Super pumped for another Wednesday to be here! Today, we're welcoming Iannah Roberts to the stage!!
If you want to find her online, here are some options:
Now, let's get to the meat and potatoes of this interview!!
How long have you been writing?
I started off writing poems and shorts when I was a kid. I then moved to writing fanfiction when I was in high school. Last March, I decided to start writing the book I had been contemplating to write for a bit.
What made you want to become a writer?
It was an escape for me when I was a child.
Tell me about your current work-in-progress.
I have a couple. My second book’s first draft is almost completed. My heroine, Lana, you meet in my first book Fight Song, which is to set to be released on April 12, 2021. Lana, and the hero, Alec were childhood best friends, but when they were thirteen, he moved away. Lana has a harrowing past and when Alec returns because of his job, they reconnect. They have a lot to overcome, especially after the death of her father and she learns things she doesn’t expect to learn.
What is your writing process like?
Currently, it’s all over the place. I have a general layout of what my books are about-the main characters, most of the side characters, the villain(s), and location. I typically just allow the characters to lead the way because even if I were to plot, it never turns out like I plan. Fight Song, I wrote in one continuous motion, start to finish, with the exception of one scene. With my current WIP, I started off with the prologue and the first two chapters, and then it sort of just went all over the place. It’s been a ride.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A forensic scientist or forensic psychologist.
How many unfinished works do you have right now?
I have two books that I’ve started and have yet finished, one of which is my second book. I have another story, that started out as a fanfic, but that I’m converting into an actual book and taking out the TV show parts, but I’m not sure when I’ll pick that one up again. I have book three of my current series in my head, along with three other books.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Don’t give up. Even on the hard days and when the imposter syndrome is a bitch and tells you can’t. Fuck it. You CAN! Just keep at it. Find your tribe and a couple of other authors who will stick by you and push you, challenge you, pick you up, and encourage you. You’re not in this alone, and there’s others out there who will love not only your book, but your characters as if they were their own.
What inspires your ideas?
For Fight Song—it’s loosely based off of me. It’s my baby and probably my biggest pride and joy, just because it has me woven into the words and pages. Lana, she’s loosely based off of my best friend (just the personality, not her story). And Ryder, who’s in all the books and his book is book three, he just sort of appeared. He’s the sort of friend I had always wished I had. The other characters just fell into the story and developed as they told me who they were.
For the locations—I love the beach. I’ve always said my soul belongs there, and it’s true. I’m at the most peace and my calmest, and happiest there.
What is a typical day in your home life?
Crazy. I have a four-year-old daughter who believes she’s going on eighteen most days. Her sass is unreal, she keeps me on my toes, and I can’t get enough of how funny she is. She’s my light and joy. I also have a day job as an Early Childhood Educator. I absolutely love it, though it can be draining at times. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world though.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing (for you)?
Intimate scenes. I probably will never write the hottest intimate, sexy scene, but I’m okay with that. Full honesty here, it’s something that I struggle to connect with. It’s the scenes that take me the longest to write—in my WIP, it took me a month—but I also learned from my alpha readers, and my author bestie that they’re better than what I think they are. I am my worst critic.
How many hours a day do you spend writing?
It varies. Between being a wife, mother, teacher, and author—my days are packed. Some days I only get five minutes, others I can get hours. Some days, nothing at all.
If you had to pick just ONE of your books to be put into a hall of fame – which one would it be and why?
Well, I only have one book that is completed—written, edited, everything. But even if I had other books completed, Fight Song probably would be the one I’d put into a hall of fame. While it scares me to put it out there and for others to read this story, I’m proud of it. It’s everything to me, and I my only hope for it is to help someone else, and for someone else to see they aren’t alone in this world.
What’s your favorite ice cream?
Anything with chocolate and peanut butter.
Thank you so much for being here with us today, Iannah!!
Don't forget to find her online!
I'll catch you all next time!
Alyssa Lynn