Most Wednesday nights, unless she’s at a book signing promoting her latest book, you can find Dana Swift at the DFW Writer’s Workshop, honing her craft and helping others do the same. This is where I first met Dana and was struck by her ability to create fantasy worlds that draw you in magically. Dana is an inspiring author who shows us that with dedication, persistence, and keeping the eye on the prize the dream of becoming a published author can be achieved at a young age. Here is my interview with Dana.

PL: In your blog “When Doubt Comes From External Forces” you mention people telling you “you shouldn’t” become a writer. Was there a person in your life who you thought you’d never hear those words from? What was your reaction and how did you block out those thoughts from poisoning your thoughts?

DS: When I heard those words, it was from family members, but at the time I was very young, twelve years old or so. As much as it hurt me, I can now understand all they were thinking about were the odds. Because the fact of the matter is this dream of writing books for a living is difficult.

I actually remember the moment distinctively because it was the moment, I realized I would work on this dream by myself and not voice my aspirations aloud anymore. And all through middle school, high school, and college I didn’t tell many people what I truly wanted to be when I grew up. While those past statements may have given me a lack of confidence to tell people about my dreams it didn’t dull them. And with writing the main ingredient for success is perseverance. So, I persevered.

PL: You often advice aspiring writers to not compare themselves to other writers. Are you speaking from personal experience? Who did you compare yourself to and how did you make the mental shift?

DS: I think it’s a human experience to compare yourself to others so yes, I used to compare my writing, my process, my journey, basically everything to other writers. I was a young writer trying to learn the business and study the craft. It’s natural and in many ways necessary to compare your work to others in order to grow.

Where it gets damaging is when it revolves more around jealousy and negativity and thus stops you from writing or learning. To get out of that negative mentality takes time. But it all comes down to finally believing your writing, your voice, your style, and your ideas are uniquely you and being self-confident enough to embrace that in your craft.

PL: You have said that writing a book is hard. What aspect of writing a book do you find particularly challenging for you?

DS: Writing a book is hard because it takes time. Having one good writing day is great, but it’s just one day. To write an entire book takes months if not years. Plus, when first starting out most authors have to write a book to learn how to write a book. For me, my first drafts take months if not an entire year to write. I love editing and revising, so the first initial draft has always been the most challenging.

PL: How do you go about starting a new book project? There are writers who start with an idea and let their characters reveal themselves as they write and others who outline and plan out their books. What camp do you find yourself in?

DS: I definitely fall into the camp of a pantser where I come up with an idea and the catalyst for the story and then just start writing. Outlines are absolutely wonderful and a great tool, but I love when characters and plot points surprise me. For me the beauty of storytelling comes in those moments of reveal and discovery.

PL: Your first book is YA Fantasy. Have you ever considered writing something outside this genre? Mystery? Horror? Do you worry your fans won’t like a new genre?

DS: I love YA Fantasy. For me it’s a very versatile genre with every world I build a completely different experience. I feel like fantasy could never become boring.

I have considered writing outside of the age category and genre and I’m not that nervous fans won’t like the new genre, but I have too many ideas buzzing in my head for young adult fantasy. Besides, I feel like if I wrote a contemporary or mystery, I’d find a way to add magic anyway. Everything is better with magic.

PL: You mentioned you decided to lay down the first book you wrote to start a new project. When do you know it’s time to lay something down to start something new and not just that you’re just giving up on a project because you haven’t found a way to get a project back on track?

DS: Yes, I wrote a blog post about the process of shelving my first ever written book because it’s so important to know when to persist and when to move on. For me it was the fact of time and options. I had been working on that book for seven years, editing it, fixing it, querying it. And the truth of the matter is one, it wasn’t good enough. Two, the book had been rejected by dozens of qualified and amazing agents.

Most importantly though, I was ready to start something new and take what I had learned to make a better and more concise story. Cast in Firelight was that next completely new book and I wouldn’t have been able to write it without that first story. Also, I want to clarify that the act of moving on to another project is just a different form of persistence. Because shelving a book does not mean you are quitting writing and the beauty of the art is you can come back later and revise it if you wanted.

PL: When you look back on your first book vs your second book, what have you noticed about your growth as a writer?

DS: I joined an amazing writing group, the DFW Writing Workshop and they helped me a lot in realizing some of my flaws as a writer. I didn’t understand the flow and structure of a good plot when I first started out.

The biggest craft element I learned between my first book to my debut novel was how to keep a reader engaged. Those are the qualities of writing that involve pacing, transitions, chapter breaks, tension and conflict. I had mastered how to write a pretty sentence, but I had to learn how write a good story.

PL: What do you think helps a writer grow in their craft writing or revising?

DS: Both! The process of getting a book published involves both the drafting and editing process. Though I would say writing and revising are different beasts to overcome. The first involves formulating ideas and getting yourself to sit down and put those thoughts on paper. Revising is resembling and rewriting those ideas into a more concise and engaging story.

PL: You mentioned wanting to be a writer since you were nine years old. Do you remember how that dream started? And, now that you are a published writer, is it everything you dreamt it would be? What surprised you most?

DS: Stories have always been very important to me. I was about seven when I realized stories could be dramatically different depending on who was telling the story. Then in fourth grade I read a story about a young girl getting her book published and that year for career day I dressed up as an author. Truthfully, the dream of writing settled over so young there were a few touchstone moments like the ones above, but looking back it truly feels like I’ve always wanted to do this.

When I was younger though I thought once you get your book published and it’s on the shelf you were all set –– there would be no more hardships. But in writing and publishing, like any career, you have to keep going, keep writing, learning and striving to craft another better story.

PL: You mention the importance of writing through query and submission. How soon did you begin writing Bound By Firelight once Cast In Firelight was finished?

DS: I was actually writing an entirely different book when Cast in Firelight was being submitted. For series, it’s important to not write the sequel until after you get the book deal, mostly so you aren’t wasting your time on a book that might never sell. Therefore, I only started. Bound by Firelight after I got the two book deal from Penguin Random House.

Dana graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and is an active member of the DFW Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband. She is the author of Cast in Firelight and Bound by Firelight. To learn more about Dana and her books visit danaswiftbooks.com or follow @swift_dana on Twitter and Instagram.

Paola Lastick is currently a student at the Mountainview MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University. Her writing has appeared on blogs as well as the newspaper, The Real Chicago. She lives in a suburb of Dallas with her husband, daughter, and three small yappy dogs.