At the end of October, I had the pleasure of participating in the Rainbow Literary Society Indie Weekend with a bunch of other amazing LesFic indie authors. I spent the weekend answering a lot of interesting reader questions over at their Facebook Group. If you missed this event, here’s your chance to know a little more about me.
If there was one genre that you would like to write, which one would it be?
I’m a firm believer everything is better if it’s gay, so I would love to add some gay to everything. But I’m a big fan of mystery and thriller, so those are probably two genres I would love to try in the future.
How do you convince yourself your work is good enough that people will want it? Do you go to people for feedback or have an “if it passes this test, then it’s ready”?
It’s a rollercoaster for sure. I revise my work like a hundred times. One revision I’ll be like this is trash and the next one I’ll be like huh, this is actually good. But I’m good at ignoring imposter syndrome, to be honest. My philosophy is to just keep going. I do my best and give it my all. That’s all I can do.
My goal has always been to have at least one person who likes my work. If I have that, I think it’s worth it and that helps because I know there will always be at least one person who enjoys it. It helps that I’ve always been very involved with fandom and that things like fan fiction were really important for me growing up. They gave me a sense of connection I couldn’t find anywhere else, and since I know the effect other people’s works had on me, it’s reassuring for me to know I can be that for someone else.
Again, even if only for one person, that makes it worth it. I also have a file with a couple nice comments people have sent me or posted about my work. If I feel down, I read them again and they motivate me.
Why become an Indie Author and not use a publisher?
Being an Indie writer was my first an only choice. It fits with what my goals are for my books and what I hope will be a long career. It’s important for me to control and optimize the entire process for my needs and my follow my own timeline.
What is the strangest thing you have had to research for your novels?
No weird things so far, but I had a scene of my character going for a run in Melbourne, a city I’ve never visited, so I spent hours and days researching paths, going over it on google maps, taking notes of all the details on each street so I would get it right. And then I ended up deleting that scene during a revision later 
Is there a topic or theme you’d like to write about but are afraid/apprehensive to touch?
I want to make my books as racially and culturally diverse as possible. I’ve started by making my characters latinas, because I’m latina, but I would love to include main characters from all different cultures, races, sexualities and gender presentations but I’m afraid of messing up so I haven’t yet.
Originally, Ari in Match to Love was initially half Iranian/Half Latina, but I didn’t feel confident enough I could do justice to her culture and background and ended up not including those details.
I think adding more cultural and racial diversity to LesFic is important, but it requires a lot sensitivity and care because of course I want it to be positive and accurate representation.
I’ll do it in the future once I’m more confident, I think.
When you get the chance to stop and read, who do you pick up? Or what books interest you? Do you read romance?
I read romance and mystery the most, but I will read anything. My go to author when I want to distract myself and not think too much is Agatha Christie. Her books are always a comfort read.
If you wrote fanfic first in what fanfic realm did you write?
I wrote a couple of things for Supergirl (Sanvers) several years ago and then for Kadena (Kat and Adena from The Bold Type) my main fandom during the last couple years. But I’ve been a fan fic reader all my life in a lot of fandoms. I love Fan Fiction and it’s ben a fundamental part of my life.
Which of your characters would you go out with?
Daniela Martínez for sure, but I wouldn’t be opposed to a couple days of fun with Arantxa.
Would you ever co-write a book? Why or why not?
Yes! Would love to co-write a book. There’s so many amazing LesFic authors and sharing a book with them would be an honor. Plus, I think it would be fun to have more of a collaborative creating experience. Have someone else to bounce ideas off and come together to create a world. The planning involved would scare me a little, but nothing I wouldn’t get over.
I’m already working on a couple of anthologies for next year, and I love it.
How do you feel about astrology?
I love astrology, but I’m not that knowledgeable about it. Like if someone asked me what sign is x character from your book, I would have to read about all the signs and try to decide I wouldn’t know from the top of my mind. I love reading about my sign and chart (I’m a Pisces sun, Gemini moon, Capricorn rising apparently) and think it fits me.
I look into mine every few years and always eventually forget half of it. When I was a teenager, I would research if the sign of my crush was compatible with mine. Is not like I planned on actually trying to date them, but I needed to know, anyway.
If writing isn’t your full-time job, what’s your day job? Do you like it?
I have a journalism and communications degree. But for the last few years of my career, before I quit, I worked in marketing and sales for the events division of the company I worked for. We organized trade shows, and it was my work to sell the booths and make sure the show was successful, pretty much.
I quit at the start of the year with the goal of making this my full-time job, but with a safety net I’m lucky to have since I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight. I also still do some freelance translation and content creation on the side. But living in Colombia where the cost of live is lower I’m confident I’ll be able to live from my writing soon.
Once the first draft is completed, what is the editing process like for you? Is it an easy or difficult process to go back? Or is it like adding layers to your manuscript? What do you learn from the process, especially in writing future books? How important is the relationship between editor and author as it relates to your writing?
My first drafts are a disaster. I use the method of just get the facts on paper and worry about fixing it later. My first draft is more like an outline. Is when I find out what is going to happen and who my characters are. Then I go back and revise it on my own at least two or three times and clean it up, fill out the details, add stuff needed to flesh out the characters and plot more. Then I send it to beta readers.
Their feedback is invaluable in terms of having another set of eyes tell me what is working and what needs more work.
Then I add that feedback and do one last clean up and then I sent the book to my editor. I can’t praise the editor for Match to Love enough. I trust them so much and I know they are going to make my book so much better.
Since English is my second language, my editor is even more important. They give me an added layer of security in my work that allows me to be sure I’m putting the best possible book out there.
Has your writing changed much during the pandemic?
The pandemic gave me the courage to publish. Like life it’s too short, and we don’t know what could happen, so I may as well try to do this thing I’ve always wanted to do while I can.
What’s the oddest thing that’s ever given you a story idea? Also, how to keep going when writing feels like an uphill marathon?
Literally anything can give me a story idea. I currently have a document with over 30 ideas I’d like to write. We’ll see if I ever get to them. As for how to keep going. I’m sure everyone has different methods but what works for me is to force myself to write every day, even if it’s only 100 words or 10 words. If I stop writing because it’s gotten harder, it becomes even harder to get back to it but if I force myself to write 100 words one day, and then 100 the next I find that each day it becomes easier to do it and before I know it I’m writing 1000 words or more a day again.
Which character from any of your books do you most resonate with?
Dani and Ari from Match to Love both have parts of me. I think Ari is a lot closer to my actual personality and Dani is more how I would like to be sometimes. I love both of them but if I had to choose, probably Ari.
Do you have a playlist for writing?
I’m weird when it comes to music. When I listen to music, I can’t focus on anything else usually and I often will watch music videos instead of only listening. For writing, I’ve tried using classical music or gaming music and that’s better, but most of the time I write in silence.
What’s your advice for someone starting out in the Indie world?
One of my favorite things about the LesFic community, both readers and authors, is how welcoming and nice everyone is. So my advice would be, don’t be afraid to show your work to people and hear their feedback. It’s scary to put yourself out there, but getting feedback can be so helpful and really helps your book become so much better. We are lucky there’s so many people willing to help in this community, so don’t be afraid to reach out and find some nice Beta Readers to help you shape your book.
Of your own books which is your favourite and why?
This one is easy since I only have one book so far. But even if I had more, I don’t expect the answer to change for a long time. Match to Love will forever have a special place in my hear not only for being my first book, and all the effort and care that I put into it but because it helped me learn things about myself. I learned to go after my dreams, to believe in myself and to take chances.
Do you find you have a natural preference for how steamy to make your stories or is it a matter of what the characters feel they need or does something else tell you?
The story and characters definitely dictate it to me. I let it happen naturally, when and where I feel the character’s journey calls for it. I struggle to write sex scenes and feel a little self-conscious about it, but I do it because usually the sex is a vehicle to say and explore the character’s feelings and evolution.
If you could have your books professionally translated from English, which language would be your first choice and why? Ps. Do you speak other languages than English?
First choice is Spanish. It’s my native language after all and I’m doing the translation myself actually, but I know it will take me forever so if I could get it done by someone else I would. Second option would be Portuguese. I love that language and speak a little of it. After that… all the languages! I would love to have my book available in as many languages as possible so it can reach more people.
What inspired you to write?
I wrote my first book because I love seeing queer love in media. Be it TV, movies or books. After being disappointed with a TV show because they insisted on not letting my ship be happy, I decided I would write a story myself so I could control what happened and make them date and be soft and fluffy and as happy as I wanted them to be.
What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you and would you include it in a book?
I wouldn’t say my life is exciting, but on my debut novel, the falling in love online and long distance relationship was very much inspired by my real life love story with my fiancée.
I also have a terrible break-up story about finding out my girlfriend cheated on me on as our flight for a two-week vacation was about to take off. I need to include that in a story one day.
Happy ever after or happy for now?
For my books I mostly do Happy for now because it feels more organic, but in the back of my mind, I expect it will eventually lead to happily ever after.
Writer’s block! Does it happen? What’s your tips and tricks to get out of it?
There are times when I find it harder to write, mostly when something stressful is happening in my life and if I go a long time without writing, a couple weeks, because I’m busy with something else, it’s hard to get back into it. My strategy has been to force myself to write even when I don’t feel like it or when I think that my writing sucks (I can always go back and make it better) even if it’s only a few words. Just force it until it flows again.
How did you first find WLW Fiction? And what was the first book you read in the genre?
I bought the book version of the movie I Can’t Think Straight years ago mostly because when I watch a movie based on a book I always need to read the book to compare, but I didn’t really get into LesFic until like end of 2019.
I’m pretty sure I ran into Monica McCallan because of her Juliantina fan fiction writing because I’m always following fandom stuff and when I saw her talk about her new book, it was like a new universe opened for me. I couldn’t believe there was this untapped source of amazing lesfic stories I’ve never known before. The first lesfic book I read was Tapping into Love by Monica and the rest is story I guess.
Do you have a least favorite part of the writing process?
There’s a point after revising the book for the eight time that I want to get it over it and never read that book again.
Which aspects of a story come easily to you and which ones do you have to work on harder (e.g. setting description, character development, plot points, physical action, etc.)?
The main characters come to me first and they’re what I find easier. I usually know from the start who they are, what they want and where I want to take them. Filling the other details of the plot and how to get them there is the hard part. I also sweat when it comes to side characters. I think they are really important to flesh out the story, but I struggle to remember to include them and develop them and often have to go back to flesh them out more.