Scarlett Van Dijk
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Sky Stone Series
    • Map of Branzia
  • Poetry
  • Other Writing
  • Contact Me
  • Other
    • Images
    • Links
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Sky Stone Series
    • Map of Branzia
  • Poetry
  • Other Writing
  • Contact Me
  • Other
    • Images
    • Links

Guest Post: C.D. Gorri - On Writing

6/8/2014

1 Comment

 
If I started out saying writing saved my life it may not be too much of an exaggeration. It certainly has saved my sanity. At any rate writing has really helped me clear out and organize some of the “stuff” my mind is crowded with.

I consider myself an eternal student so I am always reading, looking things up, watching educational programs, listening to music, googling stuff on the web. I would have stayed in school forever if possible. I mean I was probably the only one student out of everyone at Montclair State during my time there who earned a BA in English with no intention of teaching or becoming a journalist. I just wanted to read and write.

I had a lot of really great professors who taught me a lot and of course my husband and children have always been full of encouragement. I love storytelling. It serves so many purposes. People tell stories to preserve history, to carry on tradition, to express emotion, to explore imagination, to delve into places no one ever has, to teach, to explain, to entertain, the list is endless. Writing provides infinite possibility and fulfillment for me in ways I never imagined. It’s my therapy, my calling, my passion.
Wolf Moon - C.D. Gorri
I hope when someone reads my stories that they are engaged and entertained. I hope that they can have a few moments of escape from reality, and maybe they’ll pick up on something that sparks their interest. I’m a big fan of anything that gets people to react, to feel, to think. It would be amazing if I did that for someone else. Even if it’s just one person.

For my ebook, Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel, I became sort of obsessed with the idea of drawing from my own background. Italian, Catholic, private schools… That’s what all the greats advise, isn’t it? Write what you know. Ooh, and write something that my kids could read and identify with. 

So yes, we are Catholic. I just wanted to note that I am not trying to convert anyone through my work and sure I have problems with Church politics and policies. Nobody’s perfect. And religion rarely is. I strongly feel religion is a personal choice and all faiths should be treated with respect.

I also wanted my writing to be interesting and entertaining. So I thought, okay, teenagers, Werewolves, Witches and Demons. Cool. Grazi, my main character, is Catholic and is bound by contract to serve the Hounds of God, a secret Werewolf organization that essentially works for the Roman Catholic Church. I also have her attending a Catholic high school, which is where I drew on some of my own experiences. 

Wolf Moon is the first installment in what I intend to be a series of books. It is also the shortest. Under 60,000 words. It is a fast paced read, told from her point of view, that I designed to introduce Grazi and her world.

The fact that it is a world I created sort of makes me geek out at times. I mean, wow, it is something alright. A whole universe came out of the jumble that is my mind. That very same mind that sometimes forgets where the keys are, or to pick up shampoo at the grocery store. Yeah, that one. Very cool.

Being a writer is scary, exhausting, sometimes confusing hard work, but absolutely the most awesome work experience I have ever had. 

I just want to say thank you Scarlett for hosting me here and thank you all of you for taking the time to read this!

Be sure and look for me, C.D. Gorri, author of the Grazi Kelly Novel Series on my website www.cdgorri.com, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Cdgorribooks Twitter @cgor22, Google+ https://www.google.com/+CDGorribooks, and Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/CDGorri. You can find my ebooks on Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Google Play, Itunes, Kobo and more.

Thanks and happy reading!

del mare alla stella,

C.D. Gorri

About C.D. Gorri

Picture
C.D. Gorri is a writer of YA paranormal fiction. She is the author of the Grazi Kelly novel series. C.D. has earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Montclair State University. She attended Catholic school from grades K-12 and is the youngest of six daughters born to Italian immigrant parents. She lives in her home state of New Jersey with her husband, their children, and their dog.

1 Comment
CD Gorri link
6/8/2014 05:19:29 am

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    A Writer's Tale

    Scarlett Van Dijk

    Writer of young adult, fantasy series, the Sky Stone series, poetry and short stories.
    I hope to update this blog weekly with tips for writers and some personal stories. There will also be guest posts from fellow writers. Stay tuned!


    Categories

    All
    Guest Posts
    Guest Posts
    Guide To Fantasy Writing
    Life
    My Writing
    Writing Tips
    Writing Tips

    Archives

    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Subscribe to my blog to receive email updates of my latest posts.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

© Scarlett Van Dijk 2016