About VJ Prucha:
I am New Mexico girl born and raised. Currently, I live in Albuquerque with my Great Dane/Mastiff named Gracie, a cat named Mouse, and my wonderful husband. The Southwest, where I live, provides a fantastic world for all of my creative endeavors: both art and writing. The landscapes and scenery here are great backdrops for my novels and my artwork.
What inspires you to write?
I can find inspiration in almost everything. I would look through a window and see a weed and that would start a story, another person’s writing sparks the imagination, and “what if” questions. I was thinking about my family and, over the years, a couple of my relatives have died in April. I am thinking what a great story about family with the title, The Sisters of April. Also, I wanted to take an in depth look at how people survive traumas and the processes they go through, to become the people they are meant to be. I also wanted to find out, through writing, what drives a person to hurt another.
Tell us about your writing process.
In 2010, I was fortunate enough to take a seminar by Tom Bird, who had a method of releasing the author within. His strategy for getting over fear of writing was to take beatless music and write as fast as you can. At that time, everything was handwritten. In theory, by writing as fast as you can, you have a flow of words coming from the right side of the brain and it is pure thought. You write so fast, the left side of the brain has no time to edit your work or make disparaging remarks that befuddles all writers. I continue to use the same process. I put on the beatless music and I write as fast as I possibly can because I know that I can edit later. In the end, I have a working manuscript from start to finish.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
It varies, it used to be all my characters were in images and scenes acting out a play. I was the writer trying desperately to write down all the atmospheric images and conversation. Other times, I will have nothing but an idea and when I am in the flow of writing, the words and characters just write themselves down as best as they see fit. After the writing is completed, I go back over the words with the beatless music in the background and still in the creative zone and tweak and change words. I must admit the characters are the strongest at 3 am and I have awoken saying the words the characters were saying in the images, they can be very demanding.
What advice would you give other writers?
First of all, write; your voice deserves to be heard. Also, I would say build up your audience first using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media and blog, blog, and blog. Get to know your readers and generate a following. Talk to other writers and get to know them. We would like to think, we are alone in our room or favorite coffee house, just us and our characters, but we are not. We are community, all struggling with self doubt and loneliness at times. By getting to know other writers and announcing their work, they have in turn been announcing my work. Also, I have gotten advice from writers who are out there as well. There is a wealth of information for Indie Authors.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
After a great deal of research, I decided that I wanted to self-publish. I had a vision of what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. I didn’t want to have to choose between writing it my way and having a company publish my book so I decided to create my own publishing company. Thanks to Tom Bird, I was able to purchase a package that included a story editor, copy editor, and a book cover artist. I received suggestions but, ultimately, the decision was mine. It was an educational experience setting up an LLC and venturing into the world of publishing but I am so glad I took this route.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think that it is wonderful that publishing is now open to all writers. We are no longer restricted to a publishing house’s opinion. It is a more difficult path to self-publish, the onus is squarely on you to market yourself and it is a lot of work. You have to be on top of the social media website, market, market, and did I say market. Something that is difficult for me to do putting myself out there for the world to see but ultimately it is rewarding.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Horror
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
VJ Prucha Home Page Link
Link To VJ Prucha Page On Amazon
