Monday, April 14, 2014

Interview with Mirriam Neal



Mirriam, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a nineteen-year-old homeschool graduate, and it's safe to say I've spent half of my life reading and writing. I've always loved entertainment - music, movies, books, TV shows - and there is nothing more I want to do than give people entertainment with heart, value, and all the things I personally look for in good stories.

Everyone’s homeshooling experience is different. What do you think made yours unique?
There was a LOT of reading involved. I taught myself to read when I was four and learned to read better by always reading ahead of my actual level of understanding. I moved a lot, growing up, and was able to have a lot of experiences most people never get. I was allowed to learn in ways specific to me, and so my schooling involved a lot of reading, drawing, writing, and music. I don't think a better schooling was possible
(although I would have been fine without math. Math is overrated.

How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
I read a lot of classics, and consequently discover that they weren't my favorite. I branched into more modern literature, but not until I had gained a discerning taste for the good and the bad. I learned from both, and I loved stories so much that I wanted to create my own. I was blessed with parents who encouraged me and provided outlets for my creativity.

What caused you to start writing?
As a child, I tried to write book adaptions of movies, from Ice Age to Star Wars: A New Hope. I never finished any of them, but when I was thirteen I wrote an original short story called The Pegasus on the Mantle.
I submitted it to an online contest and when I won, shocked, I wrote another. I began to win story contests and receive such inspiring feedback that I branched out and actually wrote a novel (which may or may not have been Lord of the Rings 2.0 in its first stages). I've learned so much since that first short story, it's difficult to
believe it was actually me.

What inspired Monster?
Several things, but it was mainly a combination of a) The WWII holocaust, b) abortion, c) Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and d) a pop song and music video by the same title. They swirled around together until they came to a boil, and a full-length novel was born in a matter of months.

Would you give us a synopsis?
Not too far in the future, an ambitious young scientist named Eva Stewart is forced to confront her world, herself, and her faith when her 'non-human' test subject shows signs of humanity.

Who will enjoy Monster?
This is a difficult question to answer. I've had thirteen-year-olds and grandparents tell me how much they enjoyed it, so instead I'll say that if you're easily upset by disturbing - but realistic - matter such as human expirimentation, then Monster is probably not the book for you. It has many different genre elements for a wide range of readers, including Christianity, science, romance, dystopia, thriller, bio-ethics, and even humor. (Humor is very important to me. Monster is one of my less lighthearted novels, but I still wanted to incorporate some bright moments. They come mostly in the form of an English professor.)

Do you plan to write more books?
I have written more books - and I'm in the process of writing more, with more books in the future. My life is writing. I never plan to stop.

Do you have any final thoughts?
I know there are countless writers out there, some of whom I'm privileged to know and many I've never met; and so I want to give you a piece of advice that has influenced my entire journey: write with a purpose.
Of course you could write whatever took your fancy, and you SHOULD write what interests you. But write with a reason. Write with heart. Write with a point, and your book can change lives.

Mirriam is giving away one digital copy of her book! Enter to win below.

6 comments:

  1. Just added this book to my goodreads to-read shelf the other day. Would love to win the giveaway. ;)

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  2. Ooh, what a fun interview! Thanks Sarah and Mirriam! :)
    I agree, math is overrated. ;) (And no it was NOT LoTR 2.0! :O It was awesome! :D) Some of Monster was pretty scary, but I couldn't stop reading it... and the CHARACTERS. They stole my heart. ^_^

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  3. Ooh, what a fun interview! Thanks Sarah and Mirriam! :)
    I agree, math is overrated. ;) (And no it was NOT LoTR 2.0! :O It was awesome! :D) Some of Monster was pretty scary, but I couldn't stop reading it... and the CHARACTERS. They stole my heart. ^_^

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  4. Hey, Mirriam! Good to see you over here. ^_^ I've been dying to get my hands on a copy of Monster. Do you think Monster is your favorite book you've written, or do they all hold special places in your heart?

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  5. Ooh, what a fun interview! Thanks Sarah and Mirriam! :)
    I agree, math is overrated. ;) (And no it was NOT LoTR 2.0! :O It was awesome! :D) Some of Monster was pretty scary, but I couldn't stop reading it... and the CHARACTERS. They stole my heart. ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  6. (having trouble with the comment form... Hopefully I haven't posted this a billion times accidentally...)

    Ooh, what a fun interview! Thanks Sarah and Mirriam! :)

    I agree, math is overrated. ;) (And no it was NOT LoTR 2.0! :O It was awesome! :D)

    Some of Monster was pretty scary, but I couldn't stop reading it... and the CHARACTERS. They stole my heart. ^_^

    ReplyDelete