How much research did Sabrina Ricci have to do for this book? How does she balance her time between family, friends, and writing? What advice does she have for those who are striving to be published?
Do you plan out the entire book before writing it? Or do you just sit down and write?
Yes, I always plan. I’ve found that it’s easier to write through tough scenes if they’ve been well planned out, and I’m more likely to finish a story if there’s an outline or else I might be too frustrated.
Do you have a set time to write each day? Or do you wait to be inspired?
No, I tend to wait to be inspired. But I think that’s keeping me from writing as much as I should, so in the future, I’m going to try sticking to a schedule.
How much research, if any, did you have to do for this book?
A lot. I spent about a month or two reading books, blogs, and articles, and watching documentaries and listening to podcasts so I would have enough background information on the ancient Maya. It helped that I started writing the book in October, when more and more news sources were releasing new information about the calendar. I ended up adding new information to the book until almost right before I published it.
What new doors has your writing opened up for you? Have you been presented with new opportunities just because of your writing?
Yes! I’ve had the honor of being interviewed on a number of radio shows, and recently I had my first article on the Huffington Post published. And of course, I was interviewed for BellaOnline .
Do you ever become bored with what you are writing? If you do, how do you get past that point?
Yes, sometimes. I really enjoy multitasking. So I try to work on at least two projects at a time. If I’m bored with one story, I just switch to another. Ideally, I would be editing one story and writing another, but that’s not always the case.
Do you have something else you do to make money, or are you successful enough to write full time?
I’m juggling a few things, which right now keeps me happy. I’m a freelance ebook developer, and I’m a freelance writer for Scholastic. Additionally, I’m the co-founder of Write or Read, a startup that gives authors of self-published ebooks metrics and insights on their books to help them be more successful. We’ll be launching in a couple months, and we’ll be at this year’s New York Tech Day.
What is your favorite genre in which to write?
I like magical realism, and fantasy. The next fiction book I’m working on is the beginning of an epic fantasy series about dinosaurs—I have a minor obsession…(I recently co-launched a website dedicated to dinosaurs, called iknowdino.com).
What kind of books do you like to read?
A little bit of everything, though I tend to gravitate towards literary and sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian. The last book I read for pleasure was Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and now I’m reading A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan.
How do you manage to balance your time between family, friends, and writing?
It’s hard! Sometimes I get complaints that I’m doing too much, but I try to work only a few hours on weekends and not past 8 p.m. on weekdays. It doesn’t always happen, but it is important to carve out some time to relax.
If you could spend one hour with just one person, dead or alive, whom would you choose? Why?
That’s a really tough question, and I think my answer would change depending on the day. Lately though I’ve been fascinated by Abraham Lincoln, so I think I’d choose him. He was an incredibly clever man, and I’d love to be able to see him debate with Stephen Douglas. I’d also like to see for myself what he looked like, and maybe ask him if I could try on his stovepipe hat!
Do you have any advice for writers who are striving to be published?
Don’t be afraid of rejection. Tons of authors got work rejected before they were published, so it’s important to keep persisting. Also, be open to self-publishing. There’s not really a stigma anymore, and it feels great to go through the process. For tips and resources on self-publishing ebooks, please visit my blog, Digital Pubbing.
