About Ismael Manzano:
Ismael Manzano was born and raised in New York City, and has lived his entire life in the Bronx, first with his parents, and then with his lovely and talented wife, Justine, and now with their kinetic maelstrom of a child, Logan. Ismael is an avid reader of fantasy books, and knew at an early age that he wanted to be a writer. He worked his entire life to hone his craft to achieve the goal of removing the prefix, ‘aspiring,’ from his title, and referring to himself as a writer.
He has written many reviews and social commentaries for the web magazine, G-pop.net. Recently, Ismael has found success publishing his short stories, Playing in Shadows, at This Dark Matter (thisdarkmatter.com) and Cold, at Grey Matter. His first full-length novel, Soulless was published on March 08th, 2016 by Fantasy Works Publishing.
Ismael loves watching historical documentaries and listening to audio lectures about Medieval England, Ancient Rome, and Egypt. He considers himself an amateur historian, and has never met a BBC historical drama he didn’t like. He also hopes to one day solve a Rubix Cube puzzle, but that dream, sadly, seems to be the greatest fantasy of them all.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by the magic of books, the way they can draw a person in and take them away to a new world. I want to do that for someone else.
Tell us about your writing process.
I believe in a detailed outline, but I don’t let myself stay married to it as the story progresses. I usually start with a very basic outline, and I reread it several times, adding to it every time. When I can read the outline three times and find nothing to add to it, it’s time for me to start writing the story proper. I let myself get away from the outline as I write, because sometimes the character finds its own path and if I don’t listen to it, the story will feel forced.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Absolutely. Characters guide the stories. If you can’t have a conversation with your character, then you don’t know them well enough to write them.
What advice would you give other writers?
Be confident in your work, but don’t be prideful. You’ll need confidence to push through those dark days when you’re struck with writer’s block or plagued by other doubts. But pride will keep you from seeing when a bad plot or character needs to go. Finding that balance was the hardest thing for me.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My publishing plan was simple: send out to everyone and see who bites first. I did not have a preference for how my story got out into the world, I just wanted it out there.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think publishers will continue to use social media to promote stories. Maybe one day it’ll all be done via twitter or facebook. But I don’t think print books will ever die; at least, I hope not. There is something about having a tangible book with your name on it on your shelf that can’t be duplicated by having a file on a tablet with your name on it.
What do you use?: Professional Editor
What genres do you write?: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Ismael Manzano Home Page Link
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
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.
