Corner Booth Contests

#NomNomNoms #2 (Runners Up)

Here we are at the end of another contest, and about to start the third. It's all because of the amazing people we have following our group and the lovely followers who nominate other users. We would all like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the love and support you've thrown our way. We can't tell you just how much it means. 

Contests are always difficult, especially the past two we've had now because every story that comes through the comments section is strong and amazing in it's own way. Each one creating and weaving stories unique to their creator. Choosing which story is the best, let alone the top four is always the most difficult thing, but these are the results from the second contest.

That being said, we've renamed our contest to Certifiably Delicious. Our Grand Prize winner is certifiably delicious, and our runners up are just so #NomNomNom worthy. Below, we have our three #NomNomNoms in no particular order. 

amberkbryant for her story DESERT WAKE

DESERT WAKE is an intriguing story with exceptional world building. The characters stand on their own and pull you in instantly. Definitely recommended.

Here we have our interview with Amber K. Bryant to find out more about her writing style and her as an author and person. Check it out below!

1. How did you start writing? As a librarian, I'm exposed to lots of books, especially juvenile and YA. In 2012, after reading many of the books I came into contact with, I decided I wanted to try my hand at creating a YA story of my own. That's when the writing bug took hold. I finished my first novel (120K words) in about six months, and I've been going ever since.

2. Where do you draw your inspiration from? I draw inspiration from just about everywhere: books, media, dreams, conversations with friends and family, observations I've made about existence throughout my life, subjects I studied in college. I don't consciously think about inspiration or being inspired except when I'm asked that question, though. I think it's wrapped into my stories organically. I can't really stop it from happening. Our experiences shape our universe and our universe feeds our stories.

3. Are you a pantser or planner? I'm a hybrid of the two... let's call me a plantser. On the spectrum, I'd say I'm closer to the pantser end. I normally don't start out a story with more than a loose notion of where I want the plotline to go. Part way in, I'll usually sketch out the rest of it. This is basically a paragraph or two of notes and while these notes are often subject to change, they do give me some direction. I know people who are fantastic at plotting out every single chapter. They won't write the chapter until they've outlined it in great detail first. That's a wonderful strategy and highly effective for some, but it's not one I utilize very much. For me, the story itself dictates how detailed the notes I take on it must be. Sometimes short stories require no notes at all. Longer pieces often require me to write down the plotline at some point, maybe even include a few lines about a given scene. That's as specific as I ever get in terms of planning.

Being a planner or a pantser doesn't have to be an either/or scenario, nor do we have to think of one as superior or more effective than the other. Everyone's brains work differently. I've embraced my plantser mind.

4. How do you form your characters? The story forms them. They develop as the story develops, as does my relationship with them. I try to make sure that they have depth and dimension and a decent story to live in. When the story ends, I set them free. Hopefully they wander into the minds of readers and make new stories there.

5. What type of stories do you enjoy reading? Are these the same or different from what you like to write? I don't like to discriminate in terms of genre. A story well told is a story well told, no matter if it's fantasy or romance or historical fiction or fan fiction. I like reading all of it, but I am particularly drawn to speculative fiction and its infinite possibilities. It's not surprising that I predominantly write fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal – I like having all of those possibilities at my disposal! But just as with reading, I also like to challenge myself to write outside the genres I'm most comfortable in. For instance, when I wrote my first piece of horror for a competition, I felt totally out of my depth. Now, though, I must admit I rather enjoy writing horror. In that vein, I'd like to attempt a contemporary romance at some point. It's not what I normally write, but I think it would be a lot of fun.