About Fawn Szymoniak:
Fawn Szymoniak, aka “Sanzaki Kojika” has been a residence of the fantasy world from a young age, growing up in a house full of books and mythology. Her mother introduced her to fantasy works by authors like Barbara Hambly and Terry Brooks. By the age of 8, she had already written her first novel (albeit crudely). On top of her writing, she is also a freelance graphic designer. She has several graphic novels self-published, including her ongoing webcomic series “Zos Kias,” at 9 volumes in 2015, with a new one each year.
What inspires you to write?
I find inspiration in everything, but particular I find emotional moments very useful. Understanding how an emotional situation effects different people helps me understand different types of characters. I also have an extremely active imagination that is never turned off. Someone might say something completely trite, but I find inspiration in taking the commonplace and making them new and unusual again.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually have a notepad file with notes for the basics of the story, things like characters I’d like to include, and even general plot points I want to see in it. From there, I just start writing. As I write, I create an outline of each chapter, and also keep in that file detailed character information and any other information that is important to the story (like places or even languages) but doesn’t fit into the normal outline. Sometimes, with seeing the way things are flowing in my outline, I’ll actually outline a scene or two ahead, but I usually write first, and let the story put itself together.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I always try to get into their heads. Some characters are harder than others. But, sometimes I’ll just put them into a normal, every day setting and decide how each of them would handle it. I also like doing rough sketches of character designs to better understand them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never stop writing. Even if you have writer’s block for a specific story, take a short break from that, but never stop writing. It doesn’t matter what you write, or how well it is, just get the words out and flowing. Set deadlines for yourself, and try to keep them realistic.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Mostly it was just that I love to write and read. I wanted to share my love with the world, and there’s no better way to do that than to share it with stories. It’s not always easy, especially when you’re starting out, but if you don’t take that first step, you’ll never know what will happen. Do as much research to different publishing and printing means before you are ready. Make friends with authors and swap ideas.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
With the rising popularity of ebooks, more and more books are skipping the standard paperback and going straight to digital. And while I absolutely love books in many forms, sometimes I can’t make myself purchase an ebook when it’s the same price as the paperback. I just love the feeling of pages between my fingers, but it’s a dying art. I don’t see it vanishing quickly, but in ten to twenty years time, we may be only able to get ahold of ebooks.
What do you use?: Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: fantasy, adventure, dark fantasy, paranormal, mystery
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Fawn Szymoniak Home Page Link
Link To Fawn Szymoniak Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
