Thursday TAG! - Alex J Cavanaugh

O.M.G. You have NO IDEA how excited I am about today's TAG! I'm giddy, yes, giddy. Because he's one of the most awesomest of awesome people I know. Yes, that's right, my TAG! today is...

The AWESOME ALEX J CAVANAUGH! (WOOT!) Now, for those who don't know this awesome man, Ninja Captain, blogger, and author...YOU MUST! Follow him on his blog, Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads. Read his books: CassaStar and CassaFire. (CassaStorm will be book three). He's the most awesome blogger buddy, friend, author, and person! His awesomeness can't be defined, it's nearly impossible to match, it's just...AWESOME! I could go on and on, but I won't. Let's just get into the interview.


1. When did you start writing?

Wrote some as a teenager and picked it up again a few years ago.

2. What made you want to write?

There were adventures I wanted to experience that I hadn’t read or seen in a movie yet.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)

After I re-wrote CassaStar, I decided to submit it and see what happened.

4. What genre(s) do you write?

Science fiction – space opera/adventure

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?

Because it’s the one I enjoy the most. And I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle fantasy yet.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)

Only that I prefer to play music in the background.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?

I have to outline! Otherwise my story would wander off and get lost.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)

Music, water, and Hot Tamales!

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?

I’ve done both. I neither write nor type fast, but after my experience with NaNo 2010, I do better typing. (I’m currently participating in BuNo this month and typing as fast as I can.)

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)

I wrote some short stories when I was younger and one incomplete novel. I eventually rewrote that novel and it became my first published book, CassaStar. The sequel, CassaFire, came out this past February.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?

No one beside myself - I’m my own worst enemy.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?

I’m on Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and I blog. That’s more than enough!

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)

I don’t think I follow any that are cringe-worthy. They always say don’t use italics to designate thought, but I use it to signify a character’s thoughts when he is speaking telepathically.

14. Where did your inspiration for CassaStar come from?

From watching a lot of science fiction movies and shows like Battlestar Galalctica, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, and Star Trek

15. Have you always been a Sci-Fi lover?

For as long as I can remember!

16. What was the first video game that you bought with your own money? (Earned money from doing chores or money that was given to you as a gift)

Atari’s Adventure. (Yeah, remember that one?)

17. When did you first become interested in learning how to play the guitar? How long after that did you become a fairly good player?

I’ve played other instruments and picked up the guitar a few years ago. How long before I became a good player? Hmm, maybe next week!

18. How are you able to have your normal life, your writer life, your blogging life, and still be such an AWESOME Ninja Captain and person?

Ninja skills! That and I blog from work. I try to be awesome all the time though.

19. What do you do when you aren't writing?

Playing my guitar, watching movies, reading, and spending time with my wife.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?

Just be a genuine, caring person – and be open to all possibilities!

( Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Known online as the Ninja Captain, he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He lives in the Carolinas with his wife. )

Check out his books:

Thursday TAG! - Ali Cross

Ali Cross is an amazing author that I found first on the Indelibles blog and I've followed her personal blog ever since. I'm a Writing Ninja thanks to the site she came up with and because of that site, I found out about NiNoCon, attended AND won three awesome books. One of those books was Become by Ali Cross. She is a fantastic writer and a genuinely nice person. Ali tweets @ali_cross, she's on Facebook, and Goodreads.

1. When did you start writing?
I started writing my first book in October of 2002. I remember exactly when it was because...

2. What made you want to write?
My family and I were driving into the mountains for a weekend getaway and I was telling my husband how much I loved Guy Gavriel Kay’s books THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY and how I would love to be able to write a book as beautiful as that one day. We brainstormed ideas, and by the time we got to the resort we were BOTH ready to start writing our own books! And we did!

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
I think wanting to be published went hand in hand with wanting to write from the very beginning. I never wanted (and have never envisioned having) great success—like, I never thought “I want to be a famous author like J.K. Rowling!”. But I did want to be read. I wanted people to receive the story I was sharing, right from the very beginning.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
I write dark urban fantasy, dystopian, and science fiction for teens and adventurous fantasy and science fiction for middle grade readers.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)? Ooh, good question. I write dark stories for teens because that’s what I know from my own life. I tend to write about the power of hope—and there’s no doubt I’m writing to the girl I once was (and someone else like me) with the desire that I can give her hope that things can get better.
I write fun, adventurous middle grade stories because I’m a mom of boys so I often think of stories they would like. These stories are still pretty emotional, which seems to be a constant in my stories, but they are definitely geared toward active boys.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
I do a particular type of outlining which is like storyboarding a screenplay. I’m very visual so not only does it help me to visualize my story as if it’s a movie, it helps to have the storyboard in front of me when I’m writing. I don’t need it there all the time though (I can write virtually anywhere, anytime), but the exercise of putting it together really cements the story in my mind. Then, I just write like a crazy madwoman. I don’t stop to second guess myself or to question what I wrote—that comes later!
My revision process tends to be long and arduous, lol—probably because I write like a crazy madwoman!

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
Ha! Yes indeed, as I mentioned above! I am a 100% firm believer in the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. It’s a screenwriting tool, but it works really well for me.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
Nope! I used to eat Mike ‘n Ikes like they were going out of style, but I write so often these days that if I always ate candy I’d never be able to get out of my chair. :) I do really enjoy my super-comfy-awesome-fatabulous headphones and Pandora. I <3 Pandora.
9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
One hundred percent on the computer. Drafting is always done that way because I tend to write very, very fast and there’s no way my penmanship could keep up with how fast I draft.
But I tend to do all my revisions offline, pink pen to printed manuscript.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
I’ve got seven full-length novels written and one short story. :)

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
Ha! That’s such a good question. My whole life my family has pretty much thought I was just a dreamer and tended to discount most everything I did. However, when it came to writing, people have been very supportive. Almost like they all went, “Writing? Huh. Now THAT’s something I can see Ali doing!”

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
Yes, I do, albeit badly. I blog, which I love. I’ve tried not blogging (because it’s so time consuming), but gave up. I need blogging. It’s like air to me. I Tweet—pretty much love that, too. I love the connectedness it gives me. I’m on Facebook and Goodreads but I’m sure I don’t utilize either of them like I should. And I’m “on” Google+ but I’ve spent even less time figuring that out than I have Facebook and Goodreads!

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
I often received the advice, “Don’t stop querying! One day you will find an agent/get an editor/get published!” Sometimes, you DO need to stop querying. Sometimes I think it’s best to take your career into your own hands. Not every story gets it’s day by traditional means.

14. Have you always been interested in Mythology or is it something that piqued your interest when you started writing?
I love mythology. I studied Latin (with all its accompanying history) for five years through high school*, then Russian and Slavic history through university. I am fascinated by all mythologies and love learning even more through my eleven-year-old son who is just as crazy about it as I am! *Where and when I lived in Canada we went to grade 13 in high school. Oh the horror!

15. Become is not the typical YA (meaning your supernatural element is not what you usually see in YA), what made you want to write about the devil's daughter?
Do you want the standard answer? Because I thought it would be cool, a neat twist on the usual wanting-to-rebel-against-your-parents kind of teenage angst. If you want the real answer, then I’d say, because I am a girl who has often had to face her past. I’ve often wondered if it’s possible for a person like me to move forward, to truly be worthy of good things. BECOME is my answer to those fears.

16. Are you completely self-published or are you Indie Pubd?
I am completely self-published. It’s all me, myself and I. :)

17. Why did you go that route?
I didn’t initially choose this route. BECOME was contracted with a small publisher and should have been released in July of 2010. Obviously, that didn’t happen. Then I had a New York agent who turned out to be a flake so . . . It was either go independent, or go back through the whole arduous process again. I decided to jump in with both feet and do it myself.

18. What inspired you to create the Ninjas Write site?
I’ve been into martial arts for a long time and think that the black belt mindset is wholly relatable to what it takes to be a published author. For the past year I’ve done all the ninja stuff on my blog, but it’s grown a little too big for me to manage on my own, and I didn’t want my own personal “room” in the blogosphere to be cluttered with We Love Brandon Mull posters. So now Ninjas Write (or the writer’s dojo) is my “office” where we get to go all swoony* over all things author-ish, while my home is alicross.com where I get to hang loose and just be me. *I had no idea this was an actual word, but apparently it is!

19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
Read, read and READ!!! I also love to watch a ton of movies—they are inspiring to me!

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Hmm. I guess my word of wisdom would be to love what you’re doing. If you’ve lost the love for your story, it’s okay to put it away (for a while) and write what’s calling your name. Sometimes I think we writers feel we need to power through and not “give up”. But I don’t think it’s giving up—I think it’s responding to the creative inspiration in us to go where our muse takes us. Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood lest anyone think I’m advocating story-jumping. There are times when we need to press on, even when our story is giving us fits. (Probably lots and lots of times, honestly). But there’s a difference between pressing on and denying our creative instincts.
This is probably a very good reason why I don’t often give advice because it tends to be convoluted and confusing!