The Buffness Diaries Interview Published on: 26, Nov 2024
Can you tell us about the real-life experiences that inspired the events in your first book?
I named the main female character after myself. I started a bath & body company along with a clothing line at 21. I also launched a cookbook at 22- her family dynamic is based on mine. My father raised me, I included him and my aunt in the story. Her relationship with men is very close to mine at the time, especially in college. I'd say my fantasy of meeting a man just like Ja'Rome helped shape those details within the book. Many parts of that book are 100% personal.
What is it about elephants, flowers, and nature that inspires your creativity?Elephants have always been my favorite animal. I feel they're all old souls who continues to be reincarnated. I have 13 stuffed elephants, they are definitely my best friends. Flowers give me peace, and nature is my home. When I am surrounded by flowers I feel like I can write the most beautiful love story, when I'm surrounded by Nature I feel like my imagination is Limitless.
How do you balance writing such personal stories with keeping your private life separate?honestly, I've had issues with this. I want the world to know I'm the one who writes these books but I also really love my privacy and I'm very shy. I love being behind the camera and not in the spotlight, so this has been an issue for me. I'm trying to accept that my overthinking is the reason why I'm constantly anxious. I am an open book, but I do enjoy having a private life. Many people know who my friends are, not many people know exactly which city I live in which I love that. I expect the bigger I become the less privacy I will have.
Since 98% of your female characters are based on you, do you find it challenging to separate yourself from them when writing?I do, I find it difficult because I don't know who else they should be. When I started writing I wanted to write books surrounding a woman like me because there weren't any. Other characters I can create in so many forms, a lot of female characters in my books are nothing like me. However, the main female characters are based on my personality and my taste in men and certain events that have occurred.
What inspired you to start writing The Buffness Diaries and delve into the African Mafia genre?I was on Wattpad for a few years and I became known for the girl who read everyone's story and would comment my exact thoughts. I was reading hundreds of books and after a while I noticed everyone was writing the same type of content and it got boring. One night I thought to myself, I should write a book. I didn't know how to write a book, I had no idea what I was doing. But I brainstormed for around 10 minutes creating the characters for book one and something I noticed was there wasn't any plots surrounding the African Mafia and I knew that I wanted to be the first. I'm glad that I let my imagination run wild and I stayed true to myself because I will always be known as the very first person who started writing about the African Mafia.
Your series has achieved remarkable success with 60 bestsellers and 10 number-one spots. What do you think resonates most with your readers?That's such a huge achievement! I'll forever be thankful! I've sold in over 20 countries. I believe it's the uniqueness. Everything is different than other writers within the same genre. My covers for different, my titles are different and my plots are different.
What is your writing routine like, especially when producing such a high volume of content?I write at night, always! I'm more creative at night time before I got to bed. I have two apps that I use to write on and then I transfer each chapter into Microsoft Word. It's very simple for me. I might play a song or two that helps inspire the mood for a chapter.
How do you handle writer's block or periods of creative drought?I only had writer's block once. That happened because I wasn't truly into the storyline. After that experience, I told myself to never overthink and to let my imagination control the outcome.
Do you outline your books before writing, or do you prefer a more organic writing process?I write as I go. If I feel that a certain events should happen, I may write it down. Other than that, I do not outline my books.
With 1 million+ words written, how do you keep track of the plotlines and character developments across your series?When I first started, I would write a book in 3 days. I was on the go! I never questioned anything until later when I'd come back and edit. I track all of my books on Microsoft Word and that helps me keep track of the number of words I've written. I remember what happened in each book, that helps for character developments in future books. Dominick is the one who i have the biggest issues with, he's unpredictable.
Given the popularity of your series, do you ever feel pressure to meet reader expectations? How do you manage it?I do not. In the beginning people would tell me what to do, I don't respond well to demands. I write for myself, nobody else. I advise people to write the book they want to read as I have.
How do you balance staying true to your creative vision with the commercial success of your work?I remind myself that my creativity has always separated me from any trend. Trends come and go, true passion last forever. I'll still be here after the trends end and people crave real life experiences again. I write about real life experiences, granted- many parts are fantasies of mine as a straight woman. However, millions of women can relate to my books and characters in some way.
You mentioned putting your diary entries into your books. How do you decide which personal experiences to include?Fears, Insecurities, Heartbreaks, Friendships, and Trauma. Those topics shape my books. I strive for real-life feelings, I write for the women like me. We're often overlooked, I wanted to change that.
What do you hope readers take away from your stories, especially knowing they’re so personal to you?Stay true to yourself. Open your heart- he may be the one. It's okay to cry and let go of people who do not respect and love you. Remember, your deserve love and happiness. Pain isn't love. Real friends will never leave you to fight alone.
How did you first come across the AllAuthor website? What do you like or dislike about the site?I wanted to explore options for expanding my series. My favorite Author is on here and that inspired me to join. I really love how supporting you are towards Authors and Writers. It helps give us another platform to share our stories.
