Interview with Victoria Shockley
Proud to unleash an interview with Victoria Shockley.
She is open to many different types of assignments for writing, editing, and proofreading. Experience with both nonfiction and fiction, including children’s books, historical fiction, sci-fi, and other genres makes her a great resource.
Read on …
How do you handle the challenges of being a writer/editor while still in school?
I’m a naturally organized person, so I make a lot of lists and keep a planner and my phone calendar constantly updated. I know every assignment I have to do for both work and school and what days they’re due on, and I prioritize and schedule my time to make sure everything gets completed. If I know a deadline is flexible, I make sure to find out exactly when the hard due date is, and if I have to get something reviewed before submitting it, I make sure to find out how much time the other person needs so that I still turn it in before the deadline. Currently I’m proud to say I maintain a straight-A average in college, and I have never yet missed a deadline for a client.
What did you enjoy most about writing your novella?
The part I enjoyed the most was writing the dialogue of the main character, a gnome. I feel that I was really able to develop his personality through his interactions with the other characters!
What is the strangest thing you have ever had to do to promote a book?
Honestly since I’m a first-time author, promoting my novella at all feels strange! I never imagined I’d be an author at all; submitting my manuscript to a publisher was completely random, and I never expected it would be accepted and then published. Whenever I tell people I’m 19 and an author, they’re always really surprised.
Any advice for new and budding writers?
It sounds incredibly cheesy, but I would say don’t give up on your dreams. It took me lots of long hours sending cold emails and working for free to get experience before I got to where I am today, so just keep trying! You’ll make it one day.
Do you have any other current projects at the moment?
At the moment I work as both a writer and editor, doing freelance work, editing for Wandering in the Words Press, and various marketing/publicity/writing tasks for Stephanie Wolf Public Relations (I work for them virtually, as they are based in New York). For my own work, I do a lot of editing (both fiction and nonfiction) and write blog posts, articles, help guides, etc. as requested. I’ve done these on a variety of topics, from women writers in Congo to Facebook privacy settings!
My Links:
Website: http://victoriashockleywrites.wordpress.com/ (has work samples and testimonials)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Victoria_Writes
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victoriashockley/
Email: vashockl@ncsu.edu (anyone looking for a writer or editor can email her. She should get back to you within 24 hours)
