In this Era of social media and spreading awareness of LGBTQIA+ representation, we interviewed an author who is a part of this community and asked about the difficulties and struggles as an author. The author, Darcy Falkenström, was generous enough to give their time for an interview about the struggles relating to different stages of writing and what their advice is for novice writers. This entire article consists of 5 - 6 parts about how our author Darcy got inspired to write, the struggles and their challenges, and what their work in progress is.
While Darcy has been always writing, even as a child, they didn't start writing seriously until they were 16 when they got interested in being published. Darcy has always thought and daydreamed about stories that would just pop up in their head, something that all the writers can relate to in our opinion. As a shy and creative child, they thought writing was the best outlet to channel their inner creativity since they aren't very artistic and musically talented. They are an avid reader who found comfort in a fictional world like the majority of readers. After all, the fictional world is our comfort place that no one can interfere with.
As an author who writes with LGBTQIA+ representation our question was what made them inspired to do so. In their response they said it's a case if "you write what you read" and that there is always a place to have more representation of LGBTQIA +.
Next up we asked them about the challenges as a new aspiring author they faced in which their reply was that their intent was to write a book to publish and sell the best rather than writing a book they want to write. Their realization was that writing a book that they want to write is what’s best. They thought their was enough representation of LGBTQIA+, and they refrained from writing it. until they joined bookstagram and realized that they were wrong, that's when they decided to follow their heart and focus on writing about it. We all can agree that at first, when we start to write, we think writing something that would cater to the audience is what's best, not realizing that we are losing what makes us write—our passion for writing the things we love. It's a struggle that everyone of us faces, but it is never too late to realize what's best for us. Just know that you are not alone and many faces/faced the same situation you are in.
Doubting and getting doubted is one thing that everyone does/gets. So, we asked Darcy that does they get doubted by others a lot or do they have supportive surrounding for which they replied that they think many people don't understand that they know the chances of being able to work as a full time writer are very slim and even then writing is one thing that they will never forfeit even if people say that it won't sell well as they genuinely enjoys and can't live without writing and that they aren't necessarily writing to make a career out of it. Writing is their passion and it's something that they will never abandon.
What are Darcy’s current struggles and the most confusing part as a writer when writing a story was our next question in which they replied their greatest struggle is and will always be to accept the fact that first drafts aren't supposed to be perfect. Frankly enough everyone beats over to write that perfect first draft even though the first time isn't supposed to be perfect, even though we also struggle with it. We should just convince our inner selves that it isn't supposed to be perfect no matter what you do. Next they replied what they are most confused about writing: keeping track of minor characters name and appearance and keeping track of locations. They are terrible at anything that requires perspective.
Building a story may be one of the hardest parts of writing a book. It takes a lot of processes, note-taking, clashing ideas, and motivation. Every author has their way of doing so. As for Darcy, every word they wrote in their story just came to them "like lightning from the sky." They do not follow any specific step-by-step process. Every thought in the book just came to them and piled up, creating a remarkable story. According to Darcy, their notes are filled with over 30 categories of book ideas. Some of their book ideas tackle pressing issues and situations they found interesting to talk about and raise some awareness. The majority of their book ideas are about queer romances. This led to them writing in different genres, except only for Sci-Fi. Shocking to say, but Science fiction is not Darcy's cup of tea. They prefer writing about history to Science. But if an idea about Sci-fi strikes them like thunder in the future, that idea will end up in the last part of their list of books to write. There's a possibility that they will write about it, but it is implausible. When we think of it, writing in different genres may be tricky, like switching from one field to another that is different from the previous one. This may take a lot of note organization and mindfulness. Darcy deals with this by writing one book at a time. But sometimes, ideas clashed in their minds, leading them to focus only on one idea. As for them, writing in different genres doesn’t bother them, just like how similarly-written books do. This is why when writing books with the same genre, they make sure that each book doesn’t turn out too similar.
A writer this passionate is always in a WIP, and Darcy aptly asks if there is even a writer that can “explain their work in a comprehensible way?” If they were to describe their current work, however, they’d say that it is defined as a dark historial rom-com, equal parts serious and light-hearted (two elements to take into consideration when writing your novel!). The theme of the novel, or rather, the message Darcy feels readers should take away, is that “it’s okay if you can’t live for yourself”, which, although dark (but isn’t that how we readers like it?), is an important topic to discuss in young writing. Darcy’s answer to the question of which character is their favorite is the common parent answer: How can they choose? A parent can’t choose between their children, they say (It’s Kieran). And finally, comes the darkest part of the tale, and the part most writers dread: publishing. Sharing your work in the hope it reaches the right people who are not only going to support you, but also benefit from reading your novel. As for Darcy, the world of indie publishing has always called them. Recently, however, they have considered giving traditional publishing “a shot”, and we know you (reader!) will be rooting for them. To have this much commitment and investment in your craft, there ultimately has to be passion. For Darcy, writing is what makes life worth living. In their practice of the skill, they’ve found that there’s just “something” about writing dialogue. The snappy banter in writing enemies to lovers is especially fun for them, and it’s always been easy for them to let the words flow out when writing dialogue like that.
Throughout this article, Darcy has demonstrated a passion for writing and more importantly, the generosity to take a deep dive into their work. It’s no wonder that they inspire other LGBTQIA+ through their superpower: writing. However, Darcy says that the way they hope they inspire queer audiences is through creating worlds and stories to escape to, or be inspired by. Connection from the story and the characters to the readers is what they value most. Darcy has offered valuable insight and advice throughout this article, and they leave you with this last piece of simple, but effective, advice:
Write the story you want to write, and your creativity and passion will show in the work.
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