree of a book. I remember when I was three or four and I would dictate to my mom what I wanted her to write on the page. I started writing stories when I was about nine years old, but on paper instead of on the computer. They were short stories of course, but I loved creating characters and worlds just the same. I started writing books on the computer when I was ten years old, and they began to grow in length. I would share my stories with my parents, friends, and family and write more and more, constantly trying to get better. Although Snow: Cursed isn’t the first book I’ve written, I wanted to put my best foot forward when publishing. I’ve always enjoyed entertaining people with my words.
How difficult was it writing your first book?
It was extremely hard to write my first book, and I don’t think that a single author in the world would say that it isn’t hard. There were times when I would pause in my writing and I would venture onto other ideas that I knew from the beginning I wouldn’t finish—I like to refer to those ideas as “flings”—but I eventually found my way, and just kept writing until I reached the end. Reading books has always been a passion of mine, and I think this helped additionally, because the better reader you are the better author you become.
Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?
I’ve never really wanted to give up before, and I think the fact that I love writing so much overshadowed all the doubt. Although writer’s block is a very serious thing, and has plagued me before, I’ll never let that stop me.
Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?
My parents and friends have been very supportive of my writing for quite a while, and really wanted me to get my first book published. They’re the ones who helped make this happen most of all. They believed in my dream from the beginning.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
If you are a child author like me, take a chance and go for it! You’ll never know what will happen if you never try. Never, ever let anything stop you, no matter what your goal is.
What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?
The best advice that has ever been given to me is from the “Wicked” Broadway musical. This must be my favorite line throughout the whole thing. Elphaba and the Wizard say several times that “everyone deserves the chance to fly.” I think that this line speaks to something bigger, and I think it is great advice for aspiring authors. Becoming an author was my chance to fly.
What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?
My target audience is probably middle school age children as well as high-schoolers and fantasy loving adults. I tried to embed little seeds of important philosophy throughout the book, and I think that younger children might not be able to grasp the true meaning of those philosophies, but I think my book is enjoyable for all ages.
Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?
I must give a shout out to the amazing cover design team at Page Publishing for creating such an epic cover to go along with my very first published book. I gave them a description of what I envisioned, and they turned that into an awesome reality that was exactly like I had pictured it.
What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?
I have finished writing the second book in the Snow Series and am currently on the third. I ended Snow: Cursed with a major cliffhanger so that all my readers will be dying to read my second book. I’m sorry, but no spoilers!
Any last words before we wrap things up?
Whether writing is your passion like mine, or if it’s something else, having faith, courage, determination, and perseverance will always take you one step closer to making your dream come true. It doesn’t matter whether you are a child or an adult. Goodbye, and remember that “everyone deserves the chance to fly!”
Willa had her first book signing…
Willa R. Finnegan is a thirteen-year-old reading and writing enthusiast and loves to tell thrilling tales through her books. She loves weaving familiar stories into a breathtaking tapestry that readers will be in awe of. At a young age, she realized that her passion was writing, and so she pursued that with everything she had.
Snow: Cursed: Finnegan, Willa R: 9798893155211: Amazon.com: Books
Snow: Cursed by Willa R Finnegan, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
Congratulations, Willa!
When Angels Fly 