"Q&A With Dynastee"

October 18, 2017

Book: Shoutout to My Ex's

Author: Dynastee McDowell

Photo Courtesy of Dynastee McDowell

Author: Dynastee McDowell

Author Bio:

Dynastee Mcdowell is a junior Liberal Arts Studies and General Education major at California State Polytechnic University. She had been writing for five years and “Shout out to My Ex – I Loved, I Lost, I Conquered” is her debut book. Born in Pasadena and raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California has always been her home. Studying the practice of Christianity is what led her to become an author with a desire to branch out and inspire the millennial generation.

Living by Philippians 1:29, she believes her pain has a purpose. Dynastee aspires to reach a generation lacking self-confidence, self-love and self-worth, and show them that no matter how dark things may get there is always a brighter day to come. Dynastee hopes that her experiences will aspire those to branch out and find peace and happiness within themselves the best way they know how. (Source: https://dynasteemcdowell.com/)

1. How has your Belizean background made you and your writing unique?

Being Belizean – American has allowed me to grow not only as a writer but a person as well. I believe knowing my heritage has taught me to appreciate things a lot more, keeps me humble and real, and that is reflected in my writing.

2. Why should people read your book?

The experience and story that is told within the pages of this book is not just your generic love story, but a story every young girl and women can relate to, pull from, and learn from. I believe that reading “Shoutout to my Ex” will encourage you as a human to accept the downfalls you go through in life and help you pull some positivity from them.

3. Do you believe it is better to love and lost or to never love at all? Why?

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 I totally think it is better to experience love and lost, because love is inevitable, and when you lose the love you learn from that loss and better yourself for the next time around. Love is a beautiful experience whether it is a temporary thing or a forever thing. Nothing about love is easy nor perfect, and in order to win, you must first experience a loss.

4. Within your generation, how has the advancement in technology as a whole, affect people’s abilities to build meaningful relationships?

Regarding relationships, technology, and my generation, I feel like social media plays a heavy role on why it is hard to build a meaningful relationship. We idolize what we see on social media, and have an image of what a relationship should be like from what we see, instead of what we know.

Instead of being in a relationship to grow and build together, we are in it to broadcast and brag about what we have and what we are doing with it. And the advancement in technology has brought us to this place. I feel that when love is genuine and real you don’t need reassurance from the world that it’s right.

5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned from past relationships?

The biggest lesson I have learned from my past relationships is acceptance. I say acceptance because with both relationships I had to become one with the terms and conditions that come with a relationship and heartbreak.

I also had to accept the fact that heartbreak is something everyone goes through, and in ordered to move forward you have to accept that your significant other is no longer yours and find a way to build and be better.

6. Although this book is your debut, you have been writing for five years. Within in those five years what has been your most cherished article or work?

My most cherished article of work would have to be the play I wrote my junior year in High School entitled “Dumbfounded in Love”. This play was in a showcase at my school that year and is one of the reasons I continue to write to this day.

7. What was your writing process like for this book?

My writing process I think is fairly unique because everything came to me with ease. I was literally sitting looking out the window one day and said I am going to tell my story and just started writing. I knew I wanted my story to be heard so I got done fairly fast and a couple months later I had a whole book.

8. What is the best book you have read in 2017?

Blooming in Progress – Laura A Lawson

9. What is the best advice you have received on happiness?

The best advice I have received about happiness would have to be “Make your happiness your own, you are in charge of your own happiness and no one can take that from you.”

10. What is your best advice for getting through writer’s block?

The best advice I can give to those who experience writer's block is to remember your purpose and keep your faith. You were brought to the place you are in for a reason so dig deep find that reason, have faith, and believe in yourself.

11. Do you plan on writing more books in the future?

Within my future I hope to continue writing, I am currently working on the follow up to “Shoutout to my Ex” - I Loved, I Lost, I Conquered.