Interview With... Melissa Giorgio
To all who are reading this,
Today is the final day of blog interviews and such until September, and I've already got people waiting to come on! How cool is that, eh?
So today, we meet Melissa Giorgio, fellow Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing author, as she talks about her debut novel, The Sight Seer, which is on sale now!
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Name: Melissa Giorgio
Age: Prefer not to say.
Location: New York
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining me! So what are three interesting facts about yourself that you'd like to share with the readers?
1. In 2008, I spent a week in Tokyo with one of my closest friends.
2. I read up to 90 books a year.
3. I obsessively collect purple gadgets (my digital camera, game systems, etc).
What made you want to be a writer?
It's hard to pinpoint what, exactly, made me want to be a writer. I've always had a love for stories and storytelling, and I just naturally assumed I would be a writer someday!
What motivates you to write?
My beta reader! She's also my best friend and personal cheerleader, and I'm always excited to share whatever I'm currently working on with her.
Do you have a particular writing process?
Unless I have a headache, I try to write every single day! Even if it's just a few hundred words. As long as I'm contributing something to the story I'm happy.
As for the actual writing process, I try to check my email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. first to avoid having any distractions while writing. If I find myself checking Twitter every few minutes, I will close the browser or disconnect the internet altogether. I put on some music and just write. I try to write at least 1000 words a day, but if I can't, I can't. I shut off the computer and try again later (or the next day). And obviously if I write 1000 words and feel like I can keep going, I do.
How do you manage the deadly problem that is writers block?
I do a vague outline, so I always know where the story is going. I also have scenes that I can't wait to write, and getting to them is my reward. I also like to stop the day's writing in the middle of a scene. I spend the hours between writing sessions coming up with ideas for what happens next, which prevents me from getting stuck.
What is a piece of writing advice that you will always remember?
Writing is hard, but the ones who are published are the ones who never gave up on their dream.
What is the most influential book you have ever read, and why do you think so?
Harry Potter! Like I said earlier, I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but Harry Potter made me want to write something magical for young adults.
Have you ever derived any inspiration from your home or from anywhere you have visited?
When I write about big cities in my fantasy worlds, I noticed I always picture the block where my grandparents' house was. Attached homes, little backyards, narrow streets. It's an image that's always stuck with me.
Your most recent publication is The Sight Seer. Have you had any publications prior to this?
The Sight Seer is my debut novel.
What is The Sight Seer about? It certainly sounds interesting!
Gabi, your average, sarcastic sixteen-year-old, is forced to approach a shoplifter at her crummy part-time job, only to discover he's actually a demon! She chalks it up to a hallucination, but when the demon follows her home (and fights a cute boy wielding a sword in her backyard), she's forced to admit monsters are real. The novel deals with her newfound Sight, and also her awkward, adorable, budding romance with Rafe (the boy with the sword).
What drove you to write Young Adult Fiction, especially what some would deem as fantasy?
Like I said earlier, I was inspired by Harry Potter. After I read those books, I moved on to whatever Young Adult fiction I could find in the library. Years later, it's still all I read. I never even considered writing adult fiction, not when YA is my passion.
Your Amazon.com Author Profile states you have a favourite Japanese band. Who are these J-Popers, and how did you come across them? Do you listen to them while writing?
Their name is Arashi, and they are a huge, huge group in Japan. One of my good friends got me into them back in 2008, and I've been following them ever since. They sing, they dance, they act, but what I love most about them is the fact that they're not afraid to act like the total dorks they are on camera. It makes them seem so much more human, instead of untouchable celebrities. I actually did put on their CDs while writing the first draft for The Sight Seer's sequel. Usually I just put iTunes on shuffle, but for some reason I wanted to listen to an album in its entirely. Usually one album equalled one day's worth of writing.
What does the future hold for you as a writer?
Right now I'm working on The Sight Seer's sequel. I won't be getting anything else done until I finish that. There are always new ideas rolling around inside my head, and hopefully I'll have a chance to write them!
Thanks for such a fantastic interview, Melissa!
Be sure to check out The Sight Seer on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository.
You can also find Melissa here:
https://www.facebook.com/melissagiorgiofan
http://melissagiorgio.wordpress.com
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Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
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Currently reading: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Today is the final day of blog interviews and such until September, and I've already got people waiting to come on! How cool is that, eh?
So today, we meet Melissa Giorgio, fellow Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing author, as she talks about her debut novel, The Sight Seer, which is on sale now!
---
Name: Melissa Giorgio
Age: Prefer not to say.
Location: New York
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining me! So what are three interesting facts about yourself that you'd like to share with the readers?
1. In 2008, I spent a week in Tokyo with one of my closest friends.
2. I read up to 90 books a year.
3. I obsessively collect purple gadgets (my digital camera, game systems, etc).
What made you want to be a writer?
It's hard to pinpoint what, exactly, made me want to be a writer. I've always had a love for stories and storytelling, and I just naturally assumed I would be a writer someday!
What motivates you to write?
My beta reader! She's also my best friend and personal cheerleader, and I'm always excited to share whatever I'm currently working on with her.
Do you have a particular writing process?
Unless I have a headache, I try to write every single day! Even if it's just a few hundred words. As long as I'm contributing something to the story I'm happy.
As for the actual writing process, I try to check my email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. first to avoid having any distractions while writing. If I find myself checking Twitter every few minutes, I will close the browser or disconnect the internet altogether. I put on some music and just write. I try to write at least 1000 words a day, but if I can't, I can't. I shut off the computer and try again later (or the next day). And obviously if I write 1000 words and feel like I can keep going, I do.
How do you manage the deadly problem that is writers block?
I do a vague outline, so I always know where the story is going. I also have scenes that I can't wait to write, and getting to them is my reward. I also like to stop the day's writing in the middle of a scene. I spend the hours between writing sessions coming up with ideas for what happens next, which prevents me from getting stuck.
What is a piece of writing advice that you will always remember?
Writing is hard, but the ones who are published are the ones who never gave up on their dream.
What is the most influential book you have ever read, and why do you think so?
Harry Potter! Like I said earlier, I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but Harry Potter made me want to write something magical for young adults.
Have you ever derived any inspiration from your home or from anywhere you have visited?
When I write about big cities in my fantasy worlds, I noticed I always picture the block where my grandparents' house was. Attached homes, little backyards, narrow streets. It's an image that's always stuck with me.
Your most recent publication is The Sight Seer. Have you had any publications prior to this?
The Sight Seer is my debut novel.
What is The Sight Seer about? It certainly sounds interesting!
Gabi, your average, sarcastic sixteen-year-old, is forced to approach a shoplifter at her crummy part-time job, only to discover he's actually a demon! She chalks it up to a hallucination, but when the demon follows her home (and fights a cute boy wielding a sword in her backyard), she's forced to admit monsters are real. The novel deals with her newfound Sight, and also her awkward, adorable, budding romance with Rafe (the boy with the sword).What drove you to write Young Adult Fiction, especially what some would deem as fantasy?
Like I said earlier, I was inspired by Harry Potter. After I read those books, I moved on to whatever Young Adult fiction I could find in the library. Years later, it's still all I read. I never even considered writing adult fiction, not when YA is my passion.
Your Amazon.com Author Profile states you have a favourite Japanese band. Who are these J-Popers, and how did you come across them? Do you listen to them while writing?
Their name is Arashi, and they are a huge, huge group in Japan. One of my good friends got me into them back in 2008, and I've been following them ever since. They sing, they dance, they act, but what I love most about them is the fact that they're not afraid to act like the total dorks they are on camera. It makes them seem so much more human, instead of untouchable celebrities. I actually did put on their CDs while writing the first draft for The Sight Seer's sequel. Usually I just put iTunes on shuffle, but for some reason I wanted to listen to an album in its entirely. Usually one album equalled one day's worth of writing.
What does the future hold for you as a writer?
Right now I'm working on The Sight Seer's sequel. I won't be getting anything else done until I finish that. There are always new ideas rolling around inside my head, and hopefully I'll have a chance to write them!
Thanks for such a fantastic interview, Melissa!
Be sure to check out The Sight Seer on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository.
You can also find Melissa here:
https://www.facebook.com/melissagiorgiofan
http://melissagiorgio.wordpress.com
---
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
---
Currently reading: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
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