Fourth Author Interview

 

This interview was conducted by J Scott Coatsworth of Liminal Fiction, a site specialising in promoting the speculative genres.  The interview as shown on the website can be found here: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/author-spotlight-xanxa-symanah/?cn-reloaded=1

This is the text of the interview:

JSC: Were you a voracious reader as a child?

XSW: Definitely.  Due to having been read bedtime stories before I learned to read, I already loved books.  I learned to read ahead of most of my class at school and the teacher allowed me to skip some of those “learning to read” books because I didn’t need them.  As a child, I loved fairy tales and animal stories.  I think that’s probably what led me into reading fantasy.

JSC: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?

XSW: I’ve always made up stories.  I found out I was good at it when I got high marks for what was called “free writing” at primary school (I think you call it elementary school, from age 5 to 10).  Also, when I was about 8 or 9, I let my Dad read one of my poems.  He said that my ability with words was frightening.  I took that as a huge compliment.

JSC: Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

XSW: I love the pure escapism of the speculative genres.  In my early teens, I tried writing sci-fi but discovered I wasn’t much good at it.  In my later teens, I tried writing old-school detective stories but somewhere along the way I started adding elements of fantasy.  I’d always loved the fantasy genre as a reader and I just fell into it during the course of my writing.  My fantasy novels take place in a modern day setting and I often bring in elements from other genres, such as detective stories, prison and courtroom dramas, multi-generational family sagas and Godfather style gangster movies.  I have also written one murder mystery which borders on paranormal and I’ve published a collection of dark poetry.  Fantasy remains my favourite genre to write in and I can’t imagine swapping to any other genre.

JSC: How long on average does it take you to write a book?

XSW: My books tend to be long.  I take around nine months to write the first draft, then I leave it aside for a couple of months while I work on something else.  That way I can come back to it with fresh eyes when I’m ready to revise it.  The revising and editing stages take another two to three months.  I’d say it takes me at least a year to produce a completed book ready for publishing.

JSC: Are you a plotter or a pantster?

XSW: Definitely a plotter.  I have a clear outline for the main storyline before I start writing a new book.  Side plots will suggest themselves along the way, but I always stick to the main plot.

JSC: What is the most heartfelt thing a reader has said to you?

XSW: That they wished they could live in my fictional universe.  It was in a private message rather than an actual review.  That reader has given me several glowing reviews as well.

JSC: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

XSW: “Probyt’s Progress” is one of my multi-generational sagas, so the main theme is how the characters are changed by their various life experiences.  I also deal with issues of abuse and prejudice.  As to how well I’ve achieved them, that’s for my readers to decide.

JSC: What was the hardest part of writing this book?

XSW: As I’ve already mentioned, the book deals with various abuse issues, including alleged rape and the beating of a small child.  These are sensitive topics and I don’t want readers thinking I’ve only included them for shock value.  I set out to show the consequences of such acts of violence and how they impact a person’s whole life from a psychological point of view.

JSC: What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

XSW: I’ve mainly done office jobs.  For over 20 years I worked as a legal secretary.  You’ll find plenty of lawyer characters in my novels and that’s also why I’ve included courtroom scenes in “The Sunshine Acolyte” and “Malachi’s Law”.  There will be another courtroom scene in a forthcoming book which is still in the revising stages.  I also worked as a waitress for a short time, so I’ve included characters who are involved in the catering and hospitality industries in some of my novels.

JSC: What are you working on now?

XSW: I’m writing two collections of short stories based in the same fictional universe as my main fantasy novels.  I felt that I needed a change from writing lengthy multi-generational sagas because I didn’t want them to get stale.  Writing short stories is an entirely different discipline and I’m finding it refreshing.  Some of the short stories are based on peripheral events which take place outside the timeline of my main novels and get referred to in passing during the course of those novels.  I’ve also developed some of my deleted scenes.  The other thing I’m doing is spotlighting some of my universe’s cultural figures, such as musicians, sports stars and other entertainers and writing their origin stories from before they became famous.