Interview with Valari Western

Hey Valari, thanks for doing this! Tell us a little about yourself!

Happy to be here! I decided I wanted to be a writer at age 9, and since then I’ve bounced around several different educational paths toward that goal: high school creative writing classes, a Creative Writing BA at university, and finally the Author Conservatory, which I graduated from last year. When I’m not writing, I’m working as an editor for nonfiction book projects, or you may see me as Group Coordinator over at The Young Writer.

Tell us about your writing journey and your current projects!

I already mentioned the different methods of education I experienced as a writer! By far the Author Conservatory has been the most helpful for me, and it provided my first publication experience. Now I’m working on a science fiction mystery that I hope to pitch to agents and publishers. I don’t have a set timeline for it. After four years of university followed by four years at the Conservatory, I need a break. So this year I’m taking a more relaxed approach to my writing and will possibly jump into the pitching game next year.

Who inspired you most to become an author?

It was a friend of mine, Aurora. When I was a kid, I loved playing with Barbies, and so did she. I was used to playing out the same story over and over, basically a Cinderella scenario where my Barbie attended a ball and got a handsome prince to fall in love with her. But Aurora played differently. Her Barbies were in constant danger of kidnappings, forced marriages to bad guys, and even death. It was a little scary at first for me, but I grew to love how I could never tell where her stories were going. That inspired me to play differently and experiment with different kinds of stories, which led to a love of storytelling and a desire to become an author one day.

Tell us a bit about your blog and your published works!

I don’t currently have a blog, but I do have a published short story! You can read “Symbiosis” in the Author Conservatory’s Voices of the Future, Vol. 1: Stories of Family and Fearlessness. It’s about a teenage girl whose world has been taken over by sentient trees bent on killing humans, and she needs to find her brother who’s lost in the forest and bring him home before it’s too late. It’s perfect for anyone who appreciates the apocalyptic genre, exciting plot twists, and authentic representation of a character with depression.

What are some fun/unique experiences you’ve had after being published as a young person?

I’ve been able to host a book signing at a bookstore that carries my book in it! So that was pretty cool. But mostly I’ve enjoyed connecting better with members of my church who came out to support me as I published my first story. After years and years of working on my craft, it was such a blessing to see some payoff and show everybody that I was serious about writing. 

Do you have any advice for other young writers? Mistakes that you’ve made that others can avoid?

When you’re learning from other experienced writers, especially in a teaching setting such as the Author Conservatory, you have to strike a delicate balance between taking others’ feedback and holding on to your own voice and vision as a writer. I’ve made mistakes on both sides, but I think I’ve gone the most astray when I’ve tried sacrificing what I love about my writing because someone else thinks it has to go. Writing is a very subjective craft, and not even professionals can agree all the time on what makes a story work. So while you learn from others and humbly edit your stories based on the feedback and critique you receive, don’t lose sight of why you write in the first place, or what made you write this particular story in the first place. The best stories you can write have you shining through on every page, so don’t sacrifice your voice!

What are some resources you recommend to young writers?

The Young Writer is a great place to start, especially for those who aren’t ready for the Author Conservatory, which is a much more intensive program. Otherwise you can learn a lot about story structure from K.M. Weiland’s blog Helping Writers Become Authors.

Where can we find out more about you?

I’m generally not active on social media, but you can find me on Goodreads! And if you’re interested in reading the first scene of my short story “Symbiosis” for free, you can sign up for my monthly email newsletter here. Or check out my website here!