We have an amazing group of writers in the Writers’ Mastermind, and we love to find out more about them. Today, we talk to Brenda Wilkins, an aspiring lawyer turned writer who is now working on her first novel called Universal Justice.
Fiction allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of the main character with whom they can identify without being judgmental.
Brenda Wilkins
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I was born, Brenda Ann Roberson, in Savannah, GA in January of 1959. In 1960 my mother moved us to Brooklyn, NY where we lived until I was fourteen years old. Then my mother had to move back to her hometown of Homerville, GA in order to be closer to her family. I was not a fan of small town life so I promised myself that I would be making my exit as soon as I graduated high school.
I attended college at Mercer University in Macon, GA from 1977-1981, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in journalism. I’ve always had a pioneering spirit, so after graduating from college, I relocated to Fort Worth, TX where I currently reside.
I met Michael Wilkins in 1986 and we married in 1987. We have two sons who now each have one daughter…I love being Granny!
I am now retired but my past employments have mostly been in the area of clerk, Secretary and Administrative Assistant. I never thought of myself as a writer. I had always wanted to be a lawyer. But after college, I had no money for further education. I thought that I could work a couple of years and save money to attend law school. Well, a couple of years turned into a few years, then marriage, then kids, and so on, and so on.
When I was pregnant with my second child, I came up with an idea for the “perfect novel”. That’s when I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I read and studied everything that I could get my hands on about writing. The perfect novel that I was working on, I put it down after a few chapters with the intention of finishing it later. I found it many years later and read over what I’d written…it was awful! I’ve come a long way since then-thank goodness!
2. What kind of stories do you like to write?
I’m a fiction writer, for sure. Presently, I can’t say that my writing consists of any particular genre. I consider myself to be a character writer. I’m all about character development and progression. I like to know who the characters are and what makes them tick. I give them birthdays from which I choose traits based on their astrological chart. I know where they were born and their personal and family history. My stories are about how certain situations affect or change the characters involved.
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
I am one who can see both sides of any argument. I have learned and have come to believe that there is no right or wrong when it comes to opinions or beliefs. It’s all about point of view. I have mine and you have yours. As a writer, it is not my job, or my desire, to change someone else’s opinion or convince them that what they believe in is wrong. My desire is to create a situation that will allow them to see, understand, and maybe even respect the viewpoint from the other side.
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
I have read stories of fiction that have been written in such a way as to show an otherwise obscure situation or concept in a different light; whereby the obscurity dissipates and the situation/concept is now crystal clear. I call it an “aha! moment”. I want to write stories that will give someone that experience.
5. Who are your favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
I can’t really say I have a favorite writer, although I do like John Grisham novels. I am a fan of the classics. I’ve read A Tale of Two Cities twice as well as Wuthering Heights. Those are two of the greatest love stories you could imagine. I really enjoy Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I also love period pieces, especially from the 1800’s and early 1900’s. I’m also a fan of poetry. As a child, my mother read to us a lot. She had a book called “The Best Loved Poems of the American People”. I still have that book. The spine is taped together and the pages are faded but it’s still one of my favorite books. It includes the original version of, A Visit From St. Nicholas, which we now refer to as, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.
6. Tell us about your writing space. When and where do you write? Do you work in silence? Or music?
When my sons moved away from home, we turned one of our three bedrooms into an office. This is my main work space. However, I sometimes work from the dining room table when I’m not working on the computer and I need space to work with lots of material. When I am contemplating a story idea I will sometimes grab a pen and pad and sit out on my patio. Nature is very inspiring for me. I do tend to work better when it’s quiet if I am in the process of writing, however, the creative process is different. Whether it’s an idea for a new story or a story that I am currently working on, ideas tend to come to me when I am busy. It can be driving, walking, making the bed, or folding clothes. If I can, I will stop and write them down.
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
I have a few television shows that I like to watch. I get some good story ideas from watching television. I also have a word game, a puzzle game, a coloring app, and Sudoku on my phone. It gives me a break while still allowing me to keep my brain active. But my favorite pastime is to sit quietly on my patio with a cup of tea and watch the birds and squirrels. It’s really relaxing.
8. Who or what is your current artistic muse?
I would have to say that life is my muse. It is when I am contemplating or reflecting on life that I get my most profound story ideas.
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
People can see flaws in other people that they can’t see in themselves. Fiction allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of the main character with whom they can identify without being judgmental. Once they recognize these flaws as being part of who they are, perhaps they can then be less judgmental and more understanding of the flaws in others.
Fiction allows us to experience what could be, and to live out the “what if” without having to personally experience those events.
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
Me. No amount of research or interviews can get inside an individual’s true nature and motivation other than to hear it from them personally. You might think that extensive interviews can accomplish this, and in some cases, it can. But if I am to tell the story of my life, and have you understand the motivations behind my actions: and why I have done the things that I have done, it must be done in my own voice.
11. How had being in the Writers’ Mastermind helped you? What’s the best part of being with a writing group?
There is nothing more exhilarating than being in the company of people who get you! The Writers’ Mastermind is a community of writers from around the world representing nearly every segment of humanity. People of different nationalities, cultures, spiritual/religious beliefs, races, genders and orientations, who understand the writer’s life and the writer’s mind all coming together to encourage and support one another. It helps me to know that others are going through the same things that I am going through. Their advice and collective knowledge is invaluable. The best part of being with a writing group is that it serves as a sounding board. You can bounce ideas off one another and get honest and helpful feedback as well as present your work-in-progress to others without fear of being laughed out of the room!
12. What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on a novel entitled, Universal Justice. It involves an unjust execution and the Universe stepping in to balance the scales of Justice, while the main characters race to right this wrong by finding the true killer and clearing the name of the man wrongly executed. Once my works gets out there, you will find that most of my stories deal with the metaphysical, time travel, past lives, life after life and even a parallel Universe or two. I have several story ideas in the works. One of my biggest challenges is trying to stay focused on one story at a time in order to complete one novel. My second biggest challenge is to keep my stories from getting out of control. My stories are complete inside my head. I know my characters and their backgrounds. But, the more I write, the more ideas I come up with so I find myself having to reign the story in just to stay on task. I love coming up with story ideas!
Thanks to Brenda Wilkins for sharing her writing insights with us.We’ll keep you posted on Universal Justice!
Today, we are excited to feature Clennell Anthony, a paranormal romance and fantasy author. She is a founding member of the Writers’ Mastermind and the host of our Saturday write-ins.
“Nell” is the author of Dark Brilliance, and is currently working on a multigenerational paranormal fantasy saga. She is a visually impaired author who recently appeared on The Writing Cooperative to talk about accessibility awareness.
Learn more about Miss Anthony and her work in this enlightening interview.
Meet Clennell Anthony
Clennell is a published author of short stories in literary magazines such as Southern Reflections and Short Fiction Break. She has a published Novella entitled, The Circle, the first book in her Draiocht Trilogy, available on Amazon.com. She writes romance in many of its subgenres: romantic suspense, fantasy/paranormal, and mystery/thriller.
Clennell has a long and winding background in writing, but she has interests in just about everything—from murder and mayhem in other authors’ novels, to magick and zoology, if that’s what her characters are into. She lives in Florida and enjoys being entertained by the Amazon Echo Dot and Show that are strategically placed throughout her home. She enjoys reading, writing, research, and coming up with new and interesting conflicts for her characters to resolve. At present, she is editing The Cursed and working on The Convicted, books two and three of her Draiocht Trilogy.
Clennell is a woman of many talents, but her first love is writing. She wants to welcome you into her strange and wonderful world. So step into her parlor, join the party, and discover magic.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I live in Jacksonville, Florida now, but I’ve been a few places around the United States. I’ve lived in North Carolina and Georgia. I received an MFA in Creative Writing from the low residency program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Life has always been an interesting rollercoaster as a visually impaired individual. Even more so of late, since my vision insists on getting worse. I enjoy life as a mental health counselor, writer, and visually impaired woman. It’s just living and adapting, something we all do, but I feel as if I’m finally doing it well.
2. What kind of stories do you like to write?
I love to write stories that make people feel, even if all they’re doing is laughing or thinking about what’s motivating the character. I love magic, so I tend to write about it in many of its forms. I’m nosey and like to look up some of everything.
I like for characters to be well rounded, funny, interesting, and to do or say something that keeps the reader thinking. I hope that my stories get the chance to change someone’s outlook or at least make them laugh so hard they can’t breathe for a few minutes, or even sigh with relief or contentment. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but sometimes, I just can’t help myself.
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
In truth, I’m not sure about this one. I don’t really look at another writer’s work and go, how am I different or the same? I tend to read books for the pleasure of it and think to myself, how did she accomplish this or that? I’ll read a book a second time, trying to understand how the writer created a setting, plot twist, or resolved a conflict. But, I’m truly unsure of what makes me stand out as unique or different.
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
My motivation is usually concerned with good overcoming evil or the bad guy getting his comeuppance. I like to see the underdog triumph. I enjoy writing about love and survival, whether it’s the magical or the realistic.
My mission is to grip the reader with the motivation of the characters and make them root for that underdog, and hope that the nemesis of the piece gets their due, whether it’s going to jail, turning into ash and blowing away on the next breeze, or being killed to keep the good guys alive and gaining their happy ever after.
5. Who are you favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
You don’t want me to start naming authors and books. We’ll be here all day and into a week from now. I can just see myself snapping my fingers and going, “Oh, yeah, and this author and that book.” So, I’ll spare you the long-winded answer and tell you my top three.
1. Nora Roberts – My favorite book by her is True Betrayals – genre romantic suspense.
2. Nalini Singh – My favorite book by her is Heart of Obsidian, book 12 of the Psy-changeling Series – genre paranormal romance.
3. Karen Rose – I Can See You, Book 1, Minnesota Duet – genre romantic suspense.
6. Tell us about your writing space. When and where do you write? Do you work in silence? Or music?
I write in a home office. I have two bookshelves full of books on everything from magic to police procedure. I have a corner desk, a computer, two printers, another desk, all my visual aids, and an Echo device I yell at for talking entirely too much even when no one is talking to her.
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
I know this sounds a little nutty, but read. I love to read. I don’t do much else. If I’m not at my day job or writing, I’m reading something, even if it’s the headlines in a newspaper update in my email. I prefer romance, though.
8. Who or what is your current artistic muse?
My current artistic muse lately has been from my dreams and the past. For some reason of late, I have found so many stories that I can tell from my past as a child, teenager, and young/new adult. Life is interesting and I’ve found that truth and reality can be far stranger than fiction can ever be. Well, unless you’re talking about magick, shapeshifting, and vampires. I enjoy things that go bump in the night in fiction, not so much in reality.
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
I think the writing of fiction is important because so much of reality draws us into stress and anxiety. Fiction gives the writer and the reader a bit of fun and pulls us out of our daily fight for survival, the chaos, and hum-drum living. It gives us something other than the next day to look forward to, and well, it’s just fun!
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
When I first saw this question, I thought, I can’t think of anyone. Then, I thought through all the memoirs and autobiographies I’ve read over the course of my life. Frank Conroy, the author of Stop Time, one of the best memoirs I’ve read, came to mind. So, I say Frank Conroy because he wrote one of the most compelling and attention catching memoirs I had the pleasure of experiencing.
11. How has being in the Writers’ Mastermind helped you? What’s the best part of being with a writing group?
Being a part of the Writers’ Mastermind has made me truly feel like a writer. I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome before I joined the Writers’ Mastermind. Being a part of the group allowed me to see that I wasn’t the only one struggling with angst and the idea that being a writer was more than I was.
The thing is that, the only thing it takes to be a writer is to write, but so often we’re made to believe differently. The people in Writers’ Mastermind have given me a sense of belonging, helped me finish one novel and complete another, and have been the support system I’ve never had before.
If you’re a writer, find a writing group that you can identify with and full of people who make you feel like you’re exactly what you strive to be, even when you’re stuck or when you’re feeling your lowest. It’s the best place to be amongst people who accept you, understand where you’re coming from, and won’t judge you or try to force you to be someone you’re not.
I’ve received this and so much more from my association and membership in Writers’ Mastermind.
12. What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on The Convicted the third book in the Draiocht Trilogy. It’s a little challenging for me because I’m also working on keeping up with blogging. I need to be a bit more consistent there, so I’ve taken to writing one blog per week. So, I write vignettes, short stories in series, prose pieces, and sometimes what I call “just because” pieces when I’m not working on The Convicted.
Dark Brilliance is a book of short stories. Each story has its moment that shines, though there is a darkness that persists, light shines through the flame of somber sadness, tortured occurrences, and hope threads through that lifts the darkness and turns it to brilliance.
The stories are grouped by the moment captured by the author. For example, “Endurance” focuses on the life of a home: the wars that were fought around it, the neglect it withstood, and how it waits for someone to come along and rebuild its grandeur.
Dark Brilliance contains stories that exhibit moments of love, life, sensuality, power, hope, and fulfillment. Come join in the journey this book of short stories will take you on.
To continue our series of interviews with our short story contest winners, we talk to Sam Szanto, author of second place winner, If No One Speaks. Sam is an accomplished writer and poet, whose had nearly 40 stories and poems published and listed in competitions.
11 Questions with Sam Szanto
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I’m originally from Eastbourne (known as God’s Waiting Room), a seaside town in South-East England. I’ve lived all over England but mainly (20 years) in London. Last April, my family and I migrated to the other end of the country and now live in Durham, a city where everyone knows everyone (except us). I have a husband, two young children and an old tabby cat. Life has involved a number of jobs from (wo)manning an ice-cream kiosk to working at a girls’ private school to marketing for a national blind charity, and now writing as much as possible while freelancing as a copy-editor and English tutor. Much of my copy-editing is academic research for clients in Taiwan, although I also do novels, PhDs and whatever else anyone asks for.
2. What kind of stories do you like to write?
I write stories and poems; some are political, some about love relationships and some combine the two. They tend to be realistic, although I do like to add in the odd ghost! I also write a lot about displacement and alienation, with a particular interest in refugees (I am from a refugee family who came from Hungary in the Second World War). I like to place my writing in a wide variety of settings: Mexico, Madrid, Thailand, Cambodia, Venezuela, Russia, Bangladesh, etc. If you can’t travel far in real life, you can in your mind!
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
I guess I haven’t read any other stories that sound as though I could have written them. But presumably every writer feels like that. I’m lucky now that I have the time to write, as I didn’t when I was younger – I have been reprimanded by a former boss for writing when I should have been working!
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
I was once told by a novelist that ‘Writers need to write.’ This is absolutely true for me; and the older I get, the truer this is. I need to write, and I want to write. My aim is to publish a short story collection, which I have recently finished and am querying.
5. Who are your favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
So many. I’m reading Val McDermid’s ‘1979’ at the moment, and Carolyn Forche’s ‘The Country Between Us’. I also always have an audio book on the go. My favourite short story writers and influences are Tessa Hadley (I was lucky enough to have been taught by Tessa on my MA in Creative Writing) and Elizabeth Bowen. My favourite novelist is Kate Atkinson and favourite poet Simon Armitage (neither seem very original answers!) but I could go on listing all day…
6. Tell us about your writing space. When and where do you write? Do you work in silence? Or music?
I write as much as possible, when I’m not doing paid work, housework or school pick-ups (I do also sleep). I can’t write with music anymore, although I did all my A-level English coursework with happy hardcore bulldozing into my ears. I write in silence in a study, interrupted by my kids asking what’s for tea and my husband asking what’s for lunch. The study is a luxury and blessing, as I spent each of the lockdowns in London writing at a table while the kids bounced up and down in front of the TV at the other end of the room.
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
I exercise a lot, mainly at the gym at the moment although we’ve also just bought a rowing machine. I’ve also got into gardening so I know I’m middle-aged. I also like the theatre. And of course, reading! When I was younger, I was often to be found unwashed at a music festival.
8. Who is your current artistic muse?
I’m not sure I have one, but I am smitten with the poetry of Warsan Shire, who wrote the poem I wish to have written (‘Home’).
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
Fiction has so many important roles. I can’t remember a day of my life when I haven’t read a book. Escaping into different worlds has got me through all the problems and hardships in my life to date. I’ve also learned so much about different worlds and times. Writing also has a very important role in mental health: it certainly helps me with that.
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
Tessa Hadley. If only!
11. What are you working on right now?
A story about a school reunion, featuring a ghost, entitled ‘Everybody loved Romy’.
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About Sam
Sam Szanto lives in Durham, UK with her husband and two children. She has had almost 40 stories and poems published and listed in competitions.
In March 2022, her short story ‘If No One Speaks’ won second prize in the Writers’ Mastermind Short StoryContest; ‘Mikey’ was longlisted for the Bedford International Writing Competition (previously also highly commended in the Write by the Sea KQ Competition) and ‘The Thought of Death Sits Easy on the Man’ was published in WayWords, Issue 5 and ‘The Yellow Circle’ was published in Personal Bests Journal 3 (also published earlier by Storgy). In 2021, her story collection ‘Courage’ was a semi-finalist in the St Lawrence Book Awards; ‘Quiet Love’ placed third in the Erewash Writers Open Short Story Competition; ‘The New House’ was longlisted for the Crowvus Ghost Story Competition; ‘Rubbish’ was highly commended in the Glittery Literary Summer Competition and published in Anthology Volume 2; and ‘Don’t Refuse Me’ was listed in the Parracombe Prize Story Competition and published in the Parracombe Prize 2021 Anthology.
In 2020, Sam’s short story ‘Inaccrochable’ was published in Storgy; ‘125’ was a finalist in the 2020 Literary Taxidermy Competition and published in the Regulus Press anthology 124 Beloved – another of her stories in the 2021 competition also received an Honourable Mention; ‘Ferhana’ was published by Momaya Press in their Short Story Review 2020 and ‘Phil in Real Life’ was published in Secret Attic Booklet #6. ‘Making Memories’ was highly commended in the Michael Terence Publishing Winter Short Story Competition 2019 and published in the anthology The Forgotten. Also in 2020, Sam had stories shortlisted in the Writers Forum Competition, the 2020 Exeter Literary Festival Short Story Competition, the Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition and the 2020 Pennine Ink Writing Competition; and longlisted for the Flash 500 2020 Quarter One and the Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition.
In 2019, she won second prize in the Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition with her story ‘Letting Go’, which was published in the 2019 Chairman’s Challenges Anthology. Also in 2019, one of her stories was shortlisted in the Henshaw Press December Short Story Competition. Her flash fiction, ‘The Things that he Gave Me’ was published in Gold Dust.
Sam is also a poet and in 2022, three of her poems will be published in Europe Poetry Magazine and Horned Things Journal. In 2021, she was published in Alternate Route Zine. She won both the 2020 Charroux Prize for Poetry and the First Writers 12th International Poetry Competition. In 2019, she won second prize in the Hammond House International Literary Prize and was published in the anthology Leaving. Her poetry was shortlisted for the Grist Prize in 2019.
Sam is currently studying for the UK Poetry School / Newcastle University MA in Writing Poetry and also has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.
Last month, we announced our Writers Mastermind Short Story Contest winners. In this series, we interview each of them to discover the soul behind their story.
Today we talk to Tomas Marcantonio, who won third place with his story, Feathers. He taught English in South Korea for most of the past decade, and is now settling in England to finish his dystopian noir series. Learn about his experience abroad and what drives his writing.
Meet Tomas Marcantonio, author of Feathers (3rd Place Winner)
Tomas Marcantonio is a writer from Brighton, England. He graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in English Language and Film, and he spent most of his twenties teaching English while travelling and writing.
Tomas is the author of two travelogues, Gift of the Gap and How Not To Live Your Twenties, as well as the coming-of-age novel The Leap of Grebes. His dystopian trilogy Sonaya Nights is being published by Storgy Books, with first installment This Ragged, Wastrel Thing released on August 1st, 2020.
Tomas is also the author of numerous short stories, many of which have appeared in literary journals and speculative fiction magazines online and in print. He has placed in several short story and flash fiction competitions, and was the winner of the‘Just Back’ travel writing competition in The Telegraph in 2017. In 2020, Tomas was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.
When not scribbling about future worlds or his two beloved seaside cities, Brighton and Busan, Tomas is often writing obscure articles about Korean football. Otherwise, he is most likely getting lost in neon-lit backstreets somewhere, searching for new brands of makgeolli.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I’m from Brighton on the south coast of the UK, but I spent most of the past ten years in South Korea, where in addition to writing I was teaching English. I recently moved back to Brighton to be closer to family and friends. It’s great being back, but I do miss the thrill of being abroad. I did a lot of travelling in my twenties, but now that I’m in my mid-thirties I’m trying my best to settle!
2. What kind of stories do you like to write?
I love exploring alternate worlds, especially dystopian or futuristic societies. I also frequently write about anxiety, and coming of age through travel. I rarely write about mundane life – I love travel and adventure and diverse peoples and places.
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
I suppose my dream as a writer is to combine genre writing with literary fiction. As a reader I adore both, but I haven’t come across too many writers who write genre fiction with the poetic prose I enjoy. That’s the little corner I aim for.
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
I recently wrote a Writer’s Manifesto as part of my Creative Writing Master’s degree – I called it the Soul Tattooist’s Manifesto. The idea is to ‘tattoo’ your soul into history, to make a permanent record of your thoughts, fears, feelings, and inspirations. I love the idea of trying to capture your true self in your writing, and the possibility that future generations will be able to read it and have an insight into your identity.
5. Who are you favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
It’s hard to narrow this down to a few! I adore the writing of James Lee Burke, one of the few crime writers I’ve read whose beautiful descriptions of places and people can take my breath away. In terms of prose I’m hugely inspired by the writing styles of the likes of Laurie Lee, Virginia Woolf, and Annie Proulx, but I also love the big ideas and imagination of fantasy and speculative fiction novels. Haruki Murakami is my go-to writer if I’m in need of a definite pleaser.
6. Tell us about your writing space. When and where do you write? Do you work in silence? Or music?
I tend to write better in cafés, so a little background music is welcome. In Korea my ideal writing routine was to get up early and head to a quiet café with sea views and spend the whole morning there. I haven’t found my perfect writing café since moving back to Brighton, so I’m still searching!
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
Apart from curling up with a good book, my favourite hobby these days is beach volleyball. There’s nothing better than jumping around in the sand on a sunny day – especially if there’s a cold pale ale waiting afterwards.
8. Who is your current artistic muse?
My biggest artistic muse of the past decade has been Busan, my favourite city in Korea. Sandy beaches, sprawling mountains, labyrinths of neon-lit backstreets, and don’t get me started on the food. A huge city bursting with personality, and inspiration in every little nook.
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
I want to avoid trying to give a deep, profound answer here, so I’ll just answer this from my personal point of view as a writer – it’s a release, a calling, a joy.
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
I’d love to read a Murakami novel of my life – he’d be able to side-step the boring parts by having me stumble upon a parallel world.
11. What are you working on right now?
I’m tidying up Book 3 of my dystopian noir trilogy, Sonaya Nights, from Storgy Books. I’m also working on a fantasy novel, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. I love world building and letting my imagination run riot, so it’s been a joy so far.
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Thanks to Tomas Marcantonio for letting us into his world.
Every other Monday, we introduce you to a writer from the Writers’ Mastermind. Today we are excited to present Sara Cristia H.J.. She is a storyteller and freelance writer who was born in Venezuela and lives in Lebanon.
Sara writes historical and contemporary dramas with touches of surrealism, the paranormal, and fantasy. She also creates blog content for websites and is now in the editing process of her first fiction novel.
You have seen her reading an excerpt of her story, The Witch’s Amulet, in the Writers Mastermind Mash Up. Learn more about her rich Caribbean/Mediterranean life and her dreams for the future.
Tell us a bit of yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
My background is a mix of Caribbean and Mediterranean. I was born in Venezuela to Lebanese parents who raised my siblings and me there for the first ten years of my life. Then, my father thought it would be best for us to grow among our relatives and culture. So we moved to Lebanon, where my interest in historical, religious, and esoteric topics caught my genuine interest.
Afterward, we were constantly moving or traveling from Lebanon to Venezuela and vice versa. This caused me some gaps in the three languages I know. Though I manage them fluently, except for Arabic, which I know at a medium level, I still needed to improve my writing skills. I realized that the only way to do so was by reading.
Today, I live in Lebanon with my husband, three lovely and smart daughters, and my spoiled mini-toy poodle, Lassie. Life has been a bit of a challenge in every aspect, and I still don’t feel like settling here for a long time. Yet, what helps me to carry on with the tedious routine is my constant learning. I’m so grateful for the online education to find something new to upgrade my skills.
My life has been a mixture of adventure, freedom, adaptations, drawbacks, up-scaling, self-growth, and excitement with a bit of the Caribbean warmth and the traditional Mediterranean freshness. I consider life a journey that we have to travel as positively and thrilled as possible, taking the challenges and lessons for our benefit and enjoying every detail of it.
What kind of stories do you write?
I write historical and contemporary romantic dramas. I’m editing my first novel, which is a stand-alone but also the first in a series. The story revolves around two lovers who find each other in the late Austro-Hungarian Empire, but a fatal incident and mysterious events separate them. They’ll meet, however, in another lifetime where sharper challenges will dare them to stay together. I’ll treat diverse topics in this series, such as emotional abuse, anxiety, reincarnation, Latin American corruption, etc.
I also write short stories with bits of surrealism, paranormal, and real-life events.
More recently, I decided to give my creative writing a break while exploring the objective world of freelance writing. I must say I am most satisfied since I consider myself a logic-thinker, and I love researching and writing about various topics that defy my intellect and skills.
What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
Each writer has their unique spark. I think what sets me apart from other fellow writers is that I like to treat subtly real-life facts and conditions through fantasy and fiction.
My perseverance in upgrading my writing skills, despite all the educational challenges I had when I was younger, and consistency are also keys to my writing. I don’t like the words “give up,” so I try to do my best to find my way and show others that if I can do it, they certainly can, too.
Writing fiction not only liberates our creativity but also provides us with endless ways to see and treat life’s events. We can entertain, enlighten, and guide people through our stories and make them reflect on the different facets of life.
Sara Cristia H.J.
What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
We can achieve so much through the written word. You can say the world’s most significant truths through the beautiful lies of fiction and state life’s facts through well-crafted and researched articles. You can influence a generation with your opinion and stories, soothe the depressed, and guide the one who seeks the light. This and more is what I want to accomplish with my writings.
Who are your favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
I have a bunch of favorite writers and books that have influenced my writing. Among those I most enjoyed reading and learning from are: The Lord of the Rings books; Pachinko, by Lee Min Jin; almost every Jane Austen’s book and Lara Temple’s too; The Thorn Birds; Three Daughters of Eve, by Elif Shafak; and books of Paulo Coelho and Gibran Khalil Gibran.
Some of my favorite non-fiction books are: You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay; the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, by Robert Kiyosaki; The Giant Within, by Tony Robins; Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. I also love Dan Brown’s style.
There are certainly more, especially among indie books, such as Through Her Eyes, by Sophie Fahy; Murder at MacBeth, by Samantha Goodwin; The Seven Lives of Grace, by Elena Shelest; That Truthful Place, by Patty Lesser; The Last Nautch Girl, by C. Phillip; Lilia, by Linda Ganzini; Seeker of Time series by, J. M. Buckler; and Behold the Dawn, by K. M. Weiland. Now, I look forward to exploring more indie jewels, like those of Joe Sale, Christa Wojciechowski, Clennell Anthony, and Bia Bella Baker.
Do you write in silence? Background noise? Or music? What kind?
It depends on the scene’s mood. If it’s an action or mental health issue, you will find me writing with some metallic or gothic rock in the background, such as Poets of the Fall, Nightwish, Disturbed, or Within Temptation. If I’m writing a rough-love scene, I’ll listen to Lady Gaga, Allan Walker, or Demi Lovato. Otherwise, I’ll be listening to softer and more classic melodies, like Beethoven, Chopin, BrunuhVille, Sade, Jazz music with rain, or coffee shop background sounds (my favorite when I want to chill out), etc.
As you see, my music list is as eclectic as my readings.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
I think I don’t have that much free time. When I’m not writing or researching, I’m with my girls, helping them with their studies or watching a movie together. I have to attend to my house chores and my online learning. But I would much prefer to have a fixed time to go for a walk or hiking. I also love gardening and reading, of course.
Who is your current celebrity crush?
Celebrity crush? Not now, lol! But when I was younger, I liked Johnathan Brandis, the first time when I watched The NeverEnding Story and then SeaQuest DSV.
I also loved Gerard Butler’s role in The Phantom of the Opera.
Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
Writing fiction not only liberates our creativity but also provides us with endless ways to see and treat life’s events. We can entertain, enlighten, and guide people through our stories and make them reflect on the different facets of life. Storytelling is such a powerful tool to plant the seed for a better future.
Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
I have never thought of this, but I think I’d like Paulo Coelho to write the story of my life for his magical and surrealistic style and his vast exploration of the Mediterranean and South American lifestyles.
What are you working on right now?
My creative/fiction writing is somehow slow-paced now because I’m more dedicated to my freelance writing and internship at the Digital Nomad Writing Club. However, I always spare some time for my editing, mainly because my characters don’t give me peace of mind.
Besides, I’m building my portfolio with a variety of topics, though I’m niching down to more specific themes on B2B strategies, emotional and mental wellness, self-growth, and productivity. I’m also completing my specialization in SEO which will serve my blogging skills greatly.
Thank you for sharing your fascinating writing life with us, Sara!
