For my second interview of 2018, EA: Creatively Creative sits down with romance novelist, Shaquanda Dalton.
EA: When did your love for writing begin?
SD: My love for writing started when I was nine years old. I saw a cartoon and decided to make my own version of the story on paper of what should have happened instead. It was about 9 pages long and was called ‘Little Miss Meane.’ I was really excited and told my whole family about it. Lol.
EA: What does it mean to you to be a writer?
SD: It means freedom. It means an entirely different world that I can create with just my mind. I could do anything. Say anything and anything could happen. It is freedom from the real world for a while. It’s my exact and my happy place.
EA: Who are the biggest influences on your life and career?
SD: My mom is the biggest influence on my life as a person and who I am today. In terms of my writing career, this amazing woman named Joanna Penn from the creativepenn.com has pretty much gave me the advice, the courage, and the knowledge to actually start publishing my books online and how to make it into a career for myself.
EA: What is the concept of Desires?
SD: Desires is a romance erotica novel. The main character Desires has sworn off relationships with men ever since her last relationship. Then she met her match when she meets another man who also appreciates the non-commitment sex life. The man is not like any she’s ever slept with so she must guard her heart from falling before she ends back down the wrong path again.
EA: Do you believe that writing a novel is easy?
SD: It is harder than anything I’ve ever done in my life. But it is a labor of love.
EA: Would you tell us more about your website, and what it has to offer?
SD: My website is Learnasyouwrite.com where I help new writers with dialogue, creativity, and character development. My goal is for new writers to have a good foundation when it comes to story telling especially when they are just starting out. Practice is everything, but having a few tips couldn’t hurt.
EA: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
SD: Never give up. I felt lost when I wasn’t writing and sometimes I would sit at my desk when I was in class and I wouldn’t know what to do with my hands. I realized that I just wanted a pen to feel relaxed. Writing no matter what genre gets easier the more you do it.
Another tip would be reading. You learn to write well by reading well-written stories. If you, as an aspiring writer, can fall into the world that another author has created it’s more likely that you’ll be able imitate that skill if you practice.
EA: Finally, tell the readers why Desires is a must buy.
SD: Desires is a must buy because it’s deeper than any erotica book with a love story twist. It goes into depth about relationships, what love is and how many forms it can take. It also mentions relationships that appear to be good from the outside, but unstable behind closed doors. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Epilogue
I'm sure other authors can relate to Shaquanda's statement about freedom in writing as well, but I can't stress enough how imperative it is for me to have creative freedom/control when I write. Creating stories where the characters pull the readers into their world, so to speak, is one of my major goals when writing. I share the same sentiments as an author.
I do see where reading the works of others can be beneficial to a writer. It can give you an idea of how you want to construct your story or create certain characters, particularly if the book is well written. I thank Shaqunda for speaking with me tonight. If you would like some tips on how to become a better writer, and create compelling characters/stories, visit Shaquanda's website at learnasyouwrite.com
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