GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we feature author Sylvie D. Parris!
What do you believe are your strengths in writing?
I believe it is the ability to tell stories that readers relate to and in unique, creative ways.
And when you feel you need to improve on a particular writing skill, how do you go about it?
I always feel I can improve my writing skill and seek ways to do so. Every so often I read an older piece and see how far I’ve come. Sound editing tools, reading the work of others, and heeding critique have proven to be quite important in improving my craft.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
This may sound strange, as I do want to sell my books, but I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I don’t write with the sole purpose of selling books on a grand scale. I write because I feel compelled to tell stories.
The book community is a lot more diverse than many realize. Few of us ever get national attention, few ever get back the costs of our time and equipment to create what we do, but we still create. It’s hard for us to connect with editors, illustrators, copywriters, publishers, etc., because it almost feels like we are having to compete for their attention. There’s got to be a better way.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
It’s easy to be an independent author. All one has to do is write. What’s hard is getting anyone to read what you wrote, because you are a drop of water in an ocean of other drops, fish, and bigger fish, and a few ocean liners who are also looking for readers.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
I feel that there is too much of a mass market mentality these days. There are too many variations of the same overused themes that lack the depth of solid character development, complex plots and relatable themes. This is particularly true in the genre I favor, romance, and fantasy romance. I write stories about people who meet and fall in love, but who have a lot of other things going in their lives, including family, friends, job, social issues, health problems etc. While sex is generally considered a part of the genre, does it have to be the main purpose?
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
I don’t think it’s ever been easy. We have to do everything ourselves and most of us don’t have the knowledge or skill set to do all of it well. For me, it’s marketing. My cat’s hairballs have better marketing skills.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I started writing on a whim in the early 2000’s. At first, I wrote humorous anecdotes, essays and the odd, and awful song lyric. I took some college level creative writing classes from which my first serious poetry and short stories were born. Then I saw a Manet painting in an art history class I took. The painting intrigued me so that my imagination wondered about the woman in the painting. I tried for six years to write a short story about her and just kept getting stuck. One day, I decided to try and flesh out something about the painting. An hour later, I realized that what I had was much longer than a short story. Nine months later, Tapestry of Family, my first novel, was completed. I’m sure I could return to it and give it a healthy revise as I’ve learned a lot in the seven years since I wrote it, but that project lit a creative fire in me. I’ve not been able to stop since.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I have two novels near completion, a few ¾ of the way through and several others that range from a few notes that may turn into something, to a few chapters have been drafted. Occasionally a short story may demand my attention, or a poem, and I even have a bare bones idea for a play. I plan to stop writing when I’m dead.
KANDISHA PRESS 
Leave a comment