Author Interview w/ Elizabeth Scozzari

May 28, 2026

Author Interview w/ Elizabeth Scozzari

Written Author Interview

Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?

I’m Elizabeth. Outside of writing I love reading, traveling, and walking around Stars Hollow-esq town. My typical day starts with coffee or tea, and toast. I have a 9 – 5 job that I enjoy, and usually go for a walk for my lunch break. My evenings are spent with friends, writing, marketing, or doing crafts with an audiobook or a comfort show on in the background.

What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?

I started writing before I knew what a book really was. My first story with handmade illustrations and string bound pages was “The Freckled Flower” about a flower whose parents were divorced. I started and never stopped. The inspiration, much like the Freckled Flower story, came from a real life moment where I thought someone had broken into my condo and my bf at the time was as useful as a house plant––well, probably less since house plants are great for mental health and air quality.

How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?

Everything I do in writing is spontaneous. Even when I try to plan I end up diverting pretty quickly, allowing my characters to chose their own adventures, so to speak.

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?

Genres would have to be gothic, thriller, horror, dark romance, and anything weird and/or heartbreakingly moving. Classics like Rebecca and Dracula, The Stand, for dark romance The Hockey God series by S Massery or The Devil’s Night series by Penelope Douglas, Weyward by Emila Hart, and The Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh.

What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?

Marketing. Mostly joking. I love writing. It’s something that’s always come naturally to me. Spelling and learning proper “rules” of writing has been hardest because those have to be learned. They’re not always intrinsic and can change between styles.

What is your process to completing a novel from outline to final product?

I start with a story, long or short form—it doesn’t matter, and then I write. I write until the store has a natural completion and then I share with a dev editor or beta reader, and start the process of editing. I have one set of characters who live in my brain, I have the end of their story, but each time I go to write it the details evade me.

What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.

It depends on who you ask, if you ask my friend and mentor, Ginny, she would tell you its a character eating a banana with my fork (note, I do eat my bananas with a fork or in a banana-coffee smoothie). In my opinion, I have this one character who is so pious and bitter, they’re actually okay with murder for the right reasons than sexuality and being comfortable in one’s body. Those characters tend to be the most descended into madness and removed from any type of sanity.

What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?

Did I already say marketing? At this juncture in time it’s really the physical process. My laptop is old and the keys routinely pop off. Sometimes I’ll really hit a grove and have to slow myself down to make sure the T or the S is back in place. The E is a jumper and will somehow fly onto the floor.

What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?

As a Capricorn the only acceptable answer is that there will always be another milestone to reach––success is what happens after your dead. But on an emotional note, I love my life now, and I’m really grateful that the job I have affords me to be able to invest in myself. Success to me is when someone wants to buy my book. Or they’ve come to my table at an event and we’ve had a great talk. Sharing my short stories, knowing people have read them and connected with them is so rewarding. It feels like success. Now, do I have five- and ten-year plans that includes best sellers lists, a movie adaptation, and a philanthropic plan to build a strong community, absolutely! But without the heart none of this matters.

Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?

There are plenty of stories that are reflective of my writing journey, little tid bits here and there, but also of my journey as a person. As for a specific story, I did write one in college that started with, “FUCK THIS! Literally, fuck this piece of paper. Fuck this pen. Fuck this assignment. I’m dried up, out of ideas.” We had been given an assignment, most of the time is was just to write a story since it was a creative writing class. I had left if for the last minute and just started writing how I felt. It turned into a whole story and to this day always makes me laugh when I think about it. So yes! I absolutely could pull it off 🙂

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About

Elizabeth Scozzari writes unapologetically raw and brutal fiction. She has authored several novels and over 250 short stories, some of which can be found on her website, elizabethscozzari.com. In 2013 she won the Terri Ann Armstrong Short Story Contest. When not writing, walking, or traveling, she tries to experience as many new things as possible in this lifetime.