Skylar Rose - Interview

Well, I've written nearly my entire life. But making the transition from writer to author, that happened when I finally finished my first book, "The Last Valkyrie" and submitted it for copyright. 

Once I had the rights, I began submitting to agents, that was a long and virtually pointless process. When I got fed up, I finally found Amazon KDP self-publishing. Having never done this before, the first time I self-published was long and onerous but thankfully, with help, I managed and each time it gets easier. 

Definitely spontaneously and organically. 

I can't tell you how the story is going to end, I can't tell you what will happen until I've written it. It's one of those strange phenomenon's. I have the idea of what I want to write about, I know about the characters and the basic outline. But the in-between, the small details and even some of the larger ones. Sometimes I surprise even myself with how a story unfolds. I feel like my characters really do have some independence. 

Bringing something into the world that wasn't there before I created it. That's a big one. If I die, my books will still be here. 

There is also a weird phenomenon that occurs occasionally when writing, where the words just simply flow from your fingertips, where you are writing so fast that you're absolutely positive that there will be errors needing fixing later. Sometimes when I write, I get this feeling that I know what I am writing is good. And it's very exciting. 

I read a quote once that said "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." 

When I am focused and writing and it is good, this is how it feels.

Writing is easy mostly, except when I have writers block. When I am stuck on a story, and I am not sure how to fix a dilemma or where the story should go next. 

But mostly, writing it easy. It's what comes next that is hard. 

Absolutely. As I said, sometimes I think we pull from our life when writing, even if we don't mean too. It's our experiences, I believe, our struggles and our achievements that help us when writing. 

I wish I could say the latter but unfortunately not. I try not to draw parallels, but I know they're there. 

The main character of the Vivian Moore Series probably is intended to look a bit like me, but with a better figure. However, everything else about the character, her strength, patience, intelligence, I believe is her own. 

I think we pull from our life, our friends, our family and whether we intend to or not, they get tangled up in our stories. 

Ugh! Writer's block is the worst! 

This doesn't often happen to me but maybe that is because I have such little time to write anyway. But when it does happen, the best way to handle it is to walk away. I have to give myself time to think, work out the solution, or cogitate on the problem. 

Absolutely. God help me if the FBI ever gets interested in me. That'd be a fun interview. 

I research a lot! Sometimes I reach out to sources or friends. I google images too. Having a picture to look at helps me describe a scene or place in my book and bring it into greater detail. 

Obviously, the next book to the Vivian Moore Series. But there are also my coloring books that I create on the side as a fun hobby. I also have another book titled, "Golanda's Persistence" that is completed but not yet published that I hope to have available soon. 

Which one? Haha. 

My first book, "The Last Valkyrie" took nearly ten years. Between, losing my manuscript several times, resulting in starting over, and raising my children, this first book too a long time.  

The next two, "Elador", and "The Other Valkyrie" were finished more quickly, within a year and half for each one. This included writing the book, editing it, having a good friend also edit it and then publishing it.