Vianca Martinez signing a copy of her novel, Winged: The Awakening, during her campus tour at Maryhill College
Photo courtesy of Vianca Eunice Martinez
They say the imagination of children are limitless. Sadly, as some of us grow older, the ideas that used to come effortlessly from our minds become harder and harder to express.
That’s not the case for Vianca Martinez, a Lucenahin and now an international author who did not only let her readers catch a glimpse of her mind, but took them on a wild adventure ride with the publication of her Winged: The Awakening novel which was released in both local and international markets last year.
We did a little searching on the net and we were glad she had some time to spare to answer a couple of questions for us despite her busy schedule.
Below is the transcript of the interview we had with her.
How did you come up with the plot of Winged?
I have always been fascinated with stories that deals with mythologies, legends, and the idea for the series came in the form of a question: What if angels exist and they live amongst us but they’re not how we thought they would be and there are more to the legends and the myths than what we have been led to believe about them?
That ‘what if’ question–coupled with the various research that I did for the book and the question of how to incorporate that to the present times–created the mythos that I used for the series and also became the foundation for the story that is within its pages.
We read that your novel falls under the fantasy genre. Have you always been fascinated with the genre or was it something that you just felt like doing at that time? Have you dabbled in other genres or other types of literature in the past?
“Winged: The Awakening”, and the Winged series as a whole, actually falls on the Young Adult Paranormal genre. I enjoy reading those types of books (YA novels) from those written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, to Rick Riordan, Ally Carter, and Richelle Mead’s (and others in between). I’m also a fan Kathy Reichs whose books had been used as the basis for the popular crime series, “Bones”. I also enjoy reading medieval fantasy like “The Wheel of Time” by Robert Jordan and fantasy books like Deborah Harkness’ “A Discovery of Witches”.
Before I had “Winged” published, I’ve written a couple of medieval fantasy books, currently awaiting publication. The first stories I wrote were of that genre. I find that fantasy and paranormal stories for young adults satisfying and entertaining to write.
How long did you write the novel? Was it a continuous process or were there breaks in your work?
The original draft took me roughly three months to write and I didn’t take any breaks until after I finished with it. I gave the draft a month’s pause before I started to edit it. After the first editing, I gave it a week’s rest before going back to it again and editing until I felt it was perfect before I sent it over to my proofreader and editor.
Who or what inspired you to write the book? Do your characters represent any significant people or events in your life?
A lot of people inspired me to write, in general, not just for this book. The writers who wrote my favourite books (some of them I have come to know personally) are among them. My biggest inspiration is, of course, my family. My uncle (Manuel Festin Martinez), who is also a writer (and one who isn’t easily pleased when it comes to judging literary works), was one of the people who really pushed me to write and who saw my potential when he read one of my earlier works. He worked with me on that even after being struck by sickness. He has passed on but the things he taught me inspired me to pursue writing and, eventually, publish this book. I hope to one day be able to publish the book we worked on together as well.
As for the characters in “Winged: The Awakening”, I fashioned a couple of them with some people in mind, myself included.
How does it feel to have your book available for international distribution? How did you feel about the idea that few Lucenahins had their works published and circulated at the international market when you first started writing your novel?
“Winged: The Awakening” was distributed a year before it became available here in the Philippines, and up to now, whenever I think about it, I still can’t get past how surreal it is. Writing has been my passion for as long as I could remember and it has always been a dream of mine to have my work published. To have that dream realized, and to know that I’ve taken that step, it’s amazing.
It’s daunting to do something that you have no idea how it will be received and gain support. It doesn’t help that we rarely hear of people who manage to do something like that. I think that few people–excluding those who really want to pursue it and have had their sights on it–think that writing, publishing, and distributing a book internationally is possible, especially if you are a Filipino. I hope that that would change, though.
How did you prepare for your novel? Did you have to do some research or was everything directly from your imagination?
Yes, I did some research before and while writing the book but it was a mixture of both research and imagination (with imagination weighing a bit more than research). I wanted to make it believable and to do that I had to research on a lot of things, especially when it came to the setting of the book. Since the story in the book occurs overseas, I had to look up for a couple of things that I wasn’t familiar with and double check others that I was.
Do you have special routines as a writer? What gets you in the mood for writing?
I don’t really have any special routines. I just write when I’m struck with this insatiable desire to write and I usually don’t stop until I’ve quenched that desire. I don’t force myself to write, though. I just let the words flow out. It doesn’t really matter where I am or what time it is. When inspiration strikes, I always have a notebook and a pen ready to make sure I catch it.
We noticed that you work in the IT industry. Would you mind sharing how you found your way through writing given your technical background?
I’ve always enjoyed writing and reading books. I was supposed to take up a journalism course but after being advised against it by my uncle, I pursued IT instead. So, it’s actually the other way around. Writing has been, and always will be, my passion.
We heard that a sequel to your novel is about to be released around June or July of this year. Can you tell fans of your novel if a trilogy is in the making or would it be a bit too early to tell?
If we don’t hit any delays, the sequel will be available late in July. Though that estimate is more for the US and European release. Locally, it’s still to be determined as its availability will be based on the sales made through National and Powerbooks Bookstores, though I am hoping that Filipinos won’t have to wait that long for it be available here.
As for the “Winged” Saga, there will be four books in the series, the third of which I am currently writing.
Any message to other Lucenahins who are also dreaming of becoming writers or novelists like you?
To the other Lucenahins who share the same dream: Don’t just dream it. Do it. Don’t be afraid to pursue it with such fervour that you will have no regrets. Whatever it is you want to do, you have to have the determination and the will to push through it, otherwise, it will remain a dream. You may be faced with a lot of rejection and hurdles, but just keep on pushing and you must never ever give up.
As clichéd as it may sound, you can better hone your talent for writing by reading so read as many books as you can, and write, write, write. That’s the best way you can develop your own style for writing and exercise your imagination. Always strive to become better and, like what my personal mantra says, “Aspire. Create. Inspire.”
Dream on; Fly on!
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