The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Frank Zanca . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I like to give my characters individual voices and develop their backgrounds beyond the requirements of the story.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I think it’s a combination of the two. I have been given manuscripts to critique by amateur writers who have no serious grasp of the English language. In most situations, they write exactly as they speak. Therefore, there is a portion of the writing prowess that is definitely learned. I believe that you need lived experiences both good and traumatic as well as be a good listener. Observe the world around you and pick up how people act, how they look, and how they speak. Then you can draw from these observations in the future when you’re creating characters and stories.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
As a writer, you must be dedicated to the craft and set aside time each and every day to write. Even if it’s only a couple hours per day, this will set a schedule to which you can become accustomed. If not, you will find yourself skipping days until you’re barely writing at all.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I usually create the basis of the story first and then build the characters to slot into it. I have a survey that I fill out of every character. The questions are answered as if I am the character in an interview environment. This presses me to think about elements of the character that I wouldn’t normally consider and will never be seen in the story itself. However, these combined elements create the character’s unique voice, reactions, and motivations.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
Dark Threa from Tales of Ravenore. I introduced her in the first book and I’m going to heavily lean on her for the second installment in the trilogy. If she’s not developed correctly, the story will falter. I am excited to see what kind of villainy and chaos she can create.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so, which one(s)?
Absolutely. I love many of my characters. Flibby from Destiny Aurora is one. She is a fan-favorite. I enjoy writing her. I love when characters write themselves and take their story in a different direction than I originally planned. For example, in Shadow Raven, one of the first characters I developed. There was a character named Gary Caufield whose only job was to die. He couldn’t even do that right, apparently. He became such a foil to the hero in terms of his grounded and facetious, quippy personality which made him incredibly likeable. In the end, I kept him alive, though badly hurt and went on many adventures with the hero, though he complained the entire time.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I’m working on a few things. Of course, I’m promoting the Lords of LA second issue, which is my Vampire/Mob story set in 1950s Hollywood. It’s a revenge story about a lounge singer in 1952 who dreams of achieving Hollywood stardom but becomes entangled in a lust-triangle between the two warring mob bosses, who are also vampires. They’ve been warring since the dawn of time. She flees LA after being turned, fearing that she might hurt her newborn child. She returns sixty years later, achieving self-control and amassing a power base of her own. She doesn’t know which of them turned her, she takes her revenge on both men in a scorched earth fashion.
I’m also working on another comic series with a partner. It’s called Razor-Fox and its in the vein of Iron Man meets Last House on the Left. In a cyberpunk world, the newest trend is cyborg limb replacements. Roman Collins is a nano-scientist attempting to create cybernetic limbs for amputees, while his wife, Raddie is a surgeon. They are caught in the middle of a cybernetic turf war and their six-year-old son is trapped in a burning car. After receiving no help from the police, they decide to take the law into their own hands. Together, they create skin-like armor from Roman’s nanotechnology to take on the cybernetic gangs, but what they uncover changes the course of their lives forever.
I’m also working on the sequel to Tales of Ravenore: The Iron Witch. The first book was met with some great feedback. It’s my first foray into the fantasy genre. Threa emerges from the Stormveil with no memory of her past into a world filled with magic and a looming invasion by the Iron Witch. She joins the princes and princesses of the realms to unlock their magic and join the oncoming battle, but betrayal lurks in the shadows.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
Lords of LA should be finished this year. Razor-Fox #1 and the second Tales of Ravenore book will be released in 2024 along with another comic I’m considering.
Have you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control? If so, what? If not, what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
I like jumping into the skin of other people and experiencing life their eyes. The more fantastical, the better. Imagining other worlds with characters that we don’t see in our everyday lives makes leaping into a book or movie that much more attractive. Seeing a person with mystical powers with more problems than we have is somehow strangely comforting.
If you could have a dinner/dinner party with 7 fictional characters, who would they be?
Bruce Wayne, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Flibby Yaas (My Character), Diana Prince, Luke Skywalker, Nancy Drew
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go Anywhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
It would definitely be Europe. I spent 10 days in London, and it wasn’t enough time. I would love to see as much as I can of these countries. Not only the sites, but the local areas as well.
Thank you Frank Zanca for joining and giving a little insight to you and your process. Your work is appreciated.
Website: https://www.destinyaurora.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fzanca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.zanca.9/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zancafrank/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DestinyHorizons/videos
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Frank-Zanca/author/B0B9FNCXXK
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14242583.Frank_Zanca
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