Interview with Devin Berglund
Published 2014-07-10.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I love writing because it allows me to escape to another place, and I also love bringing light into the darkest parts of people's lives to show them that life is beautiful and worth it.
What do your fans mean to you?
EVERYTHING... haha... yes, they mean everything to me. Without them, I wouldn't be able to do what I love. I love sharing my worlds with them.
What are you working on next?
At the moment I am almost done with a huge edit of my book "The Mason of Hearts". I am so excited to get this story out into the world. After this edit, I will be either working on a new novel involving dreams or one involving bears. I will also be working on a few short stories.
Who are your favorite authors?
My favorite author of all time was/is C.S. Lewis. He changed the world for me. I was bullied a lot as a child and whenever I opened the covers of a Narnia book - I was able to escape. That is what I want to be able to do for my readers - to create a safe place of sorts that they can escape to.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I am not writing I am usually spending time with my family & friends, skyping with my fiancé, or running. (I am training for a half marathon.) I also am a queen at procrastinating... I have a love/hate relationship with the internet as I love to engage with readers on my blog (www.devinberglund.com) and people on other blogs & social media.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Right here on Smashwords and over at Amazon.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I held a pen and created from a very early age. But, I do remember the first story I ever wrote. I was probably about 5-6-years-old.
What is your writing process?
How does your work differ from others in the genre?
I can’t compare it to other’s work, because it’s definitely something of it’s own creature. The villains originated from my deepest nightmares, but I also pulled my main characters – the heroes if you will, from my hopes, dreams, and prayers for the world.
Why do you write what you write?
I have loved reading Fantasy ever since I was a little girl. C.S. Lewis made me love Fantasy. He was the writer who made me want to be a writer.
I write in the Fantasy Genre because I feel that Fantasy is really close to reality. haha… read on before you start thinking I am a hermit with a pet dragon that I hide in the forest (errr… I shouldn’t have said that…) But yeah, we learn so much from Fantasy even when we don’t realize it. It’s much closer to reality than people want to admit.
When I read C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, I was transported to a land that taught me a lot about who I was. It was a great encouragement. I want to write books that spin whimsical tales in which kids and adults alike see their own worlds differently from seeing my world and how my characters lived in it. I want to change lives. I want to bring a light into the darkness.
How does your writing process work?
1. Write, Write, Write
2. Live… (It is in the day to day things that you find more out about your characters and your book.)
3. Write some more… until you’ve finished the book.
4. Read through and make notes on what you need to fix.
5. Edit/Revise
6. Read through and make notes again.
7. Edit
8. Send to critique partner.
9. Read through critique partner’s edits. *Remember they want your book to be the best it can be too!*
10. Read through your book and make notes again.
11. Write each scene on its own index card until you reach the end scene.
12. Editing and making changes
13. Set aside for a week (Usually I’d wait a while longer… but I am impatient and want to get it out to my beta readers sooner) during this wait period I will do a “The Mason of Hearts” related art piece.
14. After waiting a week, I will read through the book (while making notes on major things – if there are any at the moment).
15. Fix any major things. (I am on this point at the moment.)
16. Send to Beta readers.
17. Wait for their responses and for them to send their notes back to me. *I will be excited, but I will probably be freaking out!* “er… in a good way…”
**During this waiting period I will be perfecting my query letter and I will be sending out pitches.
18. Read through one more time.
19. Edit one more time.
20. Then I will be done, until I am told I need to edit more by an agent or editor.
What do you read for pleasure?
Fantasy & Young Adult & New Adult.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
My iPad Air. I read on my Kindle App and my iBook App.
Describe your desk
At the moment? It is an organized chaos. To anyone else it may appear to be a mess, but I know where everything is. Whenever I am in deep with my edits it seems that my desk gets this way.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in rural North Western Minnesota. It definitely influences my writing. I get to go outside and hear the birds singing in the green woods. It is almost like my characters come to life before me.
When did you first start writing?
I was very young! I want to say at 5-6 years old.
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