- Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?
Long ago, when I started writing, I trusted my inspiration and wrote whatever the story wanted me to write. It seems ideal, but when you write for publication, on a strict deadline, you cannot afford to get stuck and have to rewrite the whole thing fifteen times. It would take a decade to write a book. Nowadays, I take the time to figure out where the story and the characters are going before I write chapter one. Then, after writing the first five or six chapters, I brainstorm again… usually because by that time I know a lot more about my characters, and can devise a better story.
- Which comes first - characters or plot for you?
A plot is nothing without good characters. Even if sometimes I have a plot idea from the start, I cannot start writing before I find the perfect characters to play their part in it. And often, the characters guide me to figure out the plot. Sometimes, they surprise me and don’t want to do what I expect of them. The ideas coming from them are often better than mine.
- What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?
My latest book, ANGEL SHIP, Book One of the Blue Phantom series, was just release two weeks ago. Now, I am in the process of plotting Book Two, scheduled for October 2023, and defining the characters of this second instalment in the series. All my novels are standalones, even if sometimes a secondary character from a previous book becomes the main protagonist of the next one. So, I have to define new main characters for each book. It keeps a series fresh and keeps me excited about the writing.
- Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.
In most of my science fiction stories, there is a fantasy side. Of course, there is space, spaceships, and alien planets. But there is also some kind of crystal. Crystal (Quartz) is capable of storing energy and knowledge, and could be the future of technology. To a less advanced society, that crystal, manifesting powers beyond understanding, could be considered magical. I also have a strong connection with cats, and don’t be surprise to find big cats with telepathic abilities, natural or technological, in many of my science fiction fantasy books.
- Do you write every day or just when the spirit hits?
I write every day. A professional author on deadline with a publisher must be organized, and schedule a regular time to write. Defining your best writing time is important. I noticed that I am more productive and better inspired to write in the morning. So, I adapted my schedule to get up earlier and write every morning for a few hours. I schedule my other activities later in the day.
- Where can we find you?
On my website: http://www.vijayaschartz.com
On Amazon: Amazon.com: Vijaya Schartz: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/schartz
On Facebook: (1) Vijaya Schartz Author | Facebook
- Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?
The author who inspired me to write sci-fi romance is Linnea Sinclair, with her strong women characters. Early in my writing career I met and loved Diana Gabaldon, who since has become a very big name with the Outlander series. Before that, I was in love with the 19th Century French authors and poets of the romantic movement. As a child, and even later, my favorite books was “The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery,” Later, I discovered DUNE by Frank Herbert, and I was hooked on Science Fiction.
