Author Bio:
Tatiana Handfield is a trained teacher of English Language and Literature at the secondary level. She enjoys writing short stories, poems, plays and children’s books. Tatiana is passionate about teaching others to write and encouraging children to unlock their creative potential. In addition to teaching and writing, Tatiana is also a proofreader/copy editor and created her own art production company Let’s Create TCI!
What inspires you to write?
Everything around me! Writing is such an interesting craft because you can draw inspiration from everything around you. I am always inspired by the people and events which surround and impact my life. My family most definitely acts as a muse for my writing simply because they are filled with vast amounts of history, stories, and culture.
Tell us about your writing process.
When I first started writing I was definitely a "seat of the pants writer" but once I truly began to develop my craft my habits seeped into those of an outliner. To be honest I am still trying to refine my outlining strategy. I always have my phone with me so I'm accustomed to using this nifty app called Keep Notes. I have hundreds of mini-plans for stories that I just tuck away for a time when I'll need them. I also reverted to the original outlining resource, the old handy, dandy notebook! I usually keep several journals that once again have loads of mini-plans written in them. It's so funny because anytime someone gets me a gift I know it's going to be something writing-related and most likely a journal or notebook. I've only just started doing character sketches and I find it to be so much fun! Can you imagine creating a whole new identity for a character? The research alone makes me super excited! When it comes to developing and writing the details of the characters it is such an intricately complex process that requires much time and patience.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I have a superpower! I actually interact with my characters through dreams, so you can usually find me scrambling around in the middle of the night, looking for my phone so I can note down interesting character developments. But on a more serious note, I usually do some version of a one-sided chat with my characters just to keep everything in line.
Who are your favorite authors?
I'm currently addicted to Kat Ross' Gaslamp Gothic series which is right up my alley because I enjoy the Gothic. My favorite authors of all time though are definitely C.S. Lewis and Toni Morrison. Both writers helped me to develop my love for writing children's stories and appreciating the supernatural element in writing.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My first children's book Merilla City: Mystic Garden was self-published. I was quite young and eager to explore the world of writing and publishing. I learned a lot from the experience and it pushed me towards starting my own independent publishing company, Cyril & Dorsie Publishing. My latest book: The Turks and Caicos Islands Word Search Puzzle Book was published through my company and I can most certainly say it was an interesting and rewarding experience.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Many people say that the publishing industry is looking bleak! How can an industry which connects to stories, books, history, science and every other atom connected to the living world be related to negativity? I believe once the publishing world keeps pushing the enveloping and going above and beyond the expectations of those who doubt the industry, it will develop very well.
What genres do you write?
Adventure, Fantasy, Children's
What formats are your books in?
Print
Author’s Social Media Links
Pinterest
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
