Q.1 Tell us a little about yourself?
A. I currently
reside in Washington State, south of Seattle. I live with my partner, Anthony of five years,
we both work day jobs in offices and are just trying to figure out our
twenties. First and foremost I am a proud pet mom. I just recently adopted an
adorable mutt in December and Gracie has been the perfect addition to our
family. She loves her big brother, our 20lb cat named Oliver. She is brave and
wild. She inspires and pushes me to be brave and wild myself. I know that is a
little strange, but it's true. I have so much more joy in my life since
adopting her. I go places I'd never go because of her. We love the beautiful
outdoors here in WA.
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you shortly? Any new project
you’re working on?
A. Yes! I
actually stopped writing my sci-fi fantasy series to write this book. I
hope to have the first book in the series published by the end of the
year. I also have the audiobook version of B*tch, F*cking, LoveYourself coming out next weekend 08/10/2019. It’s narrated by Pete
Ferrand and he is doing such a fantastic job. He truly brings the
book to life, and if you thought reading Chapter 3: Assholes was funny,
hearing it is even better.
Q.3 Where do you get your ideas?
A. B*tch, F*cking, Love Yourself was inspired by all the
lovely women in my life. In times of crisis, these women, whether we were
friends or acquaintances have shared some of the most amazing advice. We would
sit down and deep dive into what we think it means to love ourselves. I
decided that those deep conversations were important enough to write down.
Strong women are so powerful, they are dynamic and insightful. I can only
aspire to be like the lovely woman I am surrounded with. The people I
feel lucky enough to call my friends.
Q.4 What advice do you have for writers?
A. Don't be afraid
of what you have to say. Whether good or bad. We need writers all over the spectrum. We need gruesome horror to nonfiction inspirational stories. So write whatever
your heart is calling you to write. And know that we all will hate
our own work at some point, feel like what we are writing is stupid and no
one will want to read it. Just don't listen to that thought; it's not true.
I promise someone does want to hear what you have to say.
Q.5 How do you come up with the name of this book?
A. I just
wanted to make people laugh. It's relatable and I think captures the book's
essence.
Q.6 If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what
would it be?
A. Don't wait.
Don't put this to the side. Don't give up your dreams. Don't be afraid of your ideas. I wish I would
have started my writing earlier in my life. I always loved it. But the
things I liked to write about were considered scandalous in my very
religious home. I wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter, to give you an idea
of how things were. But I loved and craved fantasy, I would hide books I
wasn't allowed to read all over the house and read them when no one was
around. Writing also wasn't considered something I could make a living off
of (not like I am) so I was pushed into the traditional nine-to-five job. I
tried to convince myself that I didn't want to write, that I wanted to sit
in a cubicle for eight hours straight. But it wasn't me, and it caught up with
me in the form of panic attacks and depression. I found that once I
started writing again, it felt like I was at home, the panic attacks stopped
and my depression started to clear up. So young me, please pursue your
dreams.
Q.7 What are the most important magazines or websites for writers to
subscribe to?
A. This one of
course. I think blogs like this one are important to help writers have an understanding of the community that is out there. I am still trying to find my place in it.
Q.8 In what areas of your life it is easiest to demonstrate self-care? In what areas it is most difficult?
A. I think it's
easy to practice self-care during your normal daily routine. I try to have
it worked into my day. Right now, self-care looks like cuddling up in my
bed with my pets and watching RuPaul's Drag Race when I get home from
work. I think for me personally, where I struggle with self-care is when I have
to schedule something outside of my normal routine. For example, making
time to see my friends, getting a massage, making appointments with
my therapist, going to the gym. These things are difficult because I have
to set aside extra time for them. So I struggle with consistency with
these things. I do them here and there; I need to be better about it.
I'm working on it.
Q.9 How do you deal with that lingering, creeping thoughts of
doubt and fears?
A. I am trying
to get myself accustomed to sitting in these feelings. With generalized
anxiety disorder and depression, I struggle with routine toxic thoughts.
When I am experiencing creeping thoughts of doubts and fears, I
acknowledge them first and foremost. I try to figure out where they are stemming
from. Sometimes they are coming from nothing, and my anxiety is causing
them. So I am kind towards those thoughts. I let them exist for a bit.
I get familiar with them. I sit with them. And then I slowly climb my way
out of them. It's much easier to work your way away from those thoughts once
you understand why they are happening. I get out of them by writing them
down, talking with a friend about them, or even talking out loud to myself
as I work through them. Sometimes you just need to get out of your own
head. So going to the gym or a walk helps. Eventually, I know the thoughts
will pass and I take comfort in that.
Q.10 How long on average does it take you to write a book?
A. Depends
on the content. I have been working on my Sci-fi, a fantasy novel for almost a year now. But B*tch, F*cking Love, Yourself only took me a month to write. Simply because it was
drawn from real-life personal experiences and conversations. I don't have
to create a whole new world like I am currently doing in my next book.
Q.11 Does your family support your career as a writer?
A. They
actually don't know that I am doing this and I don't think they should, I
doubt they would support it. The only person that does know is my partner Anthony
and one cashier at my local Trader Joe's, she is a writer too. I am kind
of in the closet. I need to come out and tell my friends. I will
eventually, I am still working up the courage to be public with my
decision.
Q.12 Do you believe in writer’s block?
A. Oh yes. It is
very real and happens to everyone.
Q.13 Does writing energize you or exhaust you?
A. It energizes
me. Gives me life. Makes me feel whole and full of purpose.
Q.14 Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. I like to
write from start to finish. It's hard for me to write disjointed chapters.
Q.15 What do you consider being your best accomplishment?
A. Hands down
publishing this book. It's my first one. It is a huge milestone. I can't
believe I did it. I still want to pinch myself daily to make sure it's
real. I am on cloud nine.
Q.16 What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
A. Censorship.
I knew with the kind of content I wanted to publish, that I couldn't go to
a traditional publisher. So I self-published with Amazon. While I am so
grateful for Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon as a platform will not
allow me to advertise my book because of the use of the word orgasm and
the censored curse words on the title. I feel that it's an infringement on
my freedom of speech as a writer, but it is the world we live in.
Q.17 Who edited your book and how did you select him/her?
A. I actually
did not use an editor for my book. I need to find one. So any
recommendations?
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to
meet and why?
A. Emma Watson. She is a feminist icon. She is so graceful, witty, and uses
her platform for good. I admire her.
Q.19 What is your favorite book and why?
A. Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series. It is so well written
in my opinion. He created these dynamic characters and wasn't afraid to
push the boundaries of the fantasy world. I binged that entire
series.
Q.20 Share the experience of your journey so far?
A. It has been
eye-opening; I am forever learning what it takes to be in this field. It
is not easy. It takes persistence and patience.
Share your social account links -
Twitter - @S_P_B_Berry
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