Today I will be sharing my interview with author Ana Balen. I hope you will all check out this amazing author!
Cassandra's Writing World:
1) What is your favorite childhood book?
Ana Balen:Sadako wants to live by Karl Bruckner, We Children From Zoo Station (my mom gave it to me when I was 13 and it made a huge impact on me) and Harry Potter series (by the time the last book came out, I was already considered as an adult but I don’t care… LOL) I can never pick just one book, but those are the ones that are still vivid in my memory and I can’t wait to introduce them to my son.
CWW:
2) What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
AB: Every author I come across teaches me something new, there are so many of them, three days wouldn’t be enough to list them all. But I can tell you, that they all thought me something and I thank them for it. I hope that someday, I’ll be able to pay it back and forward.
CWW:
3) What genre would you never write?
AB: I don’t know… I would like to try to write everything, not necessarily publish it, just try my hand in genres. Actually there’s not a single genre I wouldn’t try to write.
CWW:
4) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
AB:
Thinking back, I was always daydreaming about stuff and writing them down in my journal. The conscious thought that I could give it a go came when I finished my first book, Wishing For A Star.
CWW:
5) What do you think makes a good story?
AB: When the reader feels the emotions the character in a book does. Something that will struck you to your core. It’s a monumental task to do as a writer and it’s something I try to learn every day. The plot doesn’t need to be realistic, the feeling does.
CWW:
6) Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? AB: LOL yes!
CWW:
7) How do you select the names of your characters?
AB: Since I live in Croatia the names are a really big challenge to me, so usually I end up scrolling through Facebook and if a name catches my eye I put it in my book. I also sometimes ask members in my group to suggest one or two.
CWW:
8) What is your writing process like? AB: I start off with a few notes written in a notebook then leave it for two to three days, kind of like a brain dump. Then go back to it and make some more notes. Once I can’t think of anything, I sit in front of my pc and start typing, by that time I have the scenes my mind down. I can see everything perfectly. Once I hit a road block (and I always do) I go back to my notebook and start all over again.
CWW:
9) What do you like to do when you're not writing?
AB: Reading, watching movies, spending time with my boys (husband and son), going out to drinks, dinner and so on….
CWW:
10) What advice would you give someone trying to get published?
AB: Don’t give up!
Thanks for joining us Ana!!!
