Etcetera
Jaargang 4, nummer 1, maart 2017
Etcetera (late) winter edition!
Maandag 20 maart werd het magazine van Esperia, de studievereniging van Europese Talen & Culturen, uitgedeeld. En tja, wat is hier zo spannend aan? Sowieso de roddelrubriek, misschien voor sommigen het verhaal Vunzige Adam, voor anderen De academische wereld van Bart en Gijs. Maar ook de horoscoop, vooral op een maandagmiddag college van 13:00 uur waarin het blad werd uitgedeeld. Wat blijkt? Mijn horoscoop is helemaal waar:
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Wow Sagittarius, you're such a lucky person! You're a hardworking student (jaaa totally, 8 uur voor een verslag reserveren, terwijl het 'maar' een 5 punts vak is?!), you receive loads of attention (okej, misschien toch niet 100% waarheid), you're the hottest of your friends (zekerweten blödsinn): you just seem to have it all (in dat geval seem ik de enige te zijn die dat niet zo ervaart). But, this month, your mind's a total mess (wel ietsje meer dan total, maar het is een subtiele start). Your study, your love life, your work... everything is a blending. You can aks your loved ones for some help, but don't put too much pressure on them- no one's waiting for more stress on his plate. Cut them some slack! Get your shit together before things are running out of hand (goed plan, nu nog even tijd vinden...). You're definitely on the right track, but you'll need to figure things out for yourself first (en daarna voor een ander? Als het die ene persoon is: deal.). The stars know you're used to having it all, but sometimes that's just impossible (well isn't life though?!).
Misschien toch niet zo perfect als ik gedacht had; het klonk ook too messed up mooi om waar te zijn. Horoscopen duwt iedereen toch in eigen perspectief (naast de algemeenheid van de beweringen), geen wonder dat ze altijd kloppen.
Goed, nu weet ik waar ik de volgende maand aantoe ben, what a ride! Al was dat niet de aanleiding van mijn blog (ik vind het nou eenmaal leuk om van het punt af te wijken). Voor mij was het leukste aan deze magazine editie een invterview. Met well. Mij ;) Het hele interview is ook op mijn blog te lezen, en wel in deze post! Lees verder voor meer:
Interview with Freija Kruit, “Faya”,
Author of Mijn wereld zonder jou
1. What do you study? What do you find inspiring about your study?
I study European languages and cultures, Dutch track. As major profile I chose Culture & Literature and as Major language I decided to jump into the Swedish sphere. And there is of course The minor: Film Studies. What inspires me is the whole new perspective you get while studying another language. It is like a whole new world opening up to you. And the literature you dive into gives you a widely perspective of Europe in so many ways. You get to read books and study them. Plus it gives me an insiders’ look on the world behind the book (bookstores, publishers, etc.).
2. What was your life like when you began to write?
That must have been in the summer of 2013 on a camping in Switzerland. Just a regular summer, as I remember it. The thing that got me triggered to write, was the pain I felt in my stomach. I wanted to forget that awful feeling, so I found distraction in writing, since Young Adult novels had always helped me deal with pain and emotions before. I was sixteen at the time, in my fourth year of High School, and ‘Heaven’ from Alexandra Adornetto (author of Young Adult-genre) in particular screamed for my attention, so to say. Books and fantasy worlds offered me an escape from reality, pressure and stress at school.
3. Who is your publisher, and why did you chose them?
Honestly it was so hard to choose, because publishers get so many manuscripts and when you hear from them again- if you hear anything at all- it is after three months the least. I decided to go for a relatively young publisher, Boekscout, because I trusted the information on their website. From the beginning I knew where I was at. They unknown authors a chance. Moreover, they find that the author is the one who made the ‘masterpiece’ and not so much the publisher. So they state that the author is of great importance and after that there is the publisher. And they were of great help! They gave me, as opposed to some other publishers, the idea that I mattered in the world of the books and writers. Besides, there is a lot to learn for me here and Boekscout lets you explore the field yourself, instead of doing everything for you.
4. Could you describe the everyday excersizes of writing a book?
This is an interesting question, because I actually started with a ballpoint on line paper in my way too tiny handwriting. But the story continued so it took too many hours and scratching to make it worthwhile. So I switched to a laptop, even though the modern technology isn’t my thing.
To answer this in a short way: paper-laptop-typing-reading-removing-again and again and again-breakdown-not good enough-frustration-love.
I get inspired mostly during late nights. I spend so many late nights writing and I remember that friends and family did not realise how determined I had become.
5. What did it result in?
I had a manuscript ready to be read by a publisher. After three years of hard work, being let down by myself and being unsure about whether or not my story could, in a few months, be available in bookstores. After I handed the manuscript in I had to edit, rewrite and add words and lines to make the story complete. Since I was already happy with it, I didn’t change it. I had made a decision: why not let my story be known to the world? Why would I work so hard for a dream, even though writing is a natural way for me to express my emotions, but let it go at the end of the day?
6. Is there a story behind your books' cover?
Funny that you ask, because hell yes there is! First I want to mention that I painted it myself, with aquarelle, and that the typography is a bit like my handwriting. I added the aureole and the devil’s tale because I used to add them on written quote papers I used to stick into my quote book. They are the symbols for the (emotional) condition of my protagonists. Honestly I don’t want to give away everything, but for the readers of my book; there is definitely a story behind it. And the silhouette represents a scene of my book. The galaxy like background? I find it triggering and mysterious altogether. That definitely fits the story.
P. S. You get the pun at the beginning of this answer now?
7. Do you have a message for potential readers?
I find it very important that all of you are able to ask the questions you have towards me. I want to be there for my readers-you. I want to know your opinion and I want to listen to your ideas and findings and please please send me a review after you read my book because it helps me to become a better writer- for the joy of readers.
I would be very grateful if you share this story with as many friends and family and social media networks as possible. Because with your blessing, the reader, make authors more than writers.
8. Where to find you, and: where is your book?
My book can be bought via:
Me, just send me message (these signed copies are limited)
The webshop Boekscout.nl Just search for ‘Mijn wereld zonder jou’ under the name of ‘Faya’ and you’re there.
The following stores: Readshop Ter Apel, Primera Veendam and Vlagtwedde and Bruna Winschoten.
Of course you can always walk into any bookshop and ask them for more information. My ISBN-number is in their databases.
You can find me on my own authorsblog: www.fayasjournal.auteursblog.nl
Here, you find more information about me & my book, but you can also find the link to my YouTube page and email address if you want to contact me. Since the 25th of November I even have an Instagram (Fayas_Journal), but I must admit that it is not my cup of tea yet.
9. If you could pass on just one bit of wisdom to a baby, who is to become an author, which wisdom would you pass on?
Grab your chances and work your butt off. Though remember the following:
“There is no realism to wake up to without the contrast of having a dream”
14-11-2016
+/- 13:01
~Faya
10. Bonus space: Do you have something that you’d like to tell us, but that didn’t fit the structure of the previous questions?
Thank you for giving me this chance! I really appreciate it and I hope to inspire all of you. Don’t give up your dream.
