Fantasy Authors Interview

Meet Haley Sulich

                          Interviewer: mikaelkrownmk

With a heart of an artist and the will of a writer, this writer is someone who will make you inspire to chase your dreams. Her adventures and love to achieve her dream job makes her a force to reckon with. Let's all welcome HaleySulich to today's interview spotlight for she's yet another amazing Fantasy author.

What's your full name, and tell us a little about yourself.

I'm Haley Sulich, and I currently work as a book editor but am in the process of switching careers to my dream job as a SFX makeup artist for film and television. I love working on film sets, especially horror films, and I always find it neat to see the behind-the-scenes of how a film comes together. I move around a lot--in the past few years, I've lived in three different states, and this summer I'll be moving again!

What or who inspires you to write?

My aunt, Abebe, inspires me to write. She passed away a couple of years ago to cancer, but she was the first person to encourage me to keep writing when everyone else around me wasn't supportive and didn't believe I could write a book. Now, I've written four novels and multiple short stories. Every book I write, I write it with her in mind. She read two stories I wrote, but I never got to know whether she'd read my most recent one--When Queens Fall.

What's your writing process?

My writing process usually consists of making a playlist on Spotify that matches the mood of my story, and I'll listen to that playlist for a few hours each day while I world-build and develop my characters. Music inspires 90% of my ideas, and when I have the playlist in hand, I'm able to clearly picture the book like a movie, and the world truly comes to life in my mind. Then it's just a matter of jotting down all of those notes so I don't forget them later. After a few months of character development and world-building, I begin working on the plot outline for about a month. Once I'm satisfied, I start the first draft. Once I have the first draft complete, I step away from the project for a few weeks before reading through it and making revision notes. The time away from the project helps me recover from any burnout and also allows me to come back to it with a fresh perspective. Then, it's just a bunch of rewrites and revisions! For When Queens Fall, a 2020 Watty Award Winner, I probably rewrote that book at least three times before I found the story I wanted to tell.

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing seriously for about 7 years now.

Define Fantasy in your own words?

When I think of fantasy, I think of worlds that allow people to escape reality and immerse themselves in new, thought-provoking surroundings that inspire curiosity and awe.

What's your favorite fantasy book on wattpad?

My favorite fantasy book on Wattpad, so far, is The Kids Aren't Alright by B.A. McDermott.

Who's your OTP?

I don't really have one. Many OTPs I see from others tend to involve toxic relationships, which I haven't been able to get behind.

Favorite colour?

Black.

Most used app?

Most used app? Instagram for business/networking purposes.

Favourite social media?

Tiktok--I love seeing the cinematography/photography side of tiktok, and the same goes with the SFX makeup side.

A city or country you'd like to visit?

I'd love to visit India. My roommate from college has been wanting to show me her home country, so we've been planning a trip for a while. (Hopefully within the next three years I'll get to travel there! It'd be nice to see her again.)

Kittens or puppies?

Puppies 100%. (I'm very allergic to cats.)

Pop or R&B?

Tough one. I listen to many genres of music, so it's probably a tie between these two. My favorite genre, though, is alternative rock.

Spring or Autumn?

Autumn! Love seeing the leaves change colors.

Thank you HaleySulich for your time spent on this interview.