Writers Asking Writers Questions | Darlene P. Campos & Q. Vergara
BY DARLENE P. CAMPOS
Last year, we created a series of in-house interviews called Authors Interviewing Authors, where our roster traded conversations in an attempt to get to know one another as well as provide some intimate insights into the life of a fellow writer. This year, we expanded on our series, aptly renaming it Writers Asking Writers Questions and turned it into a recurring series involving established authors as well as new, unpublished writers.
Darlene P. Campos: You're an editor, a writer, and a mom. Do you think being a mom has improved your writing and editing skills?
Q. Vergara: Oh, for sure. I’m a huge proponent of experiences that can give your writing depth and I definitely feel like pregnancy and being a mother has given me an abundance of experiences to draw from to strengthen my writing. As for my editing? Kind of. I feel like I’ve become a more efficient editor. Before you have a child, you have an abundance of time. Now I have a fraction of the time I had before to get the same amount, if not more, work done. Having a child definitely taught me better time management in that aspect. Grammatically? I fucking doubt it. I make up so many words, because I have no patience to think of the word I need anymore. It’s creative as fuck, but not a great trait.
Let's talk about your work in progress! Can you describe your protagonist as if he/she/they were on a dating site?
I like witty jokes, a whiskey dry, skin-scorching showers, weed so strong it’ll blow your wig back, and a man who will protect me from others, not protect his heart from me. If you vibe, lemme know. Unsolicited dick pics will get you blocked. Roaming hands will get you stabbed.
Image by Thorsten Frenzel from Pixabay
You and your protagonist are on vacation and you're both famished. Where are you in the world and what kind of food are you two getting?
One of my characters, who will remain nameless (because I never named her), goes to a farmer’s market in her short story. I love farmer’s markets, so I definitely think that would be a thing. Anything fresh and stupid delicious; how can you go wrong with baked goods and fresh fruits and veggies? Answer: you can’t.
Tell me about the setting of your work in progress. Is it based on a real place?
I was greatly influenced by P. Curry’s Caliope of Atalan. Because of Curry’s book, I’ve decided to make a place that loosely resembles Southern California with my own twists. I definitely want to incorporate fantasy elements and not be boxed into certain geographical or factual aspects. I guess that’s the cool part about being an author.
You're driving to a doctor's appointment when suddenly, your car battery dies. Which character, your own or made by someone else, are you calling to come give you a ride?
Mr. Meyer from Heaven Isn’t Me. Whenever Elysian calls Mr. Meyer, he’s always there for her. Dependable, nonjudgmental. But I don’t have to tell you about him, huh? I would definitely try to smoke a joint with him too. You think he’d be down?
If you weren't a writer, what career would you be doing?
Probably hospitality. I’ve worked in hotels before, and for the most part, I loved it. I got my first associates degree in hospitality travel and tourism. Or an inventor. I love using my imagination and creativity to create new ideas. I’ve actually been working on a little something on the side, but there are patents and shit involved, so I gotta keep it hush hush for now.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Writing? Revising? Editing? Submitting? Pulling out your hair? Selling your soul to the devil, so you can figure out how to better tell your story?
LOL So you’re familiar with the process, I see? I love the orgasm that is flow... when you get that rhythm and everything’s falling into place and your words are steadily skipping out as if it’s prewritten and you’re following your destiny and your only job is to bring it to reality by copying the words out of the air. There are definitely some pieces in my debut that came out so organically, that I was able to embrace my creativity and really develop my talent. It became a spiritual, soulful experience for me and helped me cope with a lot of damage I didn’t want to address. I love the discovery that comes with the process. Shit, meeting the characters... this last editing round, I really embraced editing and my editorial team and I saw my writing improve over night. So apparently, I like the whole shit, I guess.
What is your favorite book and why?
I don’t know if I can choose one. Every time Vital Narrative publishes a book, it becomes my new favorite. If I had to pick a book that isn’t by one of our authors, Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh would definitely be in my top ten. I felt understood, and at the time I found it , it had been a long time since I even felt heard. I struggle with depression, so being heard helps me cope. I nearly read the whole book standing in front of the shelf.
Do you have a drink or snack of choice while you write?
I always have to have cold water. Since I’m on my computer, I don’t want to grease up my keyboard with food. I normally just like to smoke drugs of the marijuana variety. *hits le bong*
Image by Kira Hoffmann from Pixabay
All authors love their characters, but is there a character you've created who you just can't stand?
I just wrote this whole explanation saying no not really, but then it fucking hit me. In “Migraine Season,” there’s this doctor that is just the utter fucking worst. I would get mad all over again writing his part—even reading it during revisions pissed me off. A similar situation happened to me, so it just revisits all those feelings of frustration all over again.
There's a young writer out there in the world who needs some advice on getting published. What are you going to say?
A: Keep writing. Write until you have a library of work. Write books, poems, screenplays, prose, different styles, themes, points of view.... do it all. So when the time comes, and a publisher wants to sign you or you get an agent, you know how to do the work. You know how to get shit done. You have a track record of getting shit done.
Establish a library, so people have something to fall in love with. Study that shit in school. Get certificates. Anything that you think will help you learn more. GET A FUCKING EDITOR. That’s non-negotiable. Don’t trust people who say you aren’t good. The best writers I know have gotten insulted by other industry professionals. If they make it personal, it isn’t a good critique. Work with people that see your vision. That’s half the work. Writing is a craft. If you freelance, don’t undercharge. Look up starting rate, it’s probably higher than you think. But whatever you do, don’t fucking stop writing.
Darlene P. Campos earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. She also graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in English-Creative Writing and a minor in medicine and Social Studies. She is from Guayaquil, Ecuador, but currently lives in Houston, TX with her husband David and an adorable pet rabbit named Jake. Her website is www.darlenepcampos.com. You can support her work here.