Tell us more about your background and journey.
I was born and raised in the Philippines by French/Spanish/Filipino parents who provided unconditional love, instilled core values, and most of all gave my siblings and me the yearning for adventure. During my childhood, we travelled around the world trying different cuisines and learning about diverse cultures.
We also mastered speaking multiple languages and voraciously read books. Overall, my parents fed my curiosity and quest for learning beyond the classroom which compelled me to explore my imagination and write heartfelt, gripping stories.
My background, knowledge, and experience have allowed me to be creative, versatile, and goal-oriented. I may be an author, but I wear multiple hats dividing between the creative aspect and the entrepreneur side.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I started writing poetry, essays, and short stories when I was eight years old. While I set my childhood hobby aside to focus on other ventures, I realized decades later that writing is my true calling. I transformed my hobby into a career and released my debut novel Love Letters in 2011.
In three months, Love Letters reached the overall top 100 bestseller list on Amazon and won various awards. I released ten more bestselling novels and a marketing guidebook for authors. I don’t just write to live but live to write.
Is it a financially stable career?
Before venturing into this career, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
Why do you want to write? Do you want to make money? Do you wish to unleash your passion? Are you searching for healing? Do you have a powerful message to share with the world?
Your answers will provide insight and direction.
Writing can be a stable career, but you will need to create your brand which requires a huge investment in time and marketing. I always inform aspiring writers to initially concentrate on building exposure and establishing your brand before focusing on sales and profit, because like any business, you need to start from the bottom and build your way up.
Is it a financially stable career?
Before venturing into this career, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
Why do you want to write? Do you want to make money? Do you wish to unleash your passion? Are you searching for healing? Do you have a powerful message to share with the world?
Your answers will provide insight and direction.
Writing can be a stable career, but you will need to create your brand which requires a huge investment in time and marketing. I always inform aspiring writers to initially concentrate on building exposure and establishing your brand before focusing on sales and profit, because like any business, you need to start from the bottom and build your way up.
If you plan to be in this career for the long haul, then you will understand that it involves blood, sweat, and tears, but the rewards are priceless.
Who is your favourite author and why?
I have a lot. . . Enid Blyton, Danielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Dan Brown, VC Andrews, Dean Koontz, Debbie Macomber, Stephen King, Fern Michaels, Eileen Goudge, Sara Gruen, Erin Morgenstern, and many more.
These authors possess a rich imagination and they write compelling plots with multi-faceted characters and powerful themes.
Where does your inspiration lie?
My sources of inspiration are nature, art, architecture, travel, culture, people, and animals. I’m a firm believer that when you least expect it, inspiration will find you, and when it does, nothing will stop you from writing the story you’ve always dreamed about.
Which is your favourite book and why?
I have so many favourite books. The Night Circus, Water for Elephants, Angels & Demons, Harry Potter, The Perfume, The Holy Bible, and many more. I love reading profound, character-driven stories that provide a significant theme.
Who is your favourite author and why?
I have a lot. . . Enid Blyton, Danielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Dan Brown, VC Andrews, Dean Koontz, Debbie Macomber, Stephen King, Fern Michaels, Eileen Goudge, Sara Gruen, Erin Morgenstern, and many more.
These authors possess a rich imagination and they write compelling plots with multi-faceted characters and powerful themes.
Where does your inspiration lie?
My sources of inspiration are nature, art, architecture, travel, culture, people, and animals. I’m a firm believer that when you least expect it, inspiration will find you, and when it does, nothing will stop you from writing the story you’ve always dreamed about.
Which is your favourite book and why?
I have so many favourite books. The Night Circus, Water for Elephants, Angels & Demons, Harry Potter, The Perfume, The Holy Bible, and many more. I love reading profound, character-driven stories that provide a significant theme.
What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?
Know the difference between Art and Craft. Art is an inborn talent that involves creativity and carries emotion, but you need to nurture that gift by mastering your craft. Craft is an acquired skill that involves a lot of practice. The fusion of Art and Craft provides synergy.
Some people may underestimate writers, failing to acknowledge that everything starts with an idea, followed by a word, which manifests into a story, a speech, a song, a newspaper, a play, a book, a movie, but behind all that is a writer who wrote it. Writers play an instrumental role in various fields and should never be undervalued.
Explore more on Website
Know the difference between Art and Craft. Art is an inborn talent that involves creativity and carries emotion, but you need to nurture that gift by mastering your craft. Craft is an acquired skill that involves a lot of practice. The fusion of Art and Craft provides synergy.
Some people may underestimate writers, failing to acknowledge that everything starts with an idea, followed by a word, which manifests into a story, a speech, a song, a newspaper, a play, a book, a movie, but behind all that is a writer who wrote it. Writers play an instrumental role in various fields and should never be undervalued.
Explore more on Website
Interviewed by - Subham Biswas
){kind=link}
1 Comments
Thank you very much for featuring me on your site.
ReplyDelete