One of the greatest joys in life is meeting someone who is just pure kindness and makes you happy to hear their voice and be around them. Rachael is one of those full-of-light individuals. I met her through my fantastic narrator, Logan Anare, in our online Pathfinder group he is running it full of mostly narrators, Rachael and myself the only two authors. LOL! She plays such an endearing character and has a smooth, calming voice and soul that makes everyone happy. She was even kind enough to send me the cutest Christmas goodie passage. ^_^ I felt care for.
I am honored to have this beautiful creative here on my site! Let’s meet her!
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Author to Author Q and A: Rachael Huszar
- Where did you grow up? Did your childhood have any impact on your writing?
“I grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin! (Yes, of Oshkosh B’gosh fame). I was a pretty imaginative kid, and I feel like I spent good, long stretches of my childhood listening to audiobooks and acting out the stories with toys. Reading was a big deal in our family and is something we all still bond over. There were always books and library visits. Now that I’m in my thirties, I live in very much the same way!”
2. Tell us about the first story you ever wrote, published or not?
“I entered a “Write and Illustrate Your Own Book” contest when I was a kid. You had to write a story, draw all the pictures, and do a basic form of binding it all yourself. I remember it was called “The Tale of Cheddar” and was set in a kingdom of mice, but that’s as far as my memory stretches.”
3. What are you currently working on?
“I’ve got two projects going in tandem that I’m pretty excited about! I’m working on my next novel, which will be my first attempt at a retelling of classic literature, with a fantasy twist. I’m also currently developing my own tabletop roleplaying game system, setting, and campaign!”
4. What is your favorite character you have ever created and why?
“Top of the list has got to be the villains of the second book in the Three Willows series, ‘Then Came the Fire.’ They’re a husband and wife duo of traveling performers who certainly, shall we say, leave a mark on the places they visit.“
5. Do you have to write/draw in order or do your ideas just come to you and you put them in order later?
“Definitely in order. It’s a sensation I call “slinky brain.” It’s like, my thoughts and imagination will only stretch so far in a story, and I won’t be able to get past that point until I write it down and my brain can scrunch all up again to make more ideas. I’m notoriously challenged by endings and finding ways to wrap everything up.”
6. What was your path like until you found writing?
“Honestly, it’s still pretty similar to the path I’m currently on. When I’m not writing, I work as an exhibition designer at an art museum here in Dallas. In a way, designing a museum exhibition is similar to being an author, it’s just a very different method to tell a story, and involves a lot more people and a lot more paintings.”
7. How is your relationship with your publishing company? If you are self-published, what tasks do you have to do to get your project completed?
“I’m a self-published indie, so there’s plenty to do! I really do love the freedom of being in complete control of creative choices and deadlines around my books, but the flipside is, you have to do everything on your own. Luckily, I’ve made so many wonderful contacts and colleagues throughout the process, it really feels like I have a real team behind me when it’s time to publish. I work with editors to get the manuscript into shape, formatters to make it legible, cover designers, illustrators, marketers, narrators for audio, distribution, giveaways and tour hosts, and reviewers to help my books launch as powerfully as possible!”
8. Tell us about your covers.
“I’m lucky enough to have two sets of covers! The Three Willows trilogy was originally published exclusively on ebook and audio, mostly because when I was starting out as an author, the process of print publishing was too intimidating for me to tackle. My ebook covers are very moody and photorealistic, playing a lot with the landscape found in areas like the New Mexican Territory. I really love the nature themes within them all.
“When I decided to create an omnibus edition of all three books in one volume, I also decided to create a special cover. It’s more of an illustrated approach that I think highlights the more romantic, charming, and magical themes of the series. I love them all!”
9. What inspires you to create?
“Just about anything. People I know, places I see, other stories I read or watch. Or conversely, things I haven’t seen, but want to exist, so I decide to do it myself.”
10. How do you get reviews?
“Asking very politely. It’s a real challenge, especially in the indie sphere. There’s a lot of contradicting advice out there regarding reviews (i.e. review sites are spaces for readers, you as an author shouldn’t worry about them, BUT at the same time, without X number of reviews the Amazon algorithm will bury your book forever so you have to get them no matter what). It can lead to some pretty predatory practices. When you get down to it, the only thing you can really do is ask.”
11. What is harder: writing, drawing, editing, or marketing?
“Marketing. Absolutely. And it’s for a lot of the same contradictory reasons as above. “Appeal broadly, but write for yourself. Follow trends, but find your niche. Do everything, but don’t get burned out.” It can be hard to sort out. I was really challenged with finding my speed, until I learned that my speed was actually much, much slower than I thought it was. There was much less pressure once I taught myself that.”
12. If you could publish every book idea you’ve ever had, how many would you have out right now?
“Oh, gosh. If we’re only counting ideas I’ve thought were good enough to be a potential future project someday, 9.”
13. Have you ever considered co-writing a series with another creator?
“I’m certainly not opposed to the idea. I don’t consider myself a very good partner, however, for those same speed reasons. I tend to operate at giving something 150% or nothing at all.”
14. What do you do to relax?
“I have a pretty big vinyl collection, and when I need to chill out, I’ll put on a record and lay down in the dark. I almost always have some background noise going on, but I’ve been trying to be more intentional about listening to music.”
15. If you could tell your 14-year-old self one thing, what would it be?
“You’re at an age where it’s going to feel like what other people think of you and say about you matters so much. I promise, it doesn’t. Don’t let anyone make you feel less than.”
16. What advice would you have for this upcoming generation?
“Stay curious. If something seems strange, or wrong, or unhelpful, question it. More often than not, there won’t be a better reason than “this is the way it’s always been.” Which is a terrible reason for just about anything.”
17. Have you ever read a book/series that changed your outlook on life?
“‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by Norton Juster. Not only did it teach me about wordplay and the power of knowledge, it taught me that there’s real wonder out there in the world, and we all have the time to experience it. Time is a gift to be cherished. Also, it’s better to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be.”
18. Do you have a classic piece of literature or a classic author you are fond of?
“I’m actually a pretty big Oz fan. I remember being a kid and finding a list of the 14 original Oz novels in the back of my copy of The Wizard of Oz and feeling like I had discovered some sort of massive secret. I couldn’t understand why there weren’t any movies of all of them, or why none of my peers seemed to have heard of them. I made it my personal mission to read them all.”
19. Any type of music that gets your writing juices flowing?
“It depends on the project! When I’m in the mood to write, I’ll usually fire up that project’s playlist on my commute home. I really like breaking down lyrics and applying them to how a particular character might be feeling at certain points in the story. That song then helps me define that moment once I get there.”
20. If you could pick three people who are your heroes or role models, who would they be and why?
“Jim Henson – Endless inspiration and creativity fueled by humor and joy and bringing more magic into the world.
Virginia Van Upp – Scriptwriter, editor, director, and producer, a Hollywood legend in the 40s. One of only three female producers at the time.
Shu Takumi – Writer of some of the greatest mystery stories around, with bonus points for making them in the form of brilliant video games.”
21. Dog or cat person?
“Dog person. I have nothing against cats, they just don’t seem to be the biggest fan of me. But I will stop and say hi to every dog I see. They are all sweet babies.”
22. What do you want to eat right now?
“It’s a little late at night, but I’d love something green and crunchy, like an apple or snap peas.“
23. If you could be in any movie that has already been made, which one would it be?
“Fame (1980). It follows a group of teens through their years at NYC’s High School for the Performing Arts in the 70s. I was and continue to be a theater kid inside and out. I would have loved to take classes rather than just tread the boards as extracurriculars.”
24. What is your favorite holiday or time of year?
“Winter, easy. I love coats and sweaters and the smell of the car heater and bonfires and hot drinks and seeing your breath in the air and the way snow deadens sound and the patterns you can find in the ice and the sensation that, for just a little while, the world has stopped turning.”
25. Anything else you would like to add?
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BIO:
Rachael Huszar kept her life steeped in stories from a young age, and she began her own journey in story-making when she reached adulthood. In the time since, she has taken up swimming, roller skating, and consuming tabletop RPG streams. She spends the bulk of her time with her dog, Silo, and works full time as a designer in Dallas, Texas.
LINKS/URLS:
Website: https://www.rachaelhuszar.com/