• Culture
    Culture

    Why divisive rhetoric against fellow voters is harmful for us all

    Our former colonizers will be approving a three-day menstrual leave

    preenph women broadcasters journalistic integrity elections 2022

    Local women broadcasters force us to reflect on journalistic integrity post-elections

    • Women
    • Queer
    • Politics
    • Environment
    • Food
  • Style
    Style
    preenph maternity nursing clothes filipino mothers brands

    Local brands creating stylish summer looks for pregnant and nursing moms

    preenph beauty summer 2022 skincare makeup

    Our local makeup and skincare faves for summer 2022 

    Bea Alonzo served tasteful bridesmaid chic

    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Space
    • Shopping
  • Entertainment
    Entertainment
    preenph ellen adarna breast implant removal

    Ellen Adarna is the latest celeb to say bye to breast implant illness

    preenph dingdong dantes marian rivera mother's day tribute vote

    Why Dingdong Dantes dedicates his vote to moms such as Marian Rivera

    What you may not know about new gen star Kyline Alcantara

    • Celebrities
    • TV & Movies
    • Music
  • Life+Money
    Life+Money
    preenph ellen adarna breast implant removal

    Ellen Adarna is the latest celeb to say bye to breast implant illness

    preenph maternity nursing clothes filipino mothers brands

    Local brands creating stylish summer looks for pregnant and nursing moms

    What you may not know about new gen star Kyline Alcantara

    • Career & Money
    • Parenting & Relationships
    • Sex & Health
    • Astrology
    • Travel
  • Inquirer.net
  • Lifestyle
Reading
Author Samantha Sotto on a Writer’s Role in the Post-Truth Era
ShareTweet
In Profiles
3 min read

Author Samantha Sotto on a Writer’s Role in the Post-Truth Era

By Olivia Sylvia Trinidad Olivia Estradaon February 9, 2017
samantha sotto
Share
0shares

samantha sotto

The best stories are not often found in between book covers. Life always outdoes fiction, and writers are always struggling to keep up. Samantha Sotto could attest to this, a mom who waited for her kid in school, found herself in the publishing world quickly with the release of her first book, Before Ever After. The title was picked up by Crown Publishers, a division of Random House, setting her up for an international audience.

With that success, Samantha is following it up with a new book,  Love and Gravity, under Ballantine Books. The story involves 17-year-old Andrea and Isaac Newton. How these two worlds come together to make a compelling love story is something you have to find out on your own. For now, we managed to snag an interview with the author to talk about her writing process and the role of writers in these Trumped-up times.

When is the best time to write?

It’s a toss up-between while I’m washing my hair or lying awake in bed at a ridiculous [time] in the morning. I’ve learned that I do my best “writing” when I’m not writing. Phrases and scenes are easier to grasp when I’m not chasing after them.

How different was your process for writing Love and Gravity from your first book?

The difference was that this time around, I actually had a semblance of a process. I didn’t even have an outline for Before Ever After. I had to be more organized and disciplined with Love and Gravity because of the time travel element. I needed to carefully plan the timeline out to make sure that I didn’t have any contradictions or loose ends.

What’s the best criticism you’ve heard about your writing so far?

I received some feedback that I used too many metaphors and similes in Before Ever After. I tried to be mindful of that in Love and Gravity, and tried to explore alternative ways to bring the scenes in my head to life.

How did you come up with Love and Gravity?

Believe it or not, I got the idea for the book when I watched Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I left the theater itching to write an alternative history story of my own.

What was the hardest chapter or scene to write in Love and Gravity?

I always find that the first chapter of a book is the hardest part to write. It’s the point where I’m still in the process of getting into my character’s head and it takes a while to feel comfortable with his or her thoughts, motives, and actions. If you’ve ever gone on a blind date, you’ll know what I mean. There are moments of awkward silence when you think to yourself, “What in the world am I going to talk about with this stranger?” I usually wind up completely rewriting the chapter when I get further along in the book and know the characters more intimately.

How do fiction writers figure in the world of post-truth and alternative facts?

I don’t think my job of bringing stories, ideas, and characters to life has changed. I just need to strive to be better at it. Better writing makes better readers, readers who are hopefully more engaged and discerning about whatever they are reading: fact, fiction, or fiction disguising as fact.

Best way to get over writer’s block?

I just put one word in front of the other. They may be the worst words ever, but that’s what the delete button is for.

A book you wish you wrote?

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I live by it. Not saying “no” to something you haven’t tried is one of the most important things you can teach a child. It’s a lesson that can actually steer the course of your life. I’m an author today because of it.

Who are your heroes when it comes to writing?

Neil Gaiman and Agatha Christie.

What are your plans for your next book?

I’ve finished writing the book and I’m now revising it based on my agent’s feedback. Wish me luck!

 

 

Preen.ph together with National Book Store will host the book launch of Love and Gravity this Saturday, Feb. 11. For more information, click on our Facebook page.

Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Viber

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0

Action Required!

We embed Facebook Comments plugin to allow you to leave comment at our website using your Facebook account. It may collects your IP address, your web browser User Agent, store and retrieve cookies on your browser, embed additional tracking, and monitor your interaction with the commenting interface, including correlating your Facebook account with whatever action you take within the interface (such as “liking” someone’s comment, replying to other comments), if you are logged into Facebook. For more information about how this data may be used, please see Facebook’s data privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update.

Accept    Decline

Tags
booksculture profilesprofiles

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay in the loop


By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

ShareTweetEmailShare
Olivia Sylvia Trinidad Olivia Estrada

Peek This

Why divisive rhetoric against fellow voters is harmful for us all

preenph ellen adarna breast implant removal

Ellen Adarna is the latest celeb to say bye to breast implant illness

Our former colonizers will be approving a three-day menstrual leave

preenph women broadcasters journalistic integrity elections 2022

Local women broadcasters force us to reflect on journalistic integrity post-elections

Preen.ph © 2020. Hinge Inquirer Publications, Inc.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • HOME
  • ARCHIVES
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
victoria beckham estee lauder
Previous
You Can Now Pre-Order Victoria Beckham’s Newest Makeup Items
kelsey merritt modeling
Next
Kelsey Merritt on Her Crazy Student-Model Schedule and Working With Gigi Hadid
  • Culture
    • Women
    • Queer
    • Politics
    • Environment
    • Food
  • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Space
    • Shopping
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrities
    • TV & Movies
    • Music
  • Life+Money
    • Career & Money
    • Parenting & Relationships
    • Sex & Health
    • Astrology
    • Travel
  • Inquirer.net
  • Lifestyle
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Search
Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close
fashion fashion news music Culture News movies
See all results

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay in the loop


By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.