Hello! Today, I (Erin) have an interview with Valari Westeren, writer and editor.
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Q: Hello, Valari! I’d like to start with two simple questions. When did you start writing? What did you write about?
A: I started writing at nine years old because I made a new friend who wanted to be an author one day. We played with Barbie dolls all the time, but the stories she would make up for her characters were so much more unpredictable and twisty than mine were, so I started trying more storylines instead of just acting out the “girl goes to ball and prince falls in love with her” Cinderella thing over and over. Originally the stories I wrote were just the accounts of what happened during my playtime with my friend. We had massive genealogies going of princesses and their daughters and their daughters and their daughters…so yeah, a lot of princess stories!
Q: *laughs* That sounds very familiar. I remember when a friend of mine and I did the same… only my stories were the unpredictable ones. When did you discover you were good at editing? Can you tell us about your editing business?
A: I’d always done well in English classes in high school, and my English professors at university would comment on how well I could write, too. I also took a course called “Advanced Grammar” that took my grammar skills to the next level. Then I had a summer-long internship as an unpaid editor for a nonprofit blog, and halfway through my manager started giving me more advanced work to do, so that’s when I learned I could do this really well! Today I am a contractor for a few different Christian publishers, meaning they have me on a list to contact whenever they need an extra proofreader. I also take freelance work directly from writers on occasion.
Q: That’s incredible! What is your long-term goal with writing?
A: Long-term I am working toward a career as an author of science fiction and fantasy. Right now I’m a student of the Author Conservatory, which is preparing me with writing, business, and marketing skills so that I won’t have to be a “starving artist” while I pursue my dream. The Conservatory also gave me the skills I needed to take my meager proofreading pursuits into a full-fledged business, and I’m thankful I have this as my day job while I work toward fiction publication.
Q: I’m sure you will do great things! What genres do you typically write and why?
A: As I said above, science fiction and fantasy! I’ve always been drawn to made-up worlds, so contemporary and historical fiction never held the same draw for me. And I guess you could say I’m drawn to the murkier “middle ground” between sci-fi and fantasy rather than being solidly placed in one or the other. That means my sci-fi is understandable even if you aren’t a science geek, and my fantasy won’t overwhelm you with unpronounceable character names!
Q: *laughs* Unpronounceable character names! That’s the truth. What is one piece of advice you have for young writers?
A: It may sound cliche, but the best thing you can do to grow as a writer is to Just. Keep. Writing. That usually means finishing at least a full draft before you show it to other people. Once you’ve put all your ideas on the page, it will be easier to get feedback from other people because both of you will be able to see what is there and what isn’t, what works and what doesn’t. It’s much harder to get good critique on hazy ideas that haven’t left your head! Make sure you’re also seeking feedback from the right people: people who read, people who read your genre, and especially people who know more about writing than you do!
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Let’s all keep an eye out for Valari when she one day makes her way into the publishing world!
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