Author Spotlight Day two :  Natasha Wetzel

I sent Natasha some questions to answer so here we go! -Aubrey

Interview Questions :

1. What shaped your imagination as a child, and do you feel that because of this your imagination as an adult is just as strong?

" Books, movies, things that happened to me, friends... everything did. I think it's more of something that you are born with, the desire to be a writer, painter, artist, anything. Not something that is truly inspired by one thing in general. But a collection of events and things. As an adult I think I have more of an imagination now than I did as a child. Hell, I still turn on every light in the house between my room and the bathroom on my nightly tinkle adventures because 'something' might get me in the dark." 



2. Did you have imaginary friends? Do you still have them and have they grown up with you?

"I used to have an imaginary 7 1/2 foot dragon named fluffy.... I don't have him anymore, but the memory of his lingers with me always." 

3. What is your earliest memory of reading?  

" I have all the books I was read, pretended to read or read myself as a child. Some of them with nifty crayon drawings on the covers with my backwards 'A's' and number '5' sketched in."



4. What was the first story you ever told and how old were you?

 "Do lies count as stories? Kidding, but the first story I told was when I was five. Had to do with a turkey that didn't want to be eaten for Thanksgiving so he hid in the woods till winter. Then there were endless poems from five on up."

 
5. What inspires your creative world? 

"Everything. I mean it. One time I was making coffee in the kitchen, a song was playing faintly in the background and I was staring at a jar with a dead butterfly inside it and just like that, -snaps fingers- I snatched my mug and scampered off to the computer to jot down my new thoughts."




6. What would you want readers to know about you in order for them to understand the world you create?

 " Pain. My books are not a light or fun and fancy free read. There is pain in the pages. There is a lesson to be learned, and if you have not lived a life with some hardships, or have an open mind to such a woven tale, then you will not connect with the characters, you will not understand the story, you will not.... This is important.... NOT enjoy the book. Never the less, they are my stories, and demand to be told. It's like an addiction, I can't stop them. So write I will and must"  

7. What's your 'writing ritual'?  

" A strong hot cup of coffee, turning on 'Two Steps from Hell' on my youtube playlist. Putting on my headphones, and falling into the story. It takes me on a journey. I know the start and end of the book the rest... just comes to me as I write it."
 

8. Who are your favorite Indy authors currently?  

" I like a lot of them, so listing them and forgetting others would be far from fair. Some are still growing as authors and becoming the budding writer that is nestled within. The thing about writing is you get better the more you do it. Harry Potter was the same way. Read the first book and the descriptions of the people. It was almost flat and lifeless. As the book series went on, the writing improved. (Not to say it was bad, you could just immensely see the difference.)"  

9. Do you feel there is anything that holds you back as an author? 

" Lack of money, or people willing to render services for free. The truth of the matter is that even though you can have the greatest story ever! Lack of editing, or digital imaging for a book cover to make your baby shine the way it should, can make it seem dull, uninteresting or just plain not appealing to the reader. For now, I have awesome folks and connections that help me out to the best of their abilities and for nothing or little money in return. I am blessed, because it turned out far greater than I could have hoped for. But it hinders me at best, because with any dream, if it isn't hard to achieve, then it isn't worth daring to dream or pursue in the first place." 

10. What advice would you give to new Indies about the art of self publishing? 

"Read your work till you are sick of it, then read it again and add, take away and improve your skills always. Remember that you are doing this because it's your dream, not everyone else's. Above all, be honest with yourself and even if a review is bad, pick it apart and take away the lessons from it, not the negativity."

Thank you for sharing with us!