Interview with Millie Florence

I have another interview for y’all today! I’ll be interviewing Millie Florence. She’s a teen writer, and she released her debut novel, Honey Butter, in August 2017 at 13 years old! She was also just on the Brave Writer podcast earlier this week! Here’s a little bit more about Millie:

Millie Florence is an adventurous homeschooler who published her first book, ‘Honey Butter’, at age 13. She loves sushi, zip lines, and just about all things yellow.

Millie lives in a picturesque blue house in the woods with her parents and her four siblings, and a varying amount of cats and chickens.

And now, onto the interview.

It’s great to be interviewing you, Millie! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a homeschooled girl who loves, yellow, adventure, and books. (And yellow adventure books.) Besides writing, I enjoy cooking healthy meals for my family, hiking, zip lining, travel, skateboarding, acting, and backpacking. Also tea; lots of tea.

What was the best part of your whole journey to releasing your first book Honey Butter?

It was interesting and very satisfying to see the whole book come together. I re-wrote the entire thing, word for word, almost three times, and needless to say, a lot changed. It was amazing how much the story improved over the nine months I spent writing it, and while it was a lot of work, the end result was definitely worth it.

What’s your favorite quote from Honey Butter and why?

That’s a hard question; there are so many to choose from! I can’t tell you my very favorite quote, because that would give away the plot twist. But here’s another great one: “She had met people who had tried to fit in. She had met people who tried to stand out. But until then she had never met anyone who simply tried to be themselves without expecting anything from those around them. It was a refreshing experience.”

That’s an awesome quote. And it’s so true, too! What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I love everything about writing, but there are always those magic moments when the story just comes pouring through my finger tips and onto the page. When I’m just watching the scene play out in my head and then look up to find it recorded on the page. It’s a wonderful feeling.

What’s your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy! I love letting my imagination run wild and following wherever my thoughts may take me.

Who are your writing heroes?

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart, is my very favorite book. I love how the author was able to weave so much adventure and so much heart into one book. So I guess you could he’s one of my writing heroes.

Another one of my heroes (just in general, but also in writing) is my dad. He’s a smart, creative person, and I learn so much from him.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve been given?

That someday the book you’re writing now is not going to seem nearly as good to you, and you have to be okay with that; it’s a sign that you’re getting better at writing. If you are ever going to send your writing out into the world, that is something you will have to learn sooner or later. I wrote a blog post on this subject, which you can find here.

So true! It’s a scary thing sometimes, but it is definitely a sign of improvement. Now, if you could spend the day with any of your characters, who would it be and why?

Another hard question! Honestly, spending the day with any of my characters would be a dream come true, but if I had to pick, I would probably say Jamie, the seven-year-old main character of Honey Butter. Maybe it’s because I know her best, or maybe just because seven-year-olds play the best games, but whatever the case, it would be pretty cool to spend the day with her.

What is your biggest writing dream, and what are your goals this year to accomplish it?

It would be incredible to win the Newbery Medal (an award for children’s literature), although I don’t know if I ever will. To accomplish that I just need to keep writing and keep getting better at it, which I certainly plan to do.

That would be amazing, Millie! I totally hope you can achieve that goal one day. And lastly, how do you hope to impact the world through your writing?

I want people to really think when they read my books. I want them to realize new things about the world around them and know that love is abundantly present. I don’t know if I’ll ever impact the world, but if I can impact just one person, then I will have accomplished my task.

Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Millie! You’re doing a great job with your writing, and I know you’ll continue to become even better! To see more of Millie and hear more about her writing, you can follow her by clicking on the links below!

Blog | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads