KMHayes

That's hard to say. I honestly wouldn't call myself a pro on fandoms and I don't like to be critical of anything if I don't have to be. But around the fandom, I guess I just hate that people get judgy about bronies and stuff. I mean, why can't people just like what they like and not have anyone else freak out about it? People are so weird that way. I mean, I don't get all huffy when someone says they're a football fan even though I don't like the sport. If they like it more power to them. I wish that outsiders would just offer the same kind of respect, I guess. Hmm, write what you love, ruin your characters lives, and then fix it all up in the end:) (Or don't if it's a tragedy. Your call.) I'm an author! It's awesome:) Twlight. Mostly because I was totally like her when I was younger, minus the magical unicorn bit;) That really depends on your publisher or if you're indie, etc. On this book, my publisher makes most of the profit. If it was indie, I was make most of it. So it really varies based on contract, type of book (ebook, paperback, hardback, etc.), and mode of publishing. (Also, thanks for buying and reading!) Thanks for having me! I think I got in all the answers:) You guys were so kind to have me and you all asked such lovely questions! See you around:D

Well, it really varies. When I'm on a tight deadline it can be full work days and then some and I still have to feed my kids and take care of them somehow. And then when I'm not under contract it can be a pretty leisurely pace, though I'm stressed I won't ever sell a book every again. But stress is a serious writing occupational hazard. I actually just recovered from a case of stress-induced shingles that were very painful and the doctor was all YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN NOW. Many writers I know have had some kind of stress related illness, and often if they struggle with mental illness that is exacerbated. I try to do yoga and have non-writing activities to help me decompress from my work. It's also really good to take breaks. They are important to fill those creative wells. And it's essential to be aware of your mental health and honest with how it is. It is a real statistic that writers are at a higher risk of suicide. There is something about creative work that wears on you and taking care of yourself is essential. Haven't read him. So I'm not not a fan?

Oh my goodness I have no idea! I mean, I get a little shy and I can't even imagine any of the show staff looking at it! It's a miracle to me that anyone here has read it at all and then even liked it on top of that? It's so amazing and humbling. I have no idea how it'll ultimately be received. I'm just grateful I got to write it at all. I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope it'll work out and that you can find support in other ways at the very least! I'm not at that point, actually. I'm just lucky enough that my other full time job is Mom and I am at home with my children. My spouse works full time outside the home. If it was just me working there'd be no chance we'd survive on my meager writing income. We will have that first post:) My favorite story to write is an honest, heartfelt, kinda funny one. The hardest genre for me is horror. I'm a scardey cat so it doesn't work out so well. Ships are funny. I don't really get TOO crazy about them, but yeah, ZUTARA FOREVER.

I've been a fan since season 1 popped up on Netflix. Twilight is my favorite, mostly because I idenitfy with her the most personality wise. Favorite episode is a hard pick, but my favorite SCENE is Fluttershy losing her temper in the Power Ponies episode and going Hulk. Oh my gosh, even just thinking about it makes me laugh. The animation on that was just FANTASTIC.

It's going okay! I have it all cut out and ready to go, but I won't have time to get it all together until I get back from a conference I'm teaching at in two weeks. All the prep for that is ruining my free time! But I'm so excited to finish it. I'll be at Salt Lake Comic Con as a panelist, and you better bet I'll be wearing it there!

It can be really hard. Most of the time, I just don't go and seek out the criticism. I know there are bad reviews of my books on GoodReads--I have not read them. I don't need that negativity and reviews aren't really for me--they are for other readers. What has also helped me is just knowing that there's something for everyone out there, and not everyone will like everything. That is true of ALL things. You cannot make everyone happy. It's impossible. You have to, first and foremost, make yourself happy as a writer. If you love it, then it's worthwhile and has meaning because it changed you as a person. If your work finds other people who love it, then all the better! It's great to focus on those who connect. What was that T-Swift song? "The haters gonna hate hate hate...but I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake it off." Yeah, that's some good stuff. If all else fails, just blast that song and do a dance and smile it off:)

I haven't! Most of my writing has been novel-minded and I don't know a lot about script-writing. It was be a fun but intimidating learning curve!

I haven't, but point me in a direction and I will go;) I can now justify it all by saying it's book research! I am WORKING, guys! Haha.

Middles are hard! Many authors even call it "The Dreaded Middle." But if you're struggling to get to that place, this is my technical advice: Ruin your character's life. Yes, really. Okay, so more specifically. The beginning of a novel is setting up what your character has, what they want, and how they plan to get it. And then everything goes wrong--otherwise known as the try/fail cycle. If you're struggling with the middle, it may be that there isn't enough conflict in your book. I mean, look at MLP, for example! The very first episode, we know that Twilight has a plan for her life--study a bunch as Celestia's prized pupil and be the awesome student she believes she must...and then ALL of that is taken away from her as she's thrown completely out of her comfort zone in Ponyville. She is constantly trying and failing and figuring out, ultimately reaching her goal but not in the way she expected at all. Those motivations and conflicts are the structure for the story. Think about what your story's are and if they can carry a book:)

Sorry about the Chipmunks:( I guess it wasn't meant to be? I always have ideas I haven't put down yet, waiting for the right time for all the pieces to come together. I have been struck powerfully though, and have written novels in mad flurries when I get really excited about an idea. I admit that hasn't happened recently, though. Things change a bit when writing becomes your career. With deadlines and other responsibilities, a lot of the times you can just sit down and do that. Well, I think like in most cases, the fandom is a "you get what you put in" kind of thing, isn't it? I mean, I am not the authority at all. I am a fan, but at the same time I get super intimidated by the people who are super SUPER fans that exclipse my ability to fan by millions of times over, you know? But yeah, I think this show and fandom can change lives. And I also think if someone doesn't think much of it, then it won't do anything for them in return. You get what you give. That's true in life, really, not just here. Very much! Haha. I was afraid no one would ask questions so this is great!

I am a half-pantser? Hehe. I mostly go without an outline, but I do like to make notes about 3-5 chapters in advance of what I think will happen in the draft. Sometimes I stick to it and sometimes a don't. Basically it's like I have a flashlight in a dark forest so I can see a few feet ahead but not the whole landscape:)

This came from a place where I wanted to show a little bit of how girls were bullied vs boys, how it can be dangerous in a very different and scary way. And it was a way of showing a "line," so to speak, between what is okay and what is so not. I also wanted to show the abusive nature of what might have been a relationship under other circumstances, had Skye not been befriended and started to believe that was the best she'd ever get. Which does happen. I've seen it, and it's heartbreaking.

More like a mix up of a lot of my own personal experiences? Drew comes from my art background and is bullied like I was, but he's not me at the same time. He's actually a lot more chill, and though he's nervous around people because of his past he's actually quite good at making friends when he has the courage. He also comes a little bit from a story a teen was telling me about a brony at her school. She was telling me that most of the kids at school don't bug him, but actually it was his father who was the meanest to him. She said his dad would call him a loser and a freak in front of his son's friends and make it really clear that he hated MLP. It was so hard to believe and then...so not hard at the same time. That story...I pulled a lot from that for the conflict in my book.

Hmm, well, I don't know anything about your situation, but I guess I can say if you want to tell her, then do it. If you don't, then don't. You're not ready, and that's okay. I think we all have times when we need to keep something for ourselves and it takes time for us to be ready to tell more people. But you know, moms are mostly pretty cool people, and they love their kids no matter what. It might be scary and she might be confused at first, but it'll all smooth out. It breaks my heart that it even has to be a secret, you know? I mean, I grew up loving X-Men and watching it on TV and no one ever told me I was weird and I couldn't do that because I was a girl. I just don't really get what the big deal is--it's a great show, and anyone should be "allowed" to like it. Our culture is seriously messed up on this topic, and I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I have! I have four of them--me and my daughter have really enjoyed them:) They are always on the "buy list" when we have a little extra cash.

I will certainly be around on the forums! Probably not hugely, but it's fun to check in and see what people are chatting about. I'd be on more if I weren't so darned busy. Summer is especially tough with kids out of school. I'm on constant "Entertain me!" duty;)

I haven't had the chance, but it's on the list of things to do! I'm currently buried in manuscripts for a week-long class I'm teaching in a couple weeks, and they've been sucking all my extra time. I definitely plan on getting that direction, though. I don't think there's anything I'd say I'd dislike in fanfic genres. I mean, are there genres that aren't for me? Sure. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. They're just not my style. But that's the beauty of fiction--you can find something for yourself, and other can find something they love. It's great that we all have so many choices. The forums have been really cool and welcoming! A bit overwhelming, but I'm enjoying finding all sorts of new things. I like lots of different music. I actually really into music from the 60s and 70s, kinda of the "folk music" side. Things like Jim Croce, Credence Clearwater, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, John Denver...my dad listened to that stuff and it just makes me feel all nostalgic and happy. And then on the totally opposite end, I'm WAY into Kpop. BigBang, 2NE1, Shinee, BAP, Girls Generation...the list goes on. So I like all that and everything in between:) There has always been talk with the publisher of that possibility, but it really depends on how well the first book does!

It was fairly deliberate:) Mostly because I thought it was important to kind of show as many ways of being a fan as I could. I would call myself more of a quietly passionate fan, though I love and respect those who are involved and in every aspect of the fandom. I wanted there to be room for all those in the book. I also wanted to get a decent variety of how fans express their fandom--from art to fashion to writing, etc. (Also something I hope to continue if there are more books.) As for the one I identify with most, really I have to say Drew. He's a big product of myself, in that I gave him art like I had in high school. I was also severely bullied in elementary and jr. high, so those feelings and experiences he has come from a very real place for me. One of my favorites from my childhood is The Chronicles Of Narnia. They were really the only books that grabbed me as a child. The Giver and Dune hit me hard in my tween years, loved those. Today, I read a lot of YA because it's what I write. Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, Kasie West, Sara Zarr, Julie Halpern--love them on the contemporary side. Leigh Bardgo, Kiersten White, Sara Raasch, Ellen Oh, Cindy Pon, J.R. Johansson--love them on the spec fic side.

Seven published novels in, I don't need a lot to get me into Writer Mode. I just open the laptop and go. Sometimes if I'm getting lazy or the writing is hard, I set timers and see how much I can write in, say, 30 mins, just to give myself a more immediate goal. I don't really snack or anything. I sometimes listen to music or I watch my favorite League of Legends pros stream;)

I'm afraid I don't have much of an opinion. I actually didn't watch the show growing up! I was that weird little girl that leaned more towards X-Men and Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters and Captain Planet... The hardest part by far was the very tight deadline. They gave me two months to write it! That was very hard. Luckily it was something I loved so that made it a bit less painful, but I usually like to spend more than two month drafting a novel.

Miyazaki movie...I love so many, but as a creative person Kiki's Delivery Service has actually gotten me through some hard times. When Kiki loses her ability to fly--sometimes I've felt like that in my writing. And watching her go through finding that strength and joy again is very powerful for me. DBZ: Gohan. Attack on Titan: Annie. InuYasha: Sesshoumaru! Sailor Moon: Rei. As far as inspiration for my writing, it's a big mix! I take a lot from my creative loves: cartoons, books, video games, art. I also take a lot from my personal experience as well. Not in a "I write my exact life events into a book," but I certainly draw on things I have or am currently struggling with, things that have meant a lot to me in my life, things that have made me happy. And the Chipmunks? ...I'm afraid to answer this...but their voices. It's hard for me to get past their voices:(

Writer's "block" I find comes from a few different things. First, many times it's just a case of laziness. Sometimes I KNOW what I need to write next, but I just don't WANT to write! That's the case where you just have to stick your butt in the chair and write and have that discipline. If I honestly don't know where the sotry is going, it's usually because I've made a mistake or I need to brainstorm. If a scene just feels off, I look at what I've written and usually find the book took a wrong turn several chapters back and I need to revise. If I'm truly blank, I take the time to come up with at least 5 possible ways the story could go from where I'm at. Usually your first ideas will be the most cliche or obvious, and the next ones are stronger.

First, write. Which sounds silly, but lots of people talk about writing and never do it. You can plan and dream, but writing a book requires actually sitting down and getting the words out. They may not be good at first, but practice is key. I would also say focus on craft before publishing. It's so easy to get caught up in the dream of publishing (I know I did) and forget to actually improve your work. The true joy of writing will always be the craft of story. Learn everything you can and practice and if publishing comes with that, great, and if not, that's okay, too.

Also a publisher-mandated choice! But I did get to choose my pen name. I chose K. and M. for some dear family members, and "Hayes" I thought was a little pony-like but not too obvious;) So hard to pick just one, but I think I have to go with the song Princess Celestia sings to Twilight at the end of season 3. Seriously, it makes me tear up every time. I just think it's so sweet, and the mother in me gets all sappy about how much Twilight had grown at that point, too. My kids LOVE the Equestria Girls songs. I swear I can sing all the ones from the second movie thanks to them;) Yes! Actually, My LIttle Brony is my 7th published novel. The others are just under another name (Natalie Whipple). I am currently working on edits for another novel, and I always, always have plans to write as long as I can:) I haven't! But, oh man, do I want to go so badly! They look so fun and I'd love to meet other fans. At the same time they make me nervous because there's so many people. I actually have social anxiety, and it can be hard to attend big events. Very overwhelming and easy for me to have a panic attack.

I like A LOT of animation. I'm not sure I could pick franchises, but anime in general is a thing I love very much and have been inspired by in my writing. MLP is definitely the biggest American franchise I've ever fallen in love with. I guess I became a brony on the first season of MLP: FiM. I actually didn't watch the show in the 80s, and so this was my first exposure and it had an imediate impact on me.

Great question! I care a lot about diversity, actually, in all aspects, and I worked to include it as naturally as possible in the novel. In *most* of my novels I have a very diverse cast and this was just a natural thing to me. I come from a mixed background, in that my grandmother was native to New Zealand and part Maori. Some of my siblings even live there now (I wish I did!). I also have an anxiety disorder that I'm medicated for, and I am part of a religion many people don't like. So yeah, it's just an important thing to me to show people from all places in life. You'll find some of these in My Little Brony (Quincy, Emma, Harley...and even Jake, though he's still in the closet [ack spoiler sorry!]). And I hope if the series continues that I'll be able to continue adding to that diverse cast:) I don't know a lot about them, honestly! But it sounds cool. I love video games--I guess I need to check this out! I totally got addicted to the MLP phone app, haha. I eventually had to delete it because my family was getting mad that I never paid attention to them:(