Wednesday, June 14, 2017

An Interview With Author, Gloria Zachgo--Part 2



Gloria Zachgo
Author, Gloria Zachgo 
I'm pleased to present part 2 of my interview with Gloria Zachgo:


6.      Do you belong to any writers’ groups? Why or why not?

Yes, I’ve belonged to several. About a year ago, when we moved to Wichita, I had to leave my original writers group. I miss the weekly challenges it provided. I am still able to meet once a month with my novelist group. They supply invaluable feedback, criticism, and encouragement. I might be able to write novels without them, but it would be a lonely trek and not nearly as much fun.

7.      Of your three novels, which one is closest to your heart?

That’s like asking which of my children is my favorite.

The Rocking Horse was my first. It started me on this journey of writing novels and gave me the confidence to write more.

Hush Girl is where my heart took me the last two years.

However, Never Waste Tears is probably closer to my heart because I write about the area where I grew up. I see my grandfather every time I write about Carl, and I’m hoping to go back to that prairie one of these days.

8.       Do you write every day or when the mood strikes?

I would like to say I’m disciplined enough to write every day, but I’m not. When the mood strikes I’m miserable if I don’t write. I can’t say that’s always when I do my writing though, because “the mood” can strike at the most inopportune times.

9.      What prompted you to write Hush, Girl?

I know someone who has been affected all her life because her mother left her when she was only a child. Once I started developing the story of a child whose mother left her, she became real. She became Nicki. I simply wrote what happened to her, embellishing the story to make a suspense novel.

10.       Any tips for other writers hoping to publish a book?

Self-publishing has worked for me. I’ve learned that even with traditional publishing, an author is often left to do their own promotional marketing. There are so many new books coming out every day that it’s hard to get noticed as a novice author.

If you decide to self-publish, you must believe in yourself and your writing. Re-write. Re-read. Re-read and re-write again. I’m learning from my mistakes every day. Make your manuscript as perfect as you can. Get critiques from others if possible.

Talk to other authors. Most tend to want to share their experiences. Find out what works for them. There are a lot of different avenues one can take today. Explore several before you take the voyage.

I write what’s in my heart. I write because it’s my passion. I go on journeys with my created characters. I find pleasure in telling their stories.

I find even more pleasure when my readers give me feedback on my novels and share their thoughts with me.





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