Marissa Watkins has been a storyteller since she was ten years old, when all she had to write in were her journals. The oldest of six children, she considers herself a caring nurturer as well as a "master of rowdy dragons." Watkins lives in Arizona with her husband Stewart, whom she considers her forever partner-in-crime. RBK: Welcome to Knights of Ink, Mrs. Watkins! Before we get into what you write, let's hear about what you read. What kind of books do you enjoy in your down time? Mostly fantasy. That may sound cliche, but I have a soft spot for the magical and mystical worlds. My mother-in-law gave me the Wings of Fire book series for my birthday. It's all about dragons and I just love it! RBK: I love dragons, too! I'll have to look into Wings of Fire. It sounds fantastic. So I see that you've written a few fan fictions. What kind of research do you do to write those? That depends. If it's from a TV show, I'll watch some episodes to learn more about the characters and see how they would act in certain situations. I'll also research online if there's enough information for them. It's harder to search for background or minor characters unless they're fan favorites or something. RBK: Tell me about it. I love to write Dinotopia fics, which is fine with world-building, but a little more difficult if I wanted to write about, say, Marion's little sister, Samantha. What are you working on now? Besides finishing a fanfic? (Link below) Right now I'm working on a children's book called "The Giving Lamb". It's about a lamb who has to decide whether to give his wool to a poor, freezing baby.* I wrote it when I was in high school, so aside from a few tweaks I need to fix, it's pretty much done. I would like to find an illustrator for this story and a publisher to help get it out there. RBK: Hopefully we Knights can help you find someone to illustrate your book! I'm sure there are many artists out there who'd be interested in such a project. How did you come up with the idea for The Giving Lamb? To be honest, I don't remember entirely. I do remember that it came to me around Christmas time and I thought it would make a cute Christmas/holiday story, so I just wrote it. Sometimes the best inspirations we receive have no rhyme or reason to come, but they do. And if they're really good, they'll stick with us forever. RBK: What is the main theme you want your readers to take away from your book? That if you serve others, even during the most difficult circumstances, you will be blessed for your efforts. RBK: A fantastic message, especially for Christmas. With all of us being authors here, I'm sure we're all wondering how you deal with writers' block? I take a breather, usually by going outside. I find that I receive my best ideas and inspirations when I'm outside, whether it's going on a walk, roller skating at the park, or just getting out of the house in general. Mrs. Watkins' Writing Space:RBK: So why do you write? What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? I write because I feel like I'm the voice for my characters. How else are they going to have their stories heard unless I write it for them, making them known somehow? They can't be stuck inside my head forever because let's face it, life is short, and if I don't write their stories, who will? RBK: Of course! I know if I let the characters in my head simmer for too long I start having dreams about them and then I get annoyed at people for no reason because of all the chatter going on. So when you sit down to let these characters tell you their story, do you outline your book before hand or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer? I do outline my books beforehand. Maybe it's just the perfectionist in me. I'd like to know how a story will turn out before I sit down and write it. Maybe I should try being more of a free spirit once in a while. Just sit, write, and see where it goes from there. RBK: It's definitely fun to sit and see where the story takes you, but I have to confess... I'm a big-time planner, too. Down to the most minute details. In wrapping up this interview, are there any nuggets of wisdom you'd like to impart to aspiring writers? Please keep writing, even if it's just your personal journal or something. You have stories worth telling, so get them out some way, somehow. And there you have it. You can read some of Mrs. Watkins' works here. Her book, The Giving Lamb, is currently in the process of searching for an illustrator. If you have a recommendation, please comment below with links to your suggested artist. Love to you all! Now get out there and Forge Your Legend. R. B. KnightThe Merlin to your Author * Edited to avoid spoilers
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