What is your writing process like?
Waking up in the morning and do coffee, go to work, if I am bored at work and I am allowed to touch my phone, I will write the tale.
How do you come up with ideas for stories and characters?
Visual aid is everything. I need to see what hypes me up. I just need a simple scene and I will be inspired and adapt it to the world I am building from scratch.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
The worst nightmare. It happened to the when was trying to finish my novel "Lost Hope" now for sale in Amazon and other bookshops. But I remember vividly that I struggled and when I did set a deadline to finish the book, I was always breaking my promise to myself. In January I spoke to myself "It's January, you have one or two chapters. In April it's finished hopefully." Wrong. In April I had only 4 chapters and almost "burnt" it. Then, I continued to fight my brain, demotivation because of my job, feeling miserable and feeling I won't be able this year. I was just sad. Writers block is no joke. June - Brain no. July- Almost there. August- Phew Final. Finding an editor: nah. But, in the end I managed.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
I don't take them personally. I do my best for my work. And it's not perfect for some, well... I cannot please everyone. I am human and I am humble to say, if there is mistakes in it, absolutely. And yet fight for.my dreams.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process?
Time, being in a job I hated, insomnia, fear of failure. All that demotes me and breaks me. I am unable to write if I am feeling as such.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
I was 13 because I needed to escape the elephant in the room -pain and trauma. People who were.just mean and gray. So, I needed refuge to process all that.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
Never give up, no matter what. Adapt your time between and your loved ones. Stop wasting time with those who consume your time, the same you could use to write. But don't forget those who love. Writer when you can in your meaningful time saved for yourself. Get out and be inspired.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
Per parts. What you want the character to do mainly. Why the character wants to do it? What motivates the character to do what she/he is going in the moment of the action and are consequences of the actual action or actions. There is a cause and an effect. Your character or characters are driven by when influenced them to be there in that situation. Can you change? Why would you change it not? Ask yourself these questions. A plot is all that and more. A plot twist is deviation of the original path, sometimes is shortcut. And you know that shortcut might bring you trouble. Find a way tell a story with all that.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
10. Poems and short stories.
Now I published "Lost Hope Part I Tales of Gandea" available in Amazon and in Barnes and Noble. So far, my favourite is "Universes and Dreams" because it was easier to write and because it's small. I love "Lost Hope" but it wasn't easy at all. It stayed in my brain for more than 10 years and it was yelling at me all the time. I was unable to anything as I was not feeling well or motivated. But I managed many battles later.
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
The bad behaviour of my bad guy. And the certain things that my main character had to pass through to reach the right moment in the action.
What inspired the idea for your book?
Resilience of people who struggle in life in general. There courage of heros without any superpowers. Their immense amount of humbleness and their pure love for life. The Mother Nature also played a role in this.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
Many were. Because I knew that the wrong decision could bring a certain circumstance that can't take off. Because when a behaviour and an action is done, you can't undo it. And even if you travel in time, it's just not fair if want to change to please your ego. See the example films/movies about time travelling. Then, go there and they always screw up. No matter what. In my story, there is no traveling in time and that's why I had to be careful place each stone to built my cathedral. Will it fall? Will it crumble? Will it stand firm and tall to tell the tale of old its old glory.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
Music and quiet. Sometimes a delicious coffee for the adrenaline and dopamine and tea later to write a old maidens fairy tale. Calm and sweet, with some notes of different flavours and fragrances. Some darker pass to have a small aftertaste.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
Hard. Some already passed away. But with those alive, Neil Gaimen and I would love to ask for advices, and hoping we could be in contact often.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?
Today. I do it often. I try to see to which bookstores my books where place and if the shop is treating my books with respect.