This is the second
part of my interview with Poet and to-be novelist Aria T. Glazki. For the
first part of this interview, click here. For my five-star review
of her poetry collection Life Under Examination, click here.
Q: So, you’ve
published a poetry collection and you’re working on some novels. Do you see
yourself publishing a short story collection in the future?
I’ve
played with the idea of releasing a flash fiction collection, which would
include some edited pieces from Flash! Friday contests and some fresh ones, but
nothing is certain – especially since the Flash! Friday stories are all
available on my blog. I do have a brand
new short story published in the Scripting Change anthology, Seeing Past
Sickness, out November 4th.
Q: When writing a
novel, do you have a main theme in mind or do you write and then start
highlighting the themes and dissecting the book?
I
focus on the characters and write their story.
Themes will come out because real people have pasts and personalities,
and if you put them in a situation with other real people, issues will surface
and need to be addressed.
Q: How do you go
about when it comes to negative critiques?
Let’s
be honest, no one likes negative critiques, and I have received plenty of them
along the way. I allow myself to feel upset, and I put the critique aside for a
few hours until the emotional response has passed. Then, I look at the pieces
of the critique and see what if anything is constructive and can lead to
improvements.
Q: What genres
would you like to experiment with in the future?
Literary
fiction is definitely on my list, possibly also mystery or something dystopian,
though to be honest, I’m quite happy writing romance novels.
Q:
What are you currently reading? And what is your favourite genre in general?
Well, I read a lot of romance, unsurprisingly, but I will try
anything with a solid voice and engaging story built around compelling
characters, regardless of genre. (I will usually stay away from horror, though,
unless it’s by Edgar Allan Poe.)
Currently, I’m revisiting some of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Darkhunter novels.
Q:
What do you think of self-help books on writing books or novels and publishing
them? (Are they helpful or are most of them just a hoax? Would you recommend
any?)
Honestly, I haven’t used them except when required to read
excerpts in creative writing seminars in school. At the same time, I know many people can and
do benefit immensely from well-written books, which explain some element of
writing or plotting a story in a way that resonates with that person and
drastically improves their work. Some
I’ve heard enthusiastically recommended are the 90-Day Novel (& 90-Day
Rewrite) and Bird By Bird.
Q:
If you can have any super-power, what would it be?
Being able to function on only an hour or two of sleep a night –
does that count? It would certain be useful in those times when I’m on a roll
with a scene but much too exhausted to keep writing!
Q:
So NaNoWriMo is upon us, and I believe you took part in it in 2012. Can you
tell us about your experience with it? How has it helped you with your writing?
Yes, I wrote my first full novel as a result of NaNo 2012, so it
has certainly helped, I think partially because it allowed me to give myself
permission to focus on and prioritize my writing. I wrote a little over 50K in November, and
then another 25K through December and January combined, so you can see how the
focus of NaNo really increases (at least my own) productivity.
Q:
What is your favourite food? (Anything made especially by your mum or related
to your place of birth?)
I love so many foods, I couldn’t possibly choose a favorite –
though of course just about anything made by my mom tops the list! To this day,
hers is the best borscht I’ve ever had.
Q: Is there
anything else you’d like to add?
Thank
you, Nada, for hosting me with this interview! Otherwise, I think we’ve pretty
much covered it all haha.
Check out Aria's 1000-Follower Giveaway here.
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