Gina Maria Manchego – Interview

by Manuela Timofte

"Loosen those ties.
Unmask.
I do not mind your madness.
Let me see inside."

Gina Maria Manchego - Unmask

M. Since when do you write? What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I’ve been writing since I was able to. When blank sheets of paper weren’t offered to me, I’d alter stories inside the books I owned. Adding to classic fairytales or changing the endings to be what I wanted them to be. I was good at inventing a whole new world through the reality I envisioned. 

I grew up in a volatile household, I knew early in life that a word or a phrase would either be your quicksand or your cloud. The spells cast by the power of words and language set the tone for the existence you navigate.

M. Do you consider yourself a compass or a map writer?

One hundred percent a map writer. Every word choice, theme, and image I create in my work is fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s strategic and calculated, I’m seldom ever pulled by emotion through my own compositions. I was an executive director for a long while in my early career. I come from a place of strong technical writing, that skill set has greatly influenced the fictional pieces I produce now.

M. In your workday, how much time do you spend writing?

I write haphazardly unless I establish a deadline for myself. I’ll type a little here, a bit there, over the course of weeks without a pinpointed due date in the books. If I buckle down and have structure to deadline and theme requirements, then I typically can roll out a thousand words a night. 

M. Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

I wrote under the pen name‘AlchemistZ’ for many years. When I wrote as the Alchemist, I had more freedom to indulge the darker, grittier and more aggressive side of character development and theme. I covered all topics from A-Z, nothing was censored or off the table.

M. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I don’t know if it’s wise to admit this, however, I never think about what the reader wants. My work is original, vulnerable and raw. If I find an audience that can immerse themselves in the current of my thoughts, then I’m delighted by the bonus. I don’t cater my theme development to the outside trends, whatever those may be.

M. Tell us about your latest project. Are you working on a new one now?

My latest project is a sequel piece to ‘The Poetry of Pronouns.’ It’s a collection of prose that documents a vacation taken together by two individuals who are normally in a long-distance love affair. 

M. What would you say is your hallmark as a writer?

My writing isn’t polished or pristine. It’s real, steeped in life experiences that are ugly, sad, messy, and condemning. Those variables are the elements that make my work relatable. I’m just the courageous vessel willing to put myself out there for the world to commiserate with. 

M. Do you think that accessing the reader who reads on a tablet, computer or mobile phone, in different spaces, (train, bus, metro) can help you be more read?

Absolutely! Reading in ANY capacity is a gift and a blessing. The power of technology has opened possibilities for a wider audience that never would have been realized in the confines of old-school libraries.

M. Do you think Masticadores’s bet in the search for that digital reader is correct? What’s your opinion about it?

Gobblers and Masticadores’ ability to bridge access to the digital consumer is a commendable achievement. The EZine has done a tremendous job offering cross-continental variety with authorship and subject matter. It’s a diverse gateway to the world through words. 

M. What has your participation as a writer in Masticadores given you?

Gobblers and Masticadores has given me a platform to grow, to explore and learn as an author. Being a monthly contributor has been a dream that I’m forever grateful to have. 

https://ankersmanchego.wordpress.com

https://nextchapter.pub/authors/gina-maria-manchego

https://nextchapter.pub/books/the-poetry-of-pronouns

https://ginamanchegoauthor.wordpress.com

Twitter: @GiUknit