Rachel Foster writes in the Young Adult, Thriller/Suspense, Romance and Horror genres. Her book,Cursed, tells the story of teenager Alice Warren whose normal life is changed in an unexpected way.  I recently had the opportunity to speak with her about her writing journey. Read what she had to say below.

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

“This actually happened when I was about ten years old. My uncle still has a copy of the first story I wrote (which I’m afraid to admit has a page and a half of the word “long” written repeatedly to describe just how long my character’s journey was). I lacked a lot of finesse back then. I have always been in a love affair with books. Since I could read, I loved the way I was transported into different places through the words I read. To a young girl who hadn’t been many places or seen many things, it was magic and I wanted nothing more than to be part of that magic.”

What other writers/books inspire you?

“One of the very first stories that transported me was a ‘Goosebumps’ book by R.L. Stine. When I was little, I loved those books. I started with the Fear Street stories and eventually graduated into more adult authors like Stephen King. I still love to read old Nora Roberts stories and Laurell K. Hamilton. English class always inspired me too, though. Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, S.E. Hinton are among others.”

 Under what genre would you classify your work?

“‘Cursed’ would definitely fall in the Young Adult category. Well, let me rephrase. This version of ‘Cursed’ falls under the Young Adult category. I wouldn’t say that I stick mostly in that category though. I’ve written in Thriller/Suspense, Romance, and Horror.”

 Your book, Cursed, is a spellbinding treasure. How did you conceive of this book?

“Thank you. It’s still strange for me to hear that. ‘Cursed’ was written for NaNoWriMo for 2011 ( http://nanowrimo.org/ ). NaNoWriMo is a program that occurs every November (though they have other programs at other times during the year). The basic idea is that you are given only the month of November to write 50,000 words in a brand new novel. The point isn’t to write a work of art but to just write. I was preparing for NaNoWriMo that year and came down to the day before the program was to start and I still didn’t have a story! I was terrified that I wasn’t going to be able to participate that year. Then Alice came to me. I spent the day with my muse and over the next few hours, I ended up with half the book outlined.”

How much of yourself is reflected in your main protagonist, Alice Warren? 

“Supernatural aspects and magic aside, I think a lot of Alice speaks to a lot of who I was at her age. I’ve always been interested in the paranormal and there were many times I would imagine what would happen if one day I realized I was more than I thought I was. Alice is a simple girl trying to make it through high school with her best friend, no real plans for the future yet, and then her world is flipped upside down and she has to figure out how to handle that change.”

 What was the most difficult aspect of writing Cursed?

“I have two, actually. I often have a hard time writing without editing my work. I could make it two pages in and think, “hey, this would be a better way for that to happen,” and I get stuck in a loop. If I allow myself to continuously edit, I never finish writing. For that, I’m greatly thankful for NaNoWriMo. The tight turn around makes it nearly impossible to edit and still finish your word count on time. The second is a sentiment I believe every writer fights. When you create a character, a muse, they start to develop their own thoughts and feelings about things. I’ve found myself writing when my muse basically tells me, “nope, I’d never do that.” Then you have to go back and find a way to make it work. Alice, the main character of ‘Cursed’, is a surprisingly opinionated muse.”

What advice would you offer aspiring writers?

“I think the greatest tragedy in life is having something to say but letting fear or doubt keep you from saying it. If you want to write, write. If you have thoughts and words, put them to paper. Don’t let anything or anyone, not even yourself, stop you.”

Are there any current writing projects that you are able to share with us?

“There are, actually. ‘Cursed’ is the first of a trilogy so I’m currently working on the sequel which I plan on self-publishing this year. I am also playing with the idea of writing a grown up version of ‘Cursed’ that will take place a decade after the end of the third novel but there’s nothing concrete on that yet. Outside of this series, I have about a dozen others in the works (I have too many ideas sometimes) but the one I spend my time on if I’m not working on ‘Cursed’ is a different retelling of The Little Mermaid story – more like a Grimm’s version. But my main priority is to finish up the sequel, a novel that I’ve titled ‘Fallen.’

Any comments, please leave them below. Or tweet @thenerdygirlexp or @tdmiller820917 .