HOW DOES IT WORK?
So you've read the personal essays, the creative short stories, and the interviews. They're all meant to inspire you to rise from the ashes, but the interviews require a lot of editing.
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Here's how the interviews work:
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First things first, who are you?
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I don't mean "what's your name?"
Who are you beyond your name?
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What are you doing to make tomorrow better than today?
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What inspires you and are you who you want to be?
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I'll ask you questions like this and you can answer them in any format, depending on how the interview is conducted. It doesn't need to be pretty, that's where I come in. Here's an example:
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Sample interview below
Q. “Who are you?”
A. “My name is Michael. I’m 23 and I’m from Queens, New York. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut, but my family couldn’t afford to send me to college. I was a trouble maker growing up, and my teachers made me feel like I wasn’t smart enough to ever get to space. I think I was just bored. I don’t think I was challenged enough, and I think my self-esteem was pretty low.”
Q. “When did you know you wanted to be an astronaut?”
A. “My friends and I would argue about whether or not the Earth was flat. Crazy right? I would argue that it’s round but after a while I was just like, I’m gonna have to just show these guys.”
Q. “Are you scared?”
A. “Of course!”
Q. “What are you doing now to make that happen? What’s pushing you past that fear? How did you get into school?”
A. “I brought up my grades my last year of high school and went to a community college first. I thought it would be easier for me to bring up my grades and save money that way and I hoped that if I did exceptionally well, I could get a scholarship to another college. I asked my professors for help with everything I didn’t understand because that’s a part of their job! I have a tutor on campus too.
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Then I Get to Work
We go our separate ways, and I create a story unique to your interview. It may look a little something like this..
"If you haven't seen it for yourself, how do you know it's true?"
This was the wild card every time my friends and I argued about whether or not the Earth was round or flat. I firmly believed the Earth is round, but a few of my friends didn't, or rather, don't think so.
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"How are we even having this conversation? I would groan" Have you read any book ever?"
"So you believe everything people tell you?" Charles, one of my best friend's responded.
I wanted to pull my hair out but instead, I found myself in that question. I was always passionate about space and the stars. I loved movies about life on other planets, good or bad, and the concept of space being infinite amazed me. I was more concerned with what was out there, rather than whether or not their argument was valid. But what if I could find out for sure AND explore what was out there? The idea frightened me, but I used that energy to motivate me instead.
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"You'll see" I said smiling. The only thing standing in my way at the time were my grades.
By my senior year I had earned the reputation of the "Trouble-maker". I would cut school, debate back and fourth with teachers, run in the hallway, and then there was that one fight that no one will let me live down. I was just defending myself, but I digress. I was frustrated and bored. I questioned my teacher's lessons. I couldn't sit still and I was always concerned with the bigger picture. My daily routine was daunting and my parent's couldn't afford to send me to college anyway. My mom worked 2 jobs and my father struggled to maintain a business he was trying to start. I was lucky to have food on the table and I felt guilty asking for something they never had; a college degree.
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I couldn't shake my friend's question though. "If you haven't seen it for yourself, how do you know it's true?" I scoffed, then rolled around all night with the question in my head.
Finally, a challenge.
I approached my favorite teacher, Ms. Honning the following Monday. She was my chemistry teacher and she embraced my questions and our debates. She never made me feel bad if I ended up being wrong, and she always apologized and gave me or anyone else credit if she was, which wasn't very often. I'll give her that. I asked her if it was too late for me to go to a good college.
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She smiled at me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was doing something with my life.
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"Well we've got some work ahead of us, huh?" She teased.
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"Yeah, I blushed. But It'll be worth it."
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Then I send it back to you for review, and BAM! Your story goes live!
It's a fun and rewarding process!
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If you would like to get started, or if you would like something edited, feel free to send a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
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All the best,
Chyna Jade