Today I’m pleased to bring you an interview with Vanessa Finaughty,
author of the sci-fi fantasy series, Legends of Origin. Thank
you for taking the time to talk to us today, Vanessa.
1. What or who inspired you to write?
The books I read as a young child, Enid Blyton, CS Lewis and Willard
Price, to name a few – I was able to literally lose myself in them to the point
where you could stand next to me and say my name, and I wouldn’t hear you. I
wanted to offer people the same type of escape from reality that I found so
enjoyable.
2. Do you draw any of your
characters’ traits from friends or family?
Not on purpose, though sometimes someone will say or do something
that inspires me to create a character quirk in one of my characters. I have,
however, created characters based on some random person I met, and who struck
me as interesting, weird, creepy or annoying in some way.
3. Do you prefer to work
in complete silence or do you find that music helps to inspire you while you
write?
I prefer complete silence, but our neighbourhood often subjects me
to annoying noises, such as constantly yapping dogs, during which times I block
the noise pollution by putting on some music that fits the mood of whatever I’m
writing.
4. Which writing
achievement are you most proud of and why?
Four of my short stories that appear in my anthologies, Sorcery & Subterfuge
and Futurescape – Prince of Runeguard, The Enemy Crown, Ryokin Master and The
Sentients. These were commissioned by Oxford University Press South Africa,
and are being used in learner anthologies for private school students, which is
a great honour.
5. What is your biggest
writing disappointment?
That I’m unable to write full time, as sales aren’t yet high enough
to pay all the bills.
6. How long does it
generally take for you to finish writing a book?
It depends on the book and how much time I can spend writing. Some
of my books took less than a month to write, while others have taken over six
months or more. That’s excluding editing time – self-editing often takes at
least a month or longer. My last book, Legends
of Origin, Book 3: Creator Species, took me two and a half months to
write.
It’s a sci-fi fantasy series in which the protagonist, Liam
MacAskill, searches for meaning in life. He teams up with Arthean, a monk from
another planet, and the two make a surprisingly good team. There’s plenty of
action and adventure, of course, and death-breathing dragons and ryokin –
sentient sabre-toothed winged cats.
It was cold and insidious and made Arthean itch from the inside out.
9. What does the ‘it’
refer to?
A shadow creature that was conjured to kill Arthean.
10. When will Book 3, Creator Species, be published?
This week, on Friday 13 – my lucky day.
11. Which is your
favourite book so far in the Legends of Origin series?
Book 4, Beyond Orion – I
find that whatever I’m writing at the moment is my favourite.
12. Do you reward yourself
after completing a book and how?
Not specifically – finishing a book is a reward in itself.
13. Have you ever
considered collaborating with another writer?
If so, who and why?
Yes. My first collaboration was a nightmare, to put it mildly, with
me seeming to do all the hard work, my co-writer working very slowly and plenty
of interference from one of my co-author’s friends. That working relationship
didn’t last very long. I’m planning another collaboration in the future with
another author, but I’m keeping those details a secret for now – I will,
however, say that readers can expect something I think is quite original and
entertaining.
14. If you had a super
power, what would it be and why?
The ability to create cash in my hand? To be more realistic – the
ability to stop time. That way, I can publish a book a week.
15. Do you find it easy to
name your characters?
My characters’ names usually just pop into my head and, even if I
don’t like the name, nothing else feels right for that character. Every now and
then, I have to sit and think about it, but that’s mostly with short stories
rather than novel characters.
16. Ever had a stalker?
I’m not sure if this counts, but I used to receive heavy breathing
calls from someone. That is, until I answered the phone one day and, instead of
saying ‘hello’, just breathed heavily. Whoever it was never called again. If
you can’t beat them, join them.
17. As a child, what did
you want to be when you grew up?
First, a paramedic, until I realised that blood makes me queasy and
I’m more likely to puke over a victim than be capable of helping. Most of my
childhood, though, I wanted to be a writer.
18. What’s your favourite food?
Spaghetti bolognaise and roast potatoes (preferably not together).
19. Is there a message or
a lesson that you’d like to convey to your readers?
Each of my books conveys a different message in the finer details,
but most try to show that it’s always best to be honest and ethical, and to
have compassion for others.
20. Please share your
purchase links with us.
Connect with Vanessa
Finaughty online:
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