Q: Please introduce yourself! Share your name, pronouns, and something fun, interesting, curious, or important (take your pick) about yourself that you would like your audience to know.
A: My name is DeQuan Wren, and my pronouns are he/him. Something interesting about me is that I just recently welcomed my first child into the world! Her name is Summer Rose Wren, and she was born December 17th, 2024!
Q: What genre or format do you write in? (for example: romance, fantasy, short stories, poetry, etc.)
A: I write in several different genres ranging from fantasy, sci-fi, to true crime and realistic fiction. I am also a poet as well!
Q: Who do you write for? Who is your audience, and are you seeking to reach a particular type of reader with your work? Why?
A: This is a really good question. I write for myself first and foremost, but that includes any and everyone I care about as well. So in reality writing for myself is also me writing for anyone willing to lend an ear and that can relate to my content! All readers are welcome!
Image Description: DeQuan Wren stands on the right side of the image. He is a tall Black an with short-cropped hair. He is wearing a pastel pink suit jacket, black shirt, and brightly colored tie. He is smiling and holding his family, a Black woman and newborn baby. The woman is grinning and has braids framing her face. The baby girl is wearing long-sleeved white pajamas. Her eyes are closed and she is snuggled against her father's chest.
Credit: c/o DeQuan Wren
Q: When did you decide you wanted to write?
A: About seven or eight years ago.
Q: What got you interested in the world of writing originally?
A: As a child, I watched my mother write and draw fanfiction for one of our favorite anime, Inyuasha! I remember tryna to create my own comic at 4 years old. Tryna to copy what my mom had done. I fell in love with any and everything reading and writing wise in my life ever since, not even realizing it until I decided to write my first book.
Q: There are so many possible avenues to take. Why write?
A: It’s my therapy, my way to rant, my shoulder to cry on, my passion, and my voice to speak out on injustices in the world. I love the skill and the art, and I love putting it to good use!
Q: Similarly, why pursue being an indie author? What is your goal?
A: I don’t want to be held down by my standards or regulations. When I present a project, everything there is all me. I do my own covers, my own editing, and I express myself how I please, regardless of rules. I want to show the entire world that skill in writing isn’t about a degree, or who you know, or the fact that you're “easy to work with”, but rather it's about determination, effort, and having the freedom to drain your whole soul into your pen.
Q: What do you do to hone your craft?
A: I have several ways, but here’s my top three. Firstly, I watch a lot of movies, tv shows, and anime, and I watch work from all over the world, not just the U.S. I started keeping a notepad with me while I watched shows, noting what I liked or not, and paying attention to how the public as a whole received these works. That turned into me trying to predict plot in movies and shows. Today I’m not allowed to talk during movies anymore, because most times I spoil the plot during the first five minutes, even things that are completely new to me. Second, write poetry, and use it as therapy. Poetry teaches you how to apply your own emotions and self to your work, and it helps you control it in your other works. Lastly, any time I find my work feels stagnant, I stop writing, turn on Naruto, go back to find my mistakes, and I construct a writing workshop for myself, studying writers that do something well that I lack in.
Q: What tricks do you use to get out of writer’s block?
A: Write poetry even when you're working on something, I haven’t had writers block in years that way.
Q: Would you mind telling us about your writing process?
A: When I get an idea for a book, The first thing I write down is the title and the ending! After I create my characters and world around that, and let my imagination play the story out!
Q: Do you have any other writing “hacks” that other writers might benefit from?
A: Just have fun and be free while writing! The best work comes from the heart, not the brain, and strained and forced work tends to show itself.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: Literally anything. Watching TV, walking, riding the bus, it doesn't matter, honestly I’ll write about anything.
Q: Would you like to share anything about your current work in progress?
A: I have several Ideas in progress, but my favorite, and the one you’ll hear about soonest is called “True Nemesis”. The book will have three endings. It is a fantasy book that centers around two little boys that grow up as brothers, and becomes the most fearsome of enemies! The book takes a “poetic” approach, even the chapters are really just a poem that expresses one of the many meanings of the book.
Q: Do you consider yourself a minority? If so, would you be willing to share the ways in which you are?
A: Yes I am. I am a black man in America, living in assisted living housing with my girlfriend and daughter. Just last month, a 16 year-old boy was killed by the police in front of our apartment complex. He was unarmed. I could go on forever about the struggles I face as a minority, but I’d rather save the rest for a book!
Q: Does this impact what you write about? If so, why and how?
A: It definitely does. My most recent work is a book of poetry centered around being Black in America. As a writer, I feel it necessary to fight for and defend groups of minorities, and especially, Black Americans!
Q: What do you wish you found more of in books today? Why?
A: Creativity. We as authors use so many cliches and raw inspiration from so many places, I feel like it's hard to make any work that is truly unique.
Q: What does representation in literature mean to you? Is it important to you? How so?
A: For me it means allowing your work to reflect how you view the world, and that is essential for every author. Be it speaking on injustices, applying real life lessons to literature or simply reflecting on your own life, you should be allowed to represent your truest self as an author.
Q: How do you think representation in literature affects culture? Does it?
A: I can be positive or negative, but at the end of the day only the consumer can answer that question. I as an author can mean one thing, but it won’t matter if the world's perception is different. Everything is always a question of perception, reality is what we make it.
Q: Does representation play a role in what or how you write? Please talk about why or why not.
A: Yes and no. I write with specific goals in mind, but rarely do I go out of my way to force any representation, what’s there just comes naturally.
Q: What advice would you give to new writers?
A: Keep writing, it’s the only way you’ll learn how to get better, and don’t fear criticism.
Q: What do you wish someone had told you when you were finding your path?
A: Nothing honestly, I love that I had to bump my head a few times to get to where I’m at, those hardships helped shape my writing.
Q: Do you have any work already out there that you would like to talk about? If so, please tell us about the project, why you wrote it, and what you hope readers will take from it.
A: I’ve written over 20 different books that can be found on Amazon. I hope readers take those words and tell me if they learned anything, and how they perceived it.
Q: Where can readers find your work? Please share links and pertinent information.
Neobook (just the poetry): https://neobook.org/realestwriteralive2024/
Q: What would you like to share or say to the Underground Bookshelf audience that hasn’t already been brought up?
A: Keep reading and loving, that's all!
Q: Thank you for sharing your thoughts, today. Any final words?
A: I hope everyone reading this grows and prospers in life! You deserve it!
From the Author
Born February 13, 2000, I am an author from the small town of Akron, OH. Every since I was young I loved to read! And after seeing my mom write, I slowly began to grow a love for writing. For years now I've trained my pen, and I'm ready to continue grow as a writer, and those willing to give me a chance, just sit back and watch! Let's get writing!!!
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