Anna Gallegos is an author of the horror genre, Demented and Twisted, a book about suspense, nightmare-inducing, and goosebump-worthy. Born in Florida on August 9th, 1996, Anna had a liking for slasher movies and books at a very young age and thankfully not actually slashing people.
We virtually sat down with her and got to know this horror writer, who goes by AnnaxLove on the online writing platform, Wattpad.
Get to know more about her below:
Do you have any amazing stories about your fans? Any favorite fan stories?
Every time a person writes a story and puts me in it. It’s really the sweetest thing to me and I love to see how they portray me.
What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
Being able to write and be exactly who I want. There’s a freedom in it that makes me want to keep writing.
Who is your favorite character that you wrote?
Oh wow, I’ve written so many characters into so many stories so that’s a tough one. Probably Hank in Knock because he’s exactly the kind of smart I would want to be in a horror situation.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think I was eleven when I first started writing alien stories on a notepad on the family computer but didn’t realize it was something I wanted to push myself into until I was 15.
Do you have any fun facts about your book?
A lot of the characters are either fans names or people I know in real life. They absolutely love when I write them in stories whether they survive or not. It’s a great way to show that I appreciate them. Also, a lot of inspiration I get to write stories comes from dreams and me looking at a situation and being like, “Wouldn’t it suck if this happened?”.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
In all honesty, it can do both. Sometimes when I don’t feel sure where I’m going with my story, it feels horrible and tiring but the moment I figure it all out, it picks right up and I can go through and probably write the whole short story right then and there.
What is your favorite quote?
This is going to probably sound ridiculous but it was something my best friend said to me when he saw a picture of me wearing black lipstick and thought it looked great on me. It was “Would Satan wear a nude lip? I don’t think so.” I don’t know why I just love it.
Who do you say has inspired you the most?
Everyone I’ve met and everything I’ve ever experienced has inspired me in some way. I could look at the moon and be inspired to write a story with something to do with the moon. I can meet a person and immediately want to write them in.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors out there?
Do not give up. You will always grow as a writer which is the best part. I never thought anyone would notice me and my stories one day, but I kept at it and eventually people did and they loved it. Write what you love, not what you think others will love. And also turn every bit of criticism into something positive to better yourself and your work. One more thing that I think is important is that you shouldn’t stress if you start something or even finish something and not like it. I don’t know how many times I’ve started or finished stories I didn’t like and just scrapped them so I could work on them at another time where I felt inspired and proud to go back to it and write it exactly how I want it. I think it’ll happen a lot because we are always growing as writers and always will be our own worst critics.
What’s your favorite part of your own book?
Either when a twist comes into the story to throw people completely off or when I connect characters from other stories together. The fans especially get a kick out of those because they can read it and think “hey, I remember so and so from this story”. It’s kind of like a horror Easter egg hunt sometimes.
Do you have a writing routine? If yes, what is it?
I have absolutely no routine. I try to sit down at least once a day and work on a short story or a book I’m currently working on but it doesn’t always work out. Either I’m uninspired or over the top inspired and want to finish everything right then and there.
Who is your favorite author and why?
I could go with obvious choices like Stephen King because he does inspire me, but the ones who really inspire me are my friends Jane and Jamie. Those two are such big influences and supporters in my life and every time they would write something and show me, it blows me away and makes me feel motivated to write.
What are you writing now?
Currently working on some short stories and two books at the moment. One of the books is actually centered around a character I’ve created inspired by the daughter I’ll be having in December of this year.
What inspires you to write?
Everything. From new experiences to just taking a simple walk. One time I saw a tree and there was something so beautiful about it, they didn’t look real but like they’d been painted and immediately made me want to write it in a story one day.
And that’s it! Make sure to grab Anna Gallegos’s Demented and Twisted on Amazon, or sign up for her newsletter for updates! You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Goodreads. 🙂