Getting to know the Author: Brielle McLean (Writer, Instagram Activist, Teen Author)
Have you ever wanted to know if you could succeed with writing while being in high school? There are many teen authors out there, but there aren't many who put their work out there on platforms like Instagram.
Get to know the teen author who is also a community activist Brielle McLean. In this interview, she talks about her writing, how to balance school and writing, how to be an activist while being in high school and in general.
Thank you Brielle for doing this with me. Go follow her. She is an awesome creative bean!
Brielle is a writer and activist. She strives for all her stories to have representation, address important issues, and take her readers on a journey. In her free time, she likes to keep herself busy with hobbies such as singing, gaming, and blogging.
You can find Brielle on her website, https://briellewrites.com/ Her debut novel, Infantasy, can be found on Goodreads and will be out in early fall. Check out and follow Brielle to review more information about the release.
1. What book made you want to write?
Honestly, I was mostly inspired to write because of my sister, who published her own novel. But the book Legacy by Cayla Kluver inspired my writing style and ideas a lot.
What book made you want to read?
I don’t remember if there was a particular book that set off my love for reading, but the series Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russel was probably one of the first books I was really into.
How do you balance high school and writing?
I’m fortunate enough to be homeschooled, so my schedule is pretty flexible. Recently, I’ve been getting up earlier in the morning, so I’m able to get some words in before I start my day. Plus, it helps me feel more productive and less stressed to have to get words in later.
What made you want to become a social activist? And what advice do you have for those who feel like they can’t or shouldn’t use their voice to stand up against racial and systematic inequality?
I didn’t realize I wanted to get into activism until last year. I’ve always found joy in helping people, and after I started learning about different social injustices that exist in the world, there was no way I could just go back to normal. My advice to those wanting to use their voice for good is to educate themselves and find their core values. There’s always going to be someone who’s going to challenge your beliefs, so keep an open mind but also have a solid backing to your opinions. Always remember that your voice matters, and don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
What is your book’s genre and what is your book about?
My story is a young adult dystopian novel called Infantasy. It follows 15 teens who are chosen to go into the Infantasy, a deadly world where anyone that goes in is never heard from again. In order to save their own world and everyone in it, the unlikely band of teens has to survive the challenges of this new land and try not to get killed while they’re at it. Infantasy is my debut book about learning to accept and be patient with yourself, reach out for help, and take control of your own destiny.
What is your favorite part of being a part of the writing community?
I love so much about the writing community! But if I had to choose just one thing, it would be seeing everyone’s projects and accomplishments. Hearing how someone else’s book is going can help me feel inspired or motivated to write my own, and it makes me so happy to hear other’s success with their writing.
What is your favorite part of being a part of the bookish community?
I’m not too present in the bookish community. Still, I do love going there to find some amazing diverse book recommendations. It’s also a great place to find people with similar book interests as I’ve even seen people who’ve read some relatively uncommon books that I like.
What are your thoughts on NaNoWriMo?
I think NaNoWriMo is great for writers who are looking for a community, need some motivation, or are writing as a hobby. NaNoWriMo is especially great for those working on first drafts as well. But if you’re serious about becoming a professional author or don’t need any of the aforementioned things, then I think NaNoWriMo can do more harm than good.
This is because NaNoWriMo (including the camps) generally happens around three times a year. If that doesn’t line up with your schedule, you could potentially slow yourself down waiting for it. Also, depending on how you like to write, NaNoWriMo can be unnecessarily intense and may make you discouraged if you’re not writing as fast as everyone else.
Basically, I say go for it if you want to chill and have fun but try not to get too serious about the whole thing, or you may risk burning yourself out and writing even less than you were before.
Do you want to self-publish or traditionally publish?
I’m personally self-publishing my books. Now, there are the common pros to this, such as complete creative control and higher royalties, but my main reason for going on the self-pub route is not that. See, my current story Infantasy includes a mainly diverse cast, with many of the leads having marginalized identities such as being a person of color, queer, and/or disabled. Not only that, but being a queer black writer myself, I already have a disadvantage in the industry. Basically, what I’m saying is, the current climate of the traditional publishing industry isn’t ready for people like me or my ideas.
The positive to this, though, is that I’ve learned so much about business, independence, self-discipline, and even realized I have a strong interest in marketing that I might not have found out otherwise. I may look into traditional publishing one day in the future, but for now, I’ll keep content in my book under my control.
What is your advice to young writers who want to write a book but don’t feel they should?
I’m going to try to answer this without going into a whole rant because I have so much advice for young writers, haha. As a teen writer myself, I’ve learned so much over the time I’ve spent writing. But my biggest advice to teen writers who are serious about writing is to stay consistent. And what I mean by this is that, if you’re writing a book, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or whatever, you need to stick with it.
There will be times when you’re out of inspiration, or a new shiny idea will come around, but if you don’t stay focused or committed to one thing, you’re never going to get anywhere. Now, if you’re writing for fun or for a hobby, then this doesn’t apply. Go ahead and do as you please. My only advice would be to not let anyone get to you. If your family doesn’t support you or if you have a friend who’s says something mean about your writing, please don’t let it stop you. You have a gift and a love of creating words, don’t let anyone put your light out. And that goes for all writers.
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