Interview with V. Zwijgen

Published 2017-12-04.
What do your fans mean to you?
People are not fans, they are friends that have extended enough trust in me to invest their time and attention. In my understanding, consciousness is a form of energy and energy is eternal. That creates in me, a responsibility to tell them the whole truth, even if they won't understand it now or it will turn them away. I believe that in time, life's events will reveal that I have spoken accurately, with positive intent and pure love.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The understanding that my conscious energy will continue in existence forever means that I have things to learn and do. I'm no longer concerned about my age or the past. I want to fly a helicopter in the next life so I need to learn it. I want to be strong and muscular in the next life so I'm buffing out at 60 years old. I'm building positive memories with my loved ones and reaching for my dreams because I know that they will all eventually come true. Whether it's here or in the next dimension, it's okay.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I'm almost always writing but I pursue small business ventures and have fun adventures with my awesome wife and family.
What is your writing process?
Write from beginning to end, let it rest a couple of days then start at the beginning and improve it through till the end, twenty or thirty times. By the end, I grow, change and write from a fresh perspective. I can also see my mistakes.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
How funny. The Monkey's Paw. It scared the poop out of me and taught me that words can create vivid imagery. I saw the story in my mind for years, and I loved Edgar Allan Poe's work from that day, forward.
How do you approach cover design?
I type my title and flip through forty or fifty fonts until the style reflects the words. I then toy with shadows, beveling, reflections and other possibilities to further display what I'm saying.

I try different background images and when I think I have found the one, I experiment with contract between the background and title until they compliment one another. I name it Mock1, and start over.

Once I have a strong batch, I put them away for a couple of days. When I look again, the better ones rise and the lesser ones are deleted until it's filtered down to a winner.
What do you read for pleasure?
I read and refine my own works, for pleasure.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Well, I use the Kindle Fire the most but I don't really care for any of those devices. The screens are small for me. I prefer reading on a 65 inch screen.
Describe your desk
A wireless keyboard in my lap and a wireless mouse beside me.
What's the story behind your latest book?
There is a single, correct explanation for existence. It fell upon me to find it.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
There are many systems in place to convince artists that the big machine is in control and they need to bow before it and take what they are given. The truth is that the artists keep the big machines in business and they should have appreciation for it.

The ingratitude is upsetting. I turn away from that which is upsetting to pursue peace. The indie route is on my own terms, done my way and I can be myself. Hopefully, one day my effort will be appreciated.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I have always spent more time in my imagination than on this plane. My IQ is because I can visualize things accurately. The further my imagination reaches, the more pleasurable it is to me. When I write, I don't even eat or move. With this latest book, I began to understand and see across the dimensions of existence, even into Heaven and Hell. I understand the physics of how they work, who goes where, why and what their purposes are. This book has been my greatest joy of writing. I don't believe that anything will match, helping move people through life, the greatest fairy tale of all.
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