Written Author Interview
1. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?
I am, at my core, a work in progress. My main goal within this unforgiving world is to be a better person tomorrow than I was today. Not just for me, but the future. This is one reason I was drawn to Healthcare. I see the unfortunate and use that to light the tinder in myself. When I am not working, whether it be in the hospital or my writing, I practice self care and foster my daughter’s growth and emotional health.
2. What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?
The inspiration of my novels, all of them, is art. Particularly music. As for my first novel, the particular song is Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey. When this almost vision was constructed, I was not a writer. I was more of an artist who drew. So I continued to draw this story. Over and over again over the years. That was until my brother told me to write it down. And that was the start of my writing journey.
3. How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?
The foundations of my characters are usually bleak. They usually come from an image that my mind paints or simply a shadow of a person. I then take that person and mold them, give them their personality, their fears, their hopes. I consider what makes a person and breathe that into them. That is when they become real.
4. What are some of your favorite genres to read? Are there any books you’d recommend to first time readers or people looking for something new?
The novels I find particularly fascinating to consume is character-driven dark fantasy. A personal preference is queer dark fantasy. To watch well written characters make their way through a fantastical work that seeks to destroy them, even if it only within their own mind, is quite inspiring. I would have to recommend my friend’s book series, The Death Blossom Saga. I found them intriguing and the characters are very pronounced.
5. What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
Within the year of writing I’ve done, I have not found writing itself as hard. It to me is nothing more than little frustrations that I can see overcoming people. But if I had to choose something that is the most frustrating thing, it is the possibility that people will not take into consideration the depth of my writing. I do not want to be taken out of context or my words to be spun. And I am still attempting to discover a way to articulate myself accurately.
6. What is your process to completing a novel from outline to final product?
My first novel has little process. I simply wrote. Good or bad. As time went on and I started sharing my writing with my brother, he gave me advice in areas that I needed to improve to make the story digestible. From then, I started my books with a much more detailed foundation.
7. What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.
As an author of dark fantasy, I have written quite a few things that some could consider unhinged. Within my published works, The Thrones Saga, I would say that one of my most unhinged scenes is in the second book, where one of the main characters beheads her enemy, eats them, then sleeps on their remains.
8. What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?
I heard this discussed in many writers groups, but my biggest peeve about being a writer is the 80% mark of the book. This is typically where the climax has ended and you are wrapping up themes and loose threads of the story. This is almost a moment for where I look back at what I have already crafted and consider it. Does this even make sense? Where did the story go? I am still walking the tightrope of this to this day. Even with two published books and one coming out soon.
9. What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?
My ultimate goal in life is to learn and leave behind good. I do not need to be a ‘successful writer’ to be happy with my books. My books are my stories and I wrote them for me to explore, play, and figure out how emotions run wild. If people do find them, my only wish is for them to take the questions I ask and think. Ruminate on how the world works within their own life. If I can help one person in my life, my life will be fulfilled.
10. Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?
Truthfully, my journey may be underwhelming to read if I wrote it myself. I have the privilege to tread this path with others who love and support me. There was no heartache, no climax to my story (yet). Despite that, I do believe writing has made me a better person. Diving into the minds of my characters forced me to consider my own. It is like meditation. And it has helped me grow.
Follow and Connect w/ Delilah Curley
About
Delilah Curley writes stories for those who find beauty in hope amidst darkness.
As a sapphic dark fantasy author, her works delve into the complexities of emotionally raw worlds and morally gray characters, each clawing desperately for something—anything—to hold onto.
When she isn’t working in a hospital or caring for her family, Delilah is self-publishing stories such as The Thrones Sagaand finding solace in thought-provoking music and literature. With a lifelong fascination for what defines humanity, she crafts compelling tales that highlight the resilience of the human spirit.
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