Interview with Author and TWR Alum Giselle Vriesen
Author Giselle Vriesen
Book Title: Why We Play With Fire
Book release date: February 6, 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Row House Publishing (100 Block Futures)
Presale link:: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1955905312?tag=simonsayscom
Author Website: https://gisellevriesen.wixsite.com/my-site
Instagram handle: @gisellevriesen
In a few sentences, tell us about your book!
When Thea, a girl from the pacific northwest, is transported to a house for the children of the gods, she has to embrace her mixed-mythology ancestry in order to fulfill a prophesied quest and retrieve three missing keys hidden in three different mythological worlds; all based on my background. Visiting African, Chinese, and Norse mythology, Thea has until the winter solstice to retrieve the missing keys or risk doom not only to the house but for the whole world. It’s an adventure from start to finish.
What inspired the idea for this book?
I was inspired to write this book by my love of mythology and my desire to see myself in the stories I grew up with.
Did you have this idea before you started TWR, during, or after you completed the course? How did TWR help you on your writing journey?
I came up with this idea about a year after I completed the course. TWR helped me on my writing journey by connecting me with my writing group I still meet with to this day.
Is this your first finished manuscript?
This is my seventh finished manuscript! I had written a few before TWR and then a few after.
What was the most challenging aspect of the writing journey for you?
The most challenging aspect of the writing journey was probably learning to edit my story further than I wanted to work on it. It can be really hard to admit when something needs more work than you can give it in one go.
Have you faced any rejection on your writing journey, or points where you felt you wanted to give up? How did you push through those moments?
I have faced SO MUCH rejection. After I did the TWR I queried 100 agents with the project I worked on during the course (mistake, I know, don’t get me started)— no agents wanted it—I cried and I was sure that was IT for me. I gave up for an entire two weeks. But then, I did what Tomi suggested and wrote down five pitches for books I could write, and decided I would work at each one until I got a deal. The first one on the list is what became Why We Play With Fire! So it worked :)
How long have you known you wanted to be an author? What inspired you to take TWR?
I've known I wanted to be an author since I was in high-school. I was inspired to take TWR course because I'm such a huge fan of Tomi and I thought her teaching style would be compatible with my learning style, and it was!
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Let people beta-read your book before you think it's ready. It will never feel completely “perfect" because perfect doesn't exist. And when that sparkly person who you trust to read your story does give you feedback— the chances of them giving you an even better idea on how to shift it is really high—so let them in :)