Eliza Victoria is the author of several books including the Philippine National Book Award-winning Dwellers (2014), the novel Wounded Little Gods (2016), and the graphic novel After Lambana (2016, a collaboration with Mervin Malonzo). Her fiction and poetry have appeared in several online and print publications, including Daily Science Fiction, The Dark Magazine, Room Magazine, The Pedestal Magazine, and the Philippine Speculative Fiction anthologies.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I started having stories published around 2007. I read voraciously as a child–it was reading that led me to writing.
What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Read. A LOT.
What tips do you have for finding time to write?
Stick to a schedule every day. If you can’t finish a draft in one sitting, stop at a point you can easily pick up and continue the next day. This will serve as your motivation to open that file and continue writing. It’d be harder if you quit a draft at a point of frustration–you wouldn’t want to start your writing day frustrated, would you? (Although, of course–and I’m speaking from experience here–easier said than done.)
Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
Definitely an outliner for longer pieces, but I also allow characters to surprise me.
How do you deal with rejections?
I accept them and move on. I love this post by Mary Robinette Kowal where she says “rejections don’t matter in fiction”: “Of course, I’d rather sell the story but the important thing, the thing I learned from theater is to put all my effort into performing the audition — which in writing is the story — and not worry about the results of the casting. The performance of the audition is in my control. The casting isn’t…The writing is in my control. The editor’s choice, isn’t.” She’s absolutely right.
What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
I’m working on a horror novel, and hope to finish it within the next twelve months.
What books are you reading right now?
Currently reading: Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle and The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan. Also looking forward to dive into Joe Hill’s The Fireman.
Do you ever get criticism from family or friends who don’t understand your passion?
I’m lucky to be surrounded by loving, supportive people. Although once my mother complained that “there’s always someone dying” in my stories. Not always!
If you could go back and find yourself five years ago, what advice would you give yourself?
The outside world is cruel enough. Be kind to yourself.
Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
Please visit my website https://elizavictoria.com. I have links to short fiction, poetry, novel excerpts, and places where you can buy my books.
