About Paul C.Steffy:
Paul C. Steffy has written several short fiction stories, two novelettes and one novel. His travels include twenty-seven countries and all fifty United States.
He enjoys flying; sailing; ocean cruises; travel; landscape and wildlife photography; the feel of ocean spray in a brisk wind; the fragrance of pine forests; stimulating conversation; quiet moments at sunset and fulfilling evolving goals. He values these and many other aspects of his busy life.
The Southwest is where he lives with his family and continues to write.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve written stories for decades. I began my first novel in 1980. When I feel a story building inside and characters emerge I know I must write a first draft and decide if it deserves fulfillment–some of them are only a lingering thought that doesn’t fully develop. When a story idea won’t leave me alone, I know I’m onto something.
Tell us about your writing process.
I give much thought to a story before I write the first sentence. Other than a few basic ideas on paper I keep the storyline and major ideas in my head. I write a page with the general theme then evaluate later for changes. When the right moment arrives, I sit down and start to write. Now, I’m between stories. When I begin my next one, I’ll be using the software that allows voice recognition. A first draft will be much easier then because I think much faster than I can type when a story is involved. I keep a notebook of character sketches, scene descriptions, places and modes of transportation. I’ve traveled worldwide and I enjoy having a story set in places I visited. Once I begin, the story writes itself. I’m the one who puts the words on paper.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I mentally interact with and observe my characters from ‘off stage’ throughout the writing process if I’m not sure how a character wants to be portrayed in a certain scene or situation. When I’m not sure how I’d react to a story situation in real life I follow their hint as to what they’d do. Characters don’t rule my life and I let them do what they want in theirs’.
What advice would you give other writers?
Don’t give up. When you write something that doesn’t sell well, keep writing. Write a story to please yourself. Many others out there will enjoy the same story for their own reasons. If an author writes an emotional story with tears and laughter and the reader feels the same strong emotions when they read it, an audience emerges–one person at a time. At the end of the book, if all goes well, an author will have another pleased reader who might just give a great review on amazon.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
After too many hurdles and hoops to negotiate with agents and old-school publishers, I tried self-publishing with amazon. I am very pleased with their total sphere of online presentation, advertising and sales. I used CreateSpace for my softcover Vietnam book. All five of my works are ebooks. Authors, keep this in mind: amazon adds between 2,500 and 4,000 new books every day 24/7 to their inventory. You have plenty of competition!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think that it’s here to stay!
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Relationships, Aviation, Travel, Romance, Vietnam, WW II, Adoption, Maturity, Falling In Love
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Paul C.Steffy Page On Amazon
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.
