Tegwyn Skye interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi! My name is Tegwyn Skye (said like Tegan Sky) and I put my writing out as T.S. Curtis. I'm a university student studying political science and history, with an interest in colonialism and decolonialism, Canadian and Celtic history, education policy, and disability history, rights, and accessibility. I grew up in Northern Alberta, Canada, went to high school on Vancouver Island in British Columbia (which is still where I consider home and hopefully going back to when I graduate in the Spring,) and lived in Ottawa, Canada's Capital for three years. I'm hoping to be a high school teacher, teaching social studies (history, politics, geography, economics) and health, to keep passing on my love of learning. I love the outdoors, dance, making art, and cuddles with my two black cats. I'm disabled and Queer and an introvert, and if you want to know anything else about me, I outlined every little thing about me in this blog post talking about which identities influence how I write: https://www.tscurtis.com/post/writers-support-writers 

When did your love of books begin?  

I joke before I was even born. Both my parents grew up loving to read, my mom actually did her first degree in English with a focus on grammar and Canadian Literature. They love to tell the story about how they would read to my mom's stomach, so I was basically born to be a book lover. I could read by age two and was reading basically from then on, and my parents would take turns reading to me every night as well — I can't quite remember but I'm pretty sure our first big series that started my great love of books was C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. 

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I was always the kid with a wild imagination. I would come up with storylines for myself and my friends for as long as I can remember and I started writing things down like tiny stories from the time I started school. Plus, and this always sounds a tiny bit sad, but I was kind of a lonely kid, so while reading gave me one kind of escape, writing -- creating characters, giving life to stories -- almost in a way gave me built in pass times. Even today, I have eleven main characters I refer to as 'my girls' because in times when I'm super low, I can focus on them instead of me. I wrote all the time, but I think the first time I thought about writing as more than just the edges of my notebooks and something real, the thought of being an a more serious author, came around when I was about eleven or twelve, when I finished my first book (which is actually one of the pieces of I'm working on now, adapting it into a bigger, better story!). 

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Tough. For a couple reasons. On the personal side, writing is not the only thing I do — I'm a full time university student, have a full time office job and do design and editing freelancing, plus resume help, all while trying to maintain some level of a social life. 

When I first started learning about traditional publishing I realized it was basically a full time job, from the moment you start querying until publication -- and trying to keep up with everything afterwards. I knew I wanted a career outside of writing -- I want to be a teacher -- and the past five years I've had 1-3 full time jobs at a time plus being a full time student. Little did I know that at times, self-publishing can really be a full-time job too. It can be lonely, sometimes, too, because the people directly in my life don't understand what I'm doing or the work I'm putting in, but getting involved in the writing community more has helped with that.  
Tiring, too. Partly because my books are on my mind every single second of every single day.
But honestly, so rewarding. Even just seeing one or two of my friends reading my books, plus the people who have also gotten my books or read sections for new projects, makes me so excited. Even after I've been writing for over ten years, I get butterflies at the thought of someone reading my work. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

1. Start writing, and don't stop. Don't let anyone tell you there are rules to follow, or formulas. Put your stories down. 

2. On that, keep every idea on paper/document 

3. Keep writing. It's going to feel like a lot, or pointless at times,  and if you need to take a break, that's okay. But just keep writing.

4. If you're feeling stuck, that is when you can go and do those 'writing worksheets'. I know a lot of people told me I had to have everything planned out in a binder ready to go before I started a project, but I honestly found planning more useful when I finally got stuck, after getting the majority of the story that was boiling in my head onto paper. Feeling stuck is the best time to try those world-building worksheets, character info worksheets, etc.

5. On that, keep some kind of writing binder/journal/etc. Even though I do almost everything online nowadays, there are still things (like worksheets) that I print off and like to keep in one spot.

6. Anything can be turned into a novel. We've seen huge fanfiction projects turn into their own books. Fanfiction writers work and hone their craft just as much as those of us who do originals, so don't let that hinder your writing dreams.

7. Self-publishing makes you just as much of an author as those who pursue traditional publishing, and it's a big decision and a lot of work to pursue self-publishing. It's the right decision for some of us, and it might even be right for you. Reach out to members of the writing community who self-pub, we're always more than willing to help/read/give tips. 

8. Prepare yourself to get rejected if you start querying. Those stories about people getting their agent after one half-assed query letter are extremely rare.

9. Be your own biggest fan. Create your own fan-art, draw maps, congratulate yourself, design your covers, hype yourself up, make tiktoks based on your own stories even if no one else in the world will understand what you're talking about. 

10. It took me over ten years to share my writing with my family and closest friends. Don't do that. Share, you'll be amazed how receptive people actually are. You should be your own biggest fan, but it's nice to have others be a fan. Share snippets with the online writing community, share with family, friends, acquaintances. Use them as test audiences and editors (I talk about having my self-publishing team, and it's actually made up of friends and family who are in and around the book and English worlds. My mom and two other friends are my main editors, two friends are my test readers, another friend helps me with design. Having your own team, whether for self or traditional publishing, is so helpful and supportive.) Or with me -- if anyone's ever interested, I'd be happy to read and squeal over your writing. I also do some freelance as an editor and am always happy to do light edits.

Tell us about your book/books:  

I have so many I often don't even know where to start. I guess starting by mentioning that currently, I sell my books through my Etsy shop if anyone is interested in finding them.
I first put out my poetry books back in 2019, which felt like an easy and inconsequential way to break into self-publishing. I currently have three poetry books out, and in the bits of free time I have I've been getting started on #4.
My first novel that is going through editing right now and will be out in early 2022 is called Ink & Crown, it's the first of a trilogy with a companion book I'm planning. I've been calling it Fantasy-lite, but I think it technically falls into the category of speculative fiction. It's about a princess who is suddenly heir to the throne, and a writer meant to share her life.
I should be working on the getting out the start of my next series The Lise Chronicles, which the first two books are basically ready to go for once I actually read through and get them to editors. I think Lise also somewhat falls into the speculative fiction category? I've been calling it almost-dystopia.
I'm also (once I work up the courage) starting to get ready to query one of my books and try the traditional publication route, I'm just waiting to graduate so that I have a teeny bit more time in my life. I love self-publishing and the little team that helps me self-publish I might just fall back on that. We'll see, though.
And I have eleven other series I work on periodically as the mood and inspiration hits me, with three more queer standalone that are ready to be started. I used to think I had to stick to one genre and kept myself as a fantasy-ish writer, but my books cover just about official genre and genres that I don't think exist but I use as categories. I have two historical fantasy, two other fantasies, a YA thriller/contemporary friendship project, two romances, and a couple just contemporary fictions.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?  

How incredibly supportive it is, no matter what platform you're on. Even in my early days on Quotev and Wattpad. Most of my friends there wrote fanfiction and I wrote originals but it was so fun to collaborate and make each other better writers. I'm actually still connected with two of them. Nowadays I'm most tuned in with the twitter writing community, and people are so caring and nice. One that always comes to mind is Rune Rivers (read his books Soul of Lucifer they're really good!) who I think without fail has liked and retweeted just about every one of my tweets since fallowing me. I have seen people talk about how white/straight/able bodied etc. the focus of the writing and reading communities are, but that has not been my experience at all, I'm really thankful to have found other queer and disabled writers and people recommending books with queer and disabled and non-white characters. I have honestly felt the most at home in those communities, which was a big change from the quiet girl using books to escape the world. 

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be? 

I hope you find a moment of peace, a line that makes you feel something, or a character you can relate to in my books. I spent most of my life reading as an escape, and if even one person finds that kind of comfort in my books, I will feel like I have succeeded.

Keep reading, write to your favourite writers to tell them, and never be afraid to try your own hand at writing. 

Where can people connect with you?  

Email: tscurtiswriter@gmail.com

Website: tscurtis.com

Twitter: @TegwynSkye

TikTok: @Tegwyn_Actually

And I sell my books through my Etsy HeartOnYrSleeve