Author Bio:
Vanessa A. Ryan is an actress in Southern California. She was born in California and graduated from UCLA. When not writing or acting, she enjoys painting and nature walks. Her paintings and sculptures are collected worldwide. At one point, she performed stand-up comedy, so her writing often reflects her love of humor, even for serious subjects. She lives with her cat Dezi, and among feral cats she has rescued. She is the author of A BLUE MOON, an urban fantasy, HORROR AT THE LAKE, a vampire trilogy and A PALETTE FOR MURDER, a traditional cozy mystery. Follow Vanessa A. Ryan at https://www.facebook.com/VanessaRyan33, https://twitter.com/vryan333 and soon at http://vanessaaryan.com.
What inspires you to write?
I get my ideas from conversations — from those I participate in and from those I have have overheard. Some of these conversations have sparked ideas for stories and others for paintings or sculpture I ended up making. Many of these conversations changed my life or put me on a new path. I never know where or when I will get these aha moments, which makes life a series of exciting events for me. When I hear a conversation that sparks an idea for a story, I am compelled to start writing. The idea can be a fragment of what someone in the story might say, or it can be the concept for a story or even the ending. I always have an element of mystery in my stories, because the one thing I have learned about life is to expect the unexpected. We can’t know everything at any given time, so what will happen in the future is often a mystery. Even when I write, I don’t always know what will happen next, or how it will happen.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually know how I want the story to end. I’m not one of those writers who makes a big outline of everything. And often, in the middle of a story I will go back and add a character or change that character’s personality. Each day, I walk a few miles in nature, hashing out in my mind what I will write for that day. I like to write late at night.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I usually say the dialogue out loud, so I can hear if it sounds realistic.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
For the vampire trilogy, I kept submitting it to various publishers. I was looking for one that would give an advance. I’m not a fan of self-publishing. To get all that together, plus promoting it seems too overwhelming to me.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I guess it’s going to digital, but there’s nothing like holding an actual book in your hands.
What do you use?
Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?
Paranormal, Horror, Magic Realism, Urban Fantasy, Traditional Mystery
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Vanessa A. Ryan Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7058401.Vanessa_A_Ryan
https://www.facebook.com/VanessaRyan33
https://twitter.com/vryan333
http://www.pinterest.com/vanessaaryan752
