Anat Eliraz
Israel
Good morning, Anat, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for Art and Authors. What have you written?
I have written an adult fantasy book- "Jewels of Smoky Quartz". It's about a nurse, who also practices martial arts, and one day finds herself in another world. She needs to use her wit and skills to survive and find her way.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I write only fantasy, though I read many different genres.
Favorite food?
Fresh baked bread. Actually any pastry that's fresh from the oven!
Tea or coffee?
Tea in winter and cold/ ice coffee in summer.
Pizza or ice cream?
Ice cream. I like sweet and salty mixtures.
Wine or beer or soda or what?
I don't drink alcohol (nothing to do with beliefs or religion, I just don't like the taste). Water, I guess… Never cared much for my beverages…
Where would you like to visit?
I would love to visit New Zealand! I enjoy hiking and there are some amazing views worth seeing there!
Favorite musical artist?
Okay, this is a bit sophisticated. Before I wrote my book my favourite singer was 'Sting' and I also have a local one here. But I used to listen to songs when I wrote and discovered some amazing indie musicians. There are a few, but if I had to pick one it would be 'Aviators'.
Haha! Does the last answer count?! I also enjoy 'Miracle of Sound', 'Malukah' and Beth Crowley.
What makes you laugh?
My kids (got four of them!). I also enjoy smart/ sarcastic jokes.
Favorite work of art or sculpture?
If I had to choose one, I think it would be 'David'.
How old were you when you started writing?
I was in primary school. I wrote songs and poems and a bunch of stories I never finished. Most of my ideas came from D&D games back then.
The idea for my published book came to me in December of 2018 and I finished it by the middle of 2019 (I finished it in 3.5 months, but had one part of about 7-8 pages that took me about the same time to actually finish).
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I just write. I am what others call 'a panster'. I write scenes and then I put them all together.
My story demanded to be written. I would wake up in the middle of the night and just had to write, I wouldn't fall asleep unless I wrote down the idea that popped up and woke me.
Describe your perfect evening.
As myself- Kids at grandparents house, a date dinner with my husband. We do that once every 2-3 months. Good for the soul.
As a writer- Husband abroad, kids asleep, good music, a cup of tea or coffee and a muse for writing!
Where do you get your inspiration?
Anywhere and everywhere. It could be the news, a conversation with friends or colleagues, a family trip somewhere.
The idea for my book came from a 'philosophical' question raised in a conversation about us having free will or not.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I work on 2-3 projects simultaneously. So I can just move to write something else.
Sometimes I just make myself write, just to write it down, even if I am not happy with it, but at least it's there and now I can correct it.
Sometimes I just don't write. I read, and it will pass.
Who is your favorite author?
I love the way Charles De Lint weaves a tale! He is one of the only authors I would bother to read more than once.
In the last two years I have decided to clear the stage for new indie authors and found some true gems! I really hope to see them shine in the future!
Best book you ever read.
Oh, wow… I read in so many genres. Can I give the top three?
Yes
Someplace to be flying, by Charles De Lint
Life in the Tomb, by Stratis Myrivilis
Book of Pages, by David Whiteland
Last book you read.
"The Empires Lion", by Nathan Tudor.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
You mean- what I ACTUALLY do for a living, when I am not writing in my free time?!
I am a physiotherapist, specialising in neonatal (preterm babies) and children's development.
Even if I could make a living from writing, I don't think I would have stopped working. I love what I do!
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My husband.
I'm with him for more than half my life. He knows my deepest secrets, he is the one I consult with and he is the one who gives me space when I need it. He has been with me through the ups and downs, we have gone through so much together. And even though we are almost complete opposites (in terms of professions, interests, hobbies etc)- we don't clash, on the contrary- we complete each other.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
God.
No, that's not a comment. I would like to speak with him/her/it.
No offense meant to any believer.
Be it a real or fictional character, I am not on 'good terms' with… them.
For those shocked by my comment- you can judge someone only after walking in their shoes.
I need to ask some serious questions that I would really want to receive answers to.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
If you have a story to tell- write it.
It doesn't matter at this stage if it's good, if it's worth publishing, if anyone will ever want to read it.
If you don't write it- non of those would matter.
Don't look for excuses why not to write. There is an unlimited amount of them (I can write a book about that!).
If you fear other people's reactions- don't tell them.
If you feel you need support- join writers groups.
Even if you never publish, writing a full story is an accomplishment you can be proud of. And you never know, maybe in the future you will do something with it.
Writing does much more than just put ink to paper.
You put in something of yourself. You might, even subconsciously, deal with a situation that bothered you in real life. Writing is therapeutic to some extent, so even if you write only for yourself, you owe it to yourself.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
If anyone wants to contact me personally- best place is on Facebook. I also posted through the process of publishing, so maybe people can find things that might help them too.
I love corresponding with my readers, so feel free to ask/ comment/ share feelings as you read!
https://m.facebook.com/anat.eliraz.7
My book can be found on Amazon and is free on Kindle unlimited
There is a song I wrote in the book and a friend took the words and brought them to life! She didn't have a professional studio, but she did it at home with minimal equipment and lots of love!
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