1. First, introduce yourself a bit. What is your name (or pen name) and where are you from?
My name is S.A. Gensch and I am from Aurora, Colorado!
2. Next, tell us a bit about your most recent work. Is this your first published book? What is it about and what genre would you classify it as?
My most recent novel is The Glass Letters and it is my second published book. It is a coming-of-age story about a man trying to work through abandonment, trauma, and hate. I think what makes this story unique, though, is it takes you through an intimate view of things before the trauma. My main character isn’t the typical strong, confident character who gets affected by an event in his life. Someone used the word ‘pathetic’ to describe my main character, and honestly, it’s true. He starts off that way. I think the journey he goes on in the book is relatable, but also a unique one. When I write, I try to bring the readers on a close, personal level with the characters before the true story even begins. Some may say my stories start off slow because of that, but I want readers to have a deep experience and then feel more when the big moments come.
3. Tell us a bit about your main character; what are they like, how did they come about, and what are some of their strengths and weaknesses?
My main character’s name is Aiden. The ways to describe Aiden are he is a reserved young man who keeps to himself a lot and can be easily pushed around. I think an interesting strength/weakness combo to point out for Aiden is he won’t let you down, but he doesn’t know how to do the same for himself. It’s also interesting to point out Aiden has other strengths, like he’s very gifted in athletics and an outstanding mixologist. However, with the book being in Aiden’s atmosphere, those things aren’t mentioned directly.
4. What was your hardest scene to write in this (or any) book?
The hardest scene to write involves Aiden and another character. This character is relaying his own personal experiences to Aiden, but it is extremely difficult for him to do so. The conversation and then trying to decide how the conversation flows and how the characters speak/react was all a difficult task. I even changed a detail of the scene last minute to, hopefully, bring the reader’s emotions to a level fitting for the scene.
5. Did you go the traditional route when publishing your book or did you choose to self-publish?
Self-publish. I do like having control of everything and being the one in charge of marketing, posting about it, talking about it, etc.
6. What would you say is the most difficult part of your writing journey and what advice would you give to other writers?
Confidence that the story will be told the way you see it in your head. Writers know so much about their characters and stories and they hope readers experience the story the way they intend it to be. My advice is to write it how you want written and try to put that worry to rest. Because the great thing about stories is everyone reads, gets affected, and takes from the story differently. All writers are different, all readers are different. Just write your story!
7. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I want my books to stand on its own, for now. I’d love to write a trilogy, but it’s not in my cards right now.
8. What are some of your favourite authors and books and what inspired you to become a writer in the first place?
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton inspired me to be a writer. I loved the book so much it turned something on in me that made me want to tell stories. I read The Outsiders fourteen years ago and now here I am, trying to make that dream come true.
9. What would you say has been the best way to market your books?
To talk about it myself. Don’t pay someone to do it. They can’t talk about your book the way you can. I love posting on Instagram and TikTok. Great community and support!
10. Are there any tropes, clichés, or writing styles that you dislike and, if so, what are they and why?
Love triangles. I’m not a fan of romance in general, but I don’t like putting love triangles in my stories.
11. Do you read reviews of your book and, if so, how do you handle negative feedback?
I used to, but now I choose not to. My book is not going to please everyone. That’s all there is to it.
12. What are some of your quirks as a writer? Do you like to plot everything out or do you prefer to just “wing it” and see where the story takes you? Do you listen to music when writing and, if so, what do you listen to?
I plot the basic ideas but then I let the characters take over. I’ve learned that it doesn’t seem to matter how much I plan. My characters are going to really decide how the story is told.
I do listen to music! It inspires me a lot! I have a variety of music I listen to. My music playlist is all over the map.
13. What is the best advice you’ve ever had when it comes to writing and what advice would you give to new writers?
As I mentioned before, just write your story. However, another piece of advice I’d give to writers is have someone edit it. It doesn’t have to be an expensive editing company. Just let someone who has some knowledge of literature read through it. It’s a good idea to let another pair of eyes read it!
14. What’s next for you? Are you currently working on any new books or stories?
I am working on my next book. It’s a mystery! Not enough details to reveal anything, because my characters, you know, may change something anyway 🙂
15. Finally, feel free to plug your social media, website, and links to Amazon, GoodReads, and other relevant sites below, and detail any current offers available for your book/s:
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