Spotlight Series: The Jersordian with the Pen

Happy Thursdayyyyy, ya'll! It is time for yet another episode of the Spotlight Series :) [if you're new to my blog & have absolutely NO clue what the Spotlight Series is all about and/or missed the first two episodes with Lizzie and Talisha, you call click right down below to catch up!]

-LoveLoft [http://scarsofshe.blogspot.com/2014/06/spotlight-series-loveloft.html]
-Total Icon [http://scarsofshe.blogspot.com/2014/06/spotlight-series-total-icon.html]

Anywho, this episode is actually going to feature someone that I've had on a previous post: my Florida love, Chelsea DeVries! She was such a joy to have in my Got Virtue?? post [which you can gladly read all about right over here---http://scarsofshe.blogspot.com/2014/05/got-virtue.html] , that I just had to have her come back for a second time to talk about something that Chelsea and I have a shared love for: writing. A self proclaimed Jersordian (a person that has Jersey tendencies but resides in sunny Florida ), Miss Chelsea is actually a published Young Adult Fiction author :) she published her first novel, Dream Girl, in 2006 and her 
second, Jessica's Choice: The Sequel to Dream Girl followed in 2008. Six years later, she's hard at work 
finishing up her degree in Marketing at Saint Leo University while also working on a third book, a creative 
nonfiction memoir with an undisclosed title. I was grateful that Chelsea could take some time out of her busy 
Florida life to goes in more detail about her ways with words and how her love of writing had been birthed and 
grown over the years: 

1) Why did you start writing in the first place?

I started writing as a hobby in my freshman year of high school because I took a creative writing class. Now I hope to make it less of a hobby, and more of my full-time career.

2) What would you say was your most favorite thing you've written?

The most favorite thing I've written would actually be the project I'm working on now which is a creative non-fiction memoir about my near-death experience and a reflection of all I've been through in my life thus far. It's the most fun because it's the most honest piece of work I've done along with it's the most I've written and worked on a project ever.

3)What would you say was the least favorite thing you've written?

My least favorite thing I've written would probably be my first two novels because they are definitely not up to par of my writing skills today. You can most definitely tell that they were written by a fifteen year old haha but the only positive to this is that I had the guts to stand against all the rejection I faced as a writer and believe in my own dream. No worries, though. I already plan to republish them as one full novel with a working title of Angelic Charm.

4)Where do you see your writing going in the future?

 I see my writing becoming big in the future because I believe that this is my God-given talent to inspire people and God's way of having me share my testimony with the world to bring more people to Christ. Also, it would be cool to be a role-model for young women everywhere simply because I'm a woman of virtue who writes funny novels. I'd love to just get paid to write novels all while I just travel the world and live an adventurous life.

5)Who or what inspired you to begin writing?

The whole inspiration moment for me happened while reading the Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal. She wrote the whole series in vignettes instead of chapters and her series was a bestseller. I was obsessed with it when I was in middle school. Then, I got an assignment to write a short story for my creative writing class. The only problem was that after it was peer-reviewed by my classmates they all said it didn't read like a short story should, instead it read like the beginning of a novel. I just kept writing and when I was satisfied with what I came up with, I typed it up and Dream Girl was born in September of 2006.

6) How would your life be different if you didn't have writing?

 If I didn't write, I basically would be lost with my life now. Writing is the only thing that keeps me sane because it allows me to release the pain of battles I've fought, and lost while also allowing me to feel victorious for sharing my story or creating a fictitious story that inspires people to take action in a positive way. My ultimate goal when I write is to move people by the words I use and where I place them on the page. It sounds simple but trust me, it can be hard especially when the subject matter is personal. Yet, I know that by sharing my struggle, I can save someone in the midst of theirs. That to me is all the heroism I could only hope to attain. If one person's life is changed for the better by what I write, then I know I can move on to my next project.

Once again, I want to take time out to again thank Chelsea for her honesty in her answers :) if you wanna check out more of my Florida homegirl, 

-spam her with retweets & faves  of Zac Efron [twitter.com/ChelseaDeVries]

-find out what book she's diving into [www.goodreads.com/author/show/165746.Chelsea_DeVries]

-or read about her latest FLorida vacay [chellyzlife.blogspot.com]

Also, If you'd like to be the next featured guest on the Spotlight Series or know someone that may, feel free to:

-DM me via Twitter (@ambition4life_) or Instagram @rubiesandpearls_)

- or email me at thomas.jazmine@gmail.com 

Stay tuned for the next episode! Over and Out!