G is for German Boarding School: An Interview with OA Blogger Karis Rogerson #AtoZChallenge

Operation Awesome's #AtoZChallenge theme for 2018 is...OA to Z! We'll be correlating our usual posts with the challenge letters, plus, each weekend, you'll get a chance to get to know one of our bloggers better.

Hey y'all, I'm Karis! I'm a writer and blogger with a passion for touching on topics like mental health, relationships, and of course, books! I'm the newest Operation Awesome blogger and I'm going to be focusing on writing through mental illness. BUT, I got chosen for the "G" day because I did high school at a boarding school in Germany — more on that later. Hope you enjoy this short interview :)


1- What's your passion in life?

Ha! Honestly? My passion is writing. Not just the act of sharing words and telling stories, but the writing itself. Something about it is so soothing to me, and it is the way I process the world. It's also, in a weird way, an outlet for me to externally process things. See, I'm a pretty extreme extrovert, and one of the ways that manifests is by processing things with others. I can't always think well if I'm talking aloud, so I process by writing...and then I immediately share that writing with others! It starts by sending it to a few friends, whom I trust not just with my emotions but with my writing, who will tell me whether it's something worth publishing.

I also write because I have this deep-seated need to be known. I want to be a part of the world, full-fledged, fully committed, ride-or-die with the rest of humanity. Writing is how I do that.


2- Would you share a picture with us of your German boarding school adventures?

Alright, I just went on a deep-dive exploration mission through my old Facebook photo albums and...now I'm so nostalgic. There is no ONE photo that encapsulates those three years. So I chose two! Ha!

This is the view from my dorm during a winter snowstorm. The school was located in the Black Forest, and my dorm was in a small town called Marzell, the furthest from the central school and the one highest up the mountain.







And this is just a pretty accurate representation of the person I was in high school, ha!


Yeah.


I don't even know.


3- What are three of your short-term goals?

1. Finish the rewrite of ALLIE MAE DOESN'T GET THE GUY. It's my fourth novel and I have a feeling it could be the agent-getting one, especially thanks to the incredible work of my critique partners (shout-out to Jaime!) 
2. Write an essay and get it published at a new website. My dream sites are Catapult.com, Buzzfeed.com and Narratively.com. 
3. Get caught up on my reading! I read and write profiles of YA authors, and I am a solid month behind on my ARCs (advance review/reading copies) of books! Ack! 

4- What tip can you share to improve someone's writing craft?


Oh gosh this is hard! Honestly? Have the courage to have it read. Not by the world, but at least by a trusted friend who knows good writing. Their advice will be invaluable.


5- What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

I would absolutely love to know what is the coolest place you've visited, AND where is your dream location for a writing retreat!


— Karis Rogerson is a 20-something writer, reader and TV-binge-watcher who belongs in New York City. She's sure of this, now to convince everyone else... She's American, Canadian, pseudo-Italian, slightly German, auburn, and obsessed with all things Olivia Benson and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Someday, she hopes you'll read her contemporary YA novels about teen girls in New York City, falling in and out of love and making a mess of things. You can find her online! Follow her on social or check out her blog:


Facebook: Karis Rogerson

Twitter: @KarisRogerson

Instagram: @karisselizabeth

Website: www.karisrogerson.com

Portfolio: Contently

Newsletter: Kaleidoscope by Karis