Author Interview
I am proud to announce that there is a new author that I had the honor of interviewing. And by new I mean he just published and I am totally excited for him and his journey in the world of being an author. I look forward into finding his work in the anthology he is published in and to follow him as he works on his next book, a book of poetry, and publish that. So let’s jump into the interview so we all can get to know Steven more.
1. What sparked your interest in writing?
My interest in writing started when I was twelve years old, when my English teacher actually recommended writing as a means of helping deal with my emotions.
2. Has anyone in your life inspired you to write?
My life in general has been my inspiration, aside from the aforementioned teacher. I have endured a lot, and I believe poetry of all things is one of the great tools that helps unite humanity in its condition.
3. When did you decide to publish?
I decided to publish and be a part of someone else’s anthology last November of which I plan to be a part of a few more of their anthology projects to help build recognition and an audience.
4. Are you an Indie Author or Traditional Author? Why did you choose the path you did?
As of right now I am most definitely considered an indie author, I chose that path because it allows me to retain full control over my creative content. It’s not to say that I would be opposed to a traditional publishing house however, they prefer to see an audience before signing new authors.
5. What is your first published book?
Just for clarity the book itself is not mine, the book whom the anthology im involved in, is credited to Kevin Watts who owns allpoetry.com.
6. Are you happy with how your books are coming out? Would you change anything?
For the time being I am happy to be included in this anthology and the plans for future anthologies, not to mention my own full book of poetry I have planned to indie publish later this year or the beginning of 2022.
7. Will you continue to publish books for many years to come?
I will most definitely continue to write and publish in anthologies and continue on my own projects as well for the foreseeable future as that’s what my heart has been called to do.
8. What genres inspire you to write?
Horror, Alfred Hitchcock was great inspiration to me as well as Edgar Allan Poe and Steven King.
9. What is your favorite genre to write? What is your least favorite genre to write?
Horror is my favorite to write because there is so much you create out of the darkness and I have had many nightmares. Romance in general is my least favorite, though I can be quite gifted with describing love. For personal reasons I have to say it’s not been an area of great success in my own life and therefore hasn’t really transferred over to my poetry.
10. What challenges have you faced publishing?
The honest answer to that is having both the time and money. You have to have the time to create the content and then as an indie you also have to have the resources to see it to print, which is why I am grateful that I can contribute to another anthology series. I mean, after all, we all have to start somewhere.
11. What challenges have you faced in writing?
Since I tend to float towards poetry, I have personally struggled with internalizing emotions rather than transferring them on to paper. Not that I don’t have a few short stories already and an actual series of novels in mind that I’m brainstorming. Internalization rather than putting it to ink is my biggest challenge.
12. Where do your ideas for your books come from? Where do you keep those ideas?
Since I’m currently focused on the genre of poetry and seeing my own collection seen to completion. My life, my dreams, my nightmares or even the setting sun in the East Texas sky can be an idea.
13. Are you also a bookworm and does reading other works help inspire your own writing?
I don’t know, as though I would consider myself currently a bookworm, I certainly used to be. Lately though I have been much more focused on writing rather than reading and certainly there have been many works that have helped inspire me. Just about anything by Robert frost can put me in the mood to write, though we gravitate to very different ends of the spectrum in relation to content.
14. Do you have a website where we can follow you?
At the present moment I don’t have a personal website no, that is another thing I have to get up and running, however at the moment I do have the following places you can find me.
https://allpoetry.com/firesidesin
Twitter @skibickisteven
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stevenskibickijr/
Instagram author_steven_skibicki
15. What are the link for your books so others may look and possibly purchase them from?
Unfortunately, at this time I can only provide the link to words of power on amazon from Kevin Watts, I am on page 96. However, stay tuned and I will be able to provide links for my full poetry project called American darkness, when it comes out later this year or the beginning of 2022.
Steven is definitely correct when he says we all have to start somewhere in our journey as an author and being published in an anthology is amazing. If you are a huge poetry lover, then the link above is ready for you to click and to buy the book. And remember to look for our newest author, Steven, on page 96. Let him know you read it by leaving a review about the book in a whole and one specifically for Steven too. Thank you to Kevin Watts for choosing Steven’s poem to include in his anthology. And a big thank you to Steven Skibicki for taking the time to contact me and do this interview. I can’t wait to see his poetry book published in the beginning of 2022 and to see where the future takes him.