INTERVIEW WITH S.R. SAVELL:

How did you get started writing? 

I was always a big reader. Since it was hard for me to make friends, and because my dad and I moved a lot, reading was an escape for me. Most weekends, and usually after school, I would be at work with my dad. He was a logger who cut cord wood for a living, so we spent a lot of time on the road and in the woods. When I wasn’t helping him work, I would sit in the truck and read for hours at a time. After awhile, I wanted to write my own stories, and so I did. One of my best memories is when my fourth grade teacher read my story “The Christmas Mouse” to the class because she liked it so much. I’d never been so proud of myself in my life.

Who influenced you?

My favorite authors were, and are, my greatest influence. Some of my favorites growing up were J. K. Rowling, Alice Hoffman, Jack London, and K.A. Applegate. And yeah, I was an animal nut. Put a dog in the story and I was there! :)

 
Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

My absolute favorite book is Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s one of those novels that no matter how many times you read it, you never tire of the story. As someone who finds it hard to watch a movie or read a book more than twice, it makes the book all the more special to me.

 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can't do it. If you’re willing to work, you can do just about anything. I always say that what I lack in creativity, I make up for in tenacity. I’m not brilliant, but I am persistent, and that’s gotten me to where I am today.

 

Where is your favorite place to write?

My room, definitely. It’s free of distractions, so it’s really conducive to the writing process. Though sometimes I slack off and play Skyrim instead.

 

What else would you like to tell us?

I want to encourage people who love to write but are afraid to. I’m the world’s biggest cynic, so I know what it’s like to look at anything you write and automatically think it’s trash. You’re wrong. If you have a passion for writing, and if you value what you’ve written, then someone, somewhere, will too. The world deserves to hear your voice: it’s up to you to put the work in.