Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a debut young adult novelist and full-time college student. I live in the upper Midwestern United States. I enjoy spending time with my pets, family, and friends. I am currently working on the second installment in The Half Theft duology.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Half Theft, a young adult suspense novel, is my first ever published book, and the first chapter of The Half Theft duology. For my characters, I mainly drew inspiration from the people around me. Small bits of my friends’, family’s, and strangers’ personalities, likes, fears were sewn into each character to create something entirely new. I drew some setting inspiration from my favorite television series, Gotham, to build my very own dark, corrupt city for my characters to navigate.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I would venture to say my most unusual writing habit is my lack of a plan. I may vaguely map out a story, in terms of where I am starting, where I want to end up, and what information is necessary to reveal along the way. However, I do not have a chapter by chapter plan, nor anything of the sort.
Rather than dictating what I want my characters to say and do, I let them play out each scene for themselves. This way, they say and do what makes sense for them, not what is convenient for me. It makes for a much more realistic story in my eyes.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
It would be incredibly difficult for me to pinpoint individual authors or books that have influenced me. I strongly believe that everything a person reads exerts some sort of impact on them and their writing.
The one concept where I truly drew ideas from other books is the crafting of my main character, Charlie Riverson. In fiction, particularly young adult fiction, I find that the main character almost always possesses desirable traits that the reader wishes they had, whether that be magic, knowing their destiny, or even admirable bravery.
Charlie possesses none of these. And, to me, that’s what makes him so special. He doesn’t want to be the hero, and he isn’t expected to be. He exudes the energy of a person who wants to lock himself away in his house and talk to no one except his cat. Charlie is truly, entirely, and uniquely his own kind of social outcast. Any main character can be a hero. It takes a special kind of main character to pull off being a nobody.
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing my thus-far-untitled sequel to The Half Theft. This will be the second and final installment, since The Half Theft is a duology. The story picks up right where the last left off. No time jumps for the residents of Collinswood. Every minute of their lives is an essential piece of the puzzle.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Since this is my debut novel, I have minimal experience with book promotion. I have posted the book to a few websites and talked about it on my blog, as well as across social media.
Honestly, the reason I write has nothing to do with selling thousands of books and making money. My real goal in putting it out there is to find individuals who will love reading the story as much as I loved writing it. I hope I can find some of those people on this website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
While I have been writing for years, I still consider myself a new author, since I just published for the first time. However, I do have a bit of advice nonetheless.
Do not give up on your story. Change it, rewrite it, delete and add in chapters. But do not throw it to the side and forget about it. I had many times during the writing process where I was so scared of what people might think or say about my work, that I was ready to trash it all and give up writing. Please heed my advice and don’t do that. Somebody out there is waiting to read your story. You have to believe that it will mean something to somebody, because it will. I know that now.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.
I know this to be true. I know that if I hadn’t written and published my work, I wouldn’t get the occasional sweet messages I do from readers who adore The Half Theft. I wouldn’t have built a supportive group of fellow writers that I can rely on for kind words and gentle nudges.
You cannot give in to fear and let it stop you from doing what you love. Have hope, have courage, and amaze yourself with what you can accomplish.
What are you reading now?
I am currently working my way through a few series I have started and not finished. I truly have the worst time making my way through an entire series once it gets longer than three books. That’s my ultimate weakness. I am on the fifth Harry Potter book, the fourth Percy Jackson book, and the third Dune book. I simply adore them all in their own way.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned before, I am working on writing the second Half Theft book. Once I am done with that, I plan to begin writing a standalone young adult novel. Whether it will be a spinoff or contain only new characters, I haven’t yet decided.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the first Dune book. That would get me the most for my money, since it’s about a gazillion pages long. I would also take The Prisoner of Azkaban, since I could undoubtedly read that book a hundred times and never tire of the story. The third I would choose is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is another book that I could read again and again. It’s so simple, yet so beautiful.
Author Websites and Profiles
Brooke Nelson Website
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