Looks to fit a personality or intentional dichotomy's? How do you prefer to design your characters?

[Leyelle]

but they’re not making big block buster movies out of their books lol

yeah, and that's one of those things I've noticed. Hispanics write Hispanic characters that are central to stories, but other Ethnicities rarely do, which is odd to me. I write character's from tons of ethnicities (and from what i've seen of your story you seem to as well) but a lot of people just don't seem to. I don't think it's inherently always because of bigotry or anything, but I guess most people write what they relate too most closely.

[beebutterbee]

Ooh yeah I think most authors you’ll find are Dominican American, just because I think the current Dominican others in the Dominican Republic are probably writing their stories in Spanish so you’d have to look up things in Spanish if you can speak it. I know there’s Mexican authors people are talking about that I won’t be able to read because I can’t read Spanish fluently and their books have yet to be translated.

Also I’ve noticed that too, we do have a lot of different cultures in our stories but it doesn’t seem to be the trend in most writing spaces. Maybe it is because they focus on their own experiences but in my experience I’ve resonated with friends and colleagues from so many different cultures so like?? Also i try to educate myself on the cultures from the arts and writings that inspire my stories. That being said i do have a lot of Hispanic characters, but i still branch out.

[Leyelle]

I can’t read Spanish fluently and their books have yet to be translated.

same, I can only read enough Spanish to get around, I don't speak it and I'm so angry at myself for it lol

That being said i do have a lot of Hispanic characters, but i still branch out.

Yeah, I have a lot of Hispanics too, and my two released stories are about Hispanics. (one about a Dominican teen, on about two Mexican-Americans in their 20s) but I have character's from so many other people groups too. Ghanaian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, Arab, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, etc.

[beebutterbee]

Ooh I feel that. My Spanish is very limited, although I can roughly understand it when spoken from being around it but I can’t produce my own grammatically correct sentences in speech or writing. I know I would just struggle reading a whole book in Spanish even though I really would love to.

I think one of the first characters I wrote about was about a British Palestinian scientist of sorts and I still have him in my current line up of unfinished stories. Kudos for getting your stories out there! And yay! Glad to see a lot of different characters in your world, I have characters from all those backgrounds except Ghanaian, but I do have a character with heritage from West Africa- her grandparents were Liberian immigrants. I have too many stories and nothing finished lol.

[Leyelle]

Lol, I only have one finished published story unless you count book one of "Damsel in the Red Dress." Well, I have a garbage audio drama, but we don't talk about "Lion Proof" no no no.

I think I write Ghanaian characters because I have a Ghanaian auntie who treats me like her daughter. I think most, though not all, characters I write come from having some particular interest in the ethnicity, even it's only one person from that people group, or a photo I saw that I found pretty lol.

The exception to that being that I have no idea why I chose to have an interest in imagining up girls from the Phillipines when I was younger. I know I wanted something different from China, Korea and Japan, but I have zero idea why I picked the Phillipines lol. Years later, I've met two girls who had a weird amount in common with the character I designed though, it was freaky.

I'm still planning to write one of my Pinoy characters in a comic sometime relatively soon if all goes as planned, but why I invented her will remain a mystery in most respects.

I don't think I have any Liberian or Palestinian characters though, so you're beating me there XD. I have very few characters from the middle east area at all, I'm not sure why. I have one character who's Saudi, Venezuelan and Irish, and I used to have a book series where one of the leads was a black girl adopted by a Saudi family if I remember right, but it's like I thought Saudi Arabia was literally the only country in the middle east or something.

[beebutterbee]

Still that’s one published story! And your current story is partially out in the world since you have it here, so I’d still count that as something. And yes alot of the characters I write are based in cultures close friends are part of, so I guess it’s still part of the writers’ experience. But I also write about characters based on cultures that really shaped my way of thinking and own art style.

I haven’t written anything about Saudi characters in my own writings. I do have a lot of Turkish and Lebanese characters though, and that’s because their art has inspired me since a young age so it’s just something I research a lot and read about. I have so many art history books lol more so than I have fiction. The world is really filled with amazing art!

[Leyelle]

This is true, a start is a start.

And that's really interesting, I've heard and know next to nothing about Turkish and Lebanese art, now I have to look it up lol. I think most of my art is inspired by Disney and anime, un-uniquely, but also comic strips, since I've been really into those since I was little.

I agree, I think incorporating things and interests from your real life is a huge part of being a writer.

[beebutterbee]

My mom and dad are both artists so I think from a very young age they showed us so much art history, we went to a lot of museums, gotta take advantage of those free days! Def one of my big inspos is art history from around the globe, I even wanted to teach it at one point lol. I agree a lot of writing comes from what speaks to you, whatever that might be. I think alot of young artists take inspiration from Disney and Anime, and a lot of the films from either source are a big inspiration for adults too. It’s funny because I haven’t really watched much of either, but I do enjoy some manga.

[Leyelle]

Both your parents are artists? That so cool. Like illustrators or painters or what?

My dad is an English teacher and my mom is a caregiver, so though my dad is very supportive, neither one of my parents have a lot of experience in what I do.

[beebutterbee]

Yes! My dad’s a sculptor and my mom is an illustrator, they met in art school lol. Currently they design jewelry and beads though that they sell on their own website. Oh I would think an English teacher would like writing? I’m glad he’s supportive though! It’s always good to have strong supports

My dad wanted to write novels but he never got around to, but he’s always curious on what I’m writing and he helps me with editing sometimes. And my mom has illustrated children’s books from smaller publishers and used to be a children’s book editor too so she’s my guidance for how to get published lol. I think I lucked out.

[Leyelle]

Definitely a lucky break, that's really cool. What's your parent's online store/website called or what are their names?

My dad likes reading comics and watching anime, but he's never been in to sitting down and reading novels and stuff like that. He does note grammatical errors I have in my story though. Can't your father write novels now? It's never too late if he's still living.

I basically just figured out how to get published by trial and error. It's a good thing I started at 15, cuz it's slow going.

[beebutterbee]

I’d share it but it connects to my mom’s art blog which says the city we live in and I don’t feel like doxxing myself lollll

Here’s like a sneak peak of what my mom does though

I’m not sure if my dad has time to write a novel actually? He’s constantly working with my mom on their business, it’s their only source of income so they’re super busy workaholics. Idk how my mom still has time to illustrate for books but she does my dad also spots all my grammatical errors lol and it’s funny because English is his second language but he’s better at writing it than me ….

[beebutterbee]

Also woah! Published at 15 that’s crazy? I have nothing ready to publish yet lol I’m still working on it. Good luck though on your next projects!

[Leyelle]

Thanks lol, it was just for an essay, but I've been trying to stock up as many writing credits as possible, I need them to be my saving grace.

And why would you make me more miserable by showing me her art then? I understand not wanting anybody to be able to trace you, but now you just made it worse by showing me the jewelry!

And yeah, I get him being busy, but it's so important to make time for your passions, it's taking time to care for yourself.

[beebutterbee]

Most writers start their careers through short stories! I think you’re going through the write path then

And I’m so sorry lol I like leaving myself a mystery on here I haven’t even show my instagram.

Oh he still has hobbies! He just doesn’t have the time to commit to full novel. He likes creating little sculptures out of found objects still.

[Leyelle]

Most writers start their careers through short stories! I think you’re going through the write path then

I hope so lol.

And I’m so sorry lol I like leaving myself a mystery on here I haven’t even show my instagram.

ayyy, it's fine. i'll just die curious. I live in a pretty big city, so I could as well say LA and people would have about an equal time finding me

Oh he still has hobbies! He just doesn’t have the time to commit to full novel. He likes creating little sculptures out of found objects still.

But he can always write a novel piece by piece, if you take it a step at a time you can get it done, if it's what he wants to do ofc. If he's only interested in it as a hobby, of course he should do what he likes, butt I find it sad to see people who don't pursue their dreams for any reason.

[beebutterbee]

Yeah!! Here’s to many more stories! It always starts out slow with any sort of creative career, like my parents weren’t able to quit their day jobs until after 20+ years of constantly working on their art and jewelry. But they’ve had their own successful business for a long while now! So don’t get discouraged if you’re not seeing the success you want yet, keep on going.

And if I still lived in San Antonio I’d probably give you the website but we live in a very small town now with less than 4000 people living in it.

I agree though I wish he would write too. All I can do is encourage him.

[Leyelle]

XDD, I used to live in a town called Hondo Valle where you would most definitely be able to find anyone, not just because it was small, but because ALL the neighbors would be talking and let you know exactly where anyone you asked for was living XD.

And yeah, I'm bracing myself for a very long journey to being able to live off of this. I've weirdly had more success with publishing then with trying to get a day job ATM but hey, waddaya gonna do?

And yes, definitely always encourage people to pursue their dreams, it's so essential.

[beebutterbee]

Oh now that’s a small town

And yeah that’s my mindset for my own writings and art, and like same? I’ve been able to sell my artwork and I’m going to be in my third gallery show in August but I can’t land a real job 🥲 weird how that works. (Also yes I’m a somewhat professional artist AND write the utter disaster that is Butter Bee Chronicles)

I hope he writes his story eventually I really do. I might have to find a way to get him back into writing…

[Leyelle]

Are you serious? You're a professional artist with art in a gallery? That's crazy!! congratulations! and here I am writing a novel about a Late twenties Mexican-American professional artist having no idea that I'm talking to my MC lol. Okay but is the gallery in your town or can you tell me where I can look up your collections?

You are so totally beating me - three gallery shows my goodness