Ewa Anderson

There’s something magical about European cities that have long and turbulent histories. In Warsaw, there’s a story behind every corner. A city that was once leveled, but rose from the ashes to stand witness to its stories. Once discovered, these tales can become an inspiration for any writer. I often look back at the city of my childhood and miss strolling down the familiar paths of the old town, but the real beauty of the place comes from the people that live in it. After so many years of living in Canada, their everyday lives are unfamiliar to me, and that makes them more interesting.

I was going to say that my childhood was boring and uneventful, but after some thought, I realized that my life was very different from those that many of my readers probably had, as I lived through a turbulent part of Polish history. I was only a small child when martial law was announced in Poland, and while I don’t remember much about that specific time, the changes of that period helped shape me into who I am today. I saw the transition from empty shelves in the stores to full aisles of chocolate bars, from people selling goods right on the streets to the opening of shiny new stores. I was free to travel through Europe when it had been difficult to cross the iron curtain for previous generations. Although there was plenty of happiness, the economic situation for many households was very hard and the changes crushed many people who were unable to find themselves in the new reality.

The language was a big challenge for me. I studied English in school back home and I knew basic vocabulary and grammar, however, this was the first time I’d had no other choice but to speak it. The mental transition in my brain from speaking Polish to speaking English was hard and took a lot of effort, but being able to study in Canada helped a lot. Looking back, I’m thrilled that I accomplished so much through that journey and that I was eventually able to write a book in my second language.

There were two reasons for me to obtain a master’s degree in computer science: knowledge and money. One of my goals, when I came to Canada, was to achieve as much as I could academically and test my strength and persistence by getting a diploma. I persevered despite the added challenge of studying in my second language and despite my own personal weaknesses in order to obtain a master's degree. Entering the workforce as an IT professional helped me to not only be able to finance my studies, but also my artistic hobbies such as painting and writing. Unfortunately being an author is often not enough to make ends meet, and many of us authors work full-time in order to be able to write. I’m no exception to this and I try to continue to develop both my professional IT career and my writing career.

My husband is very supportive of my writing. When I wrote the first draft of Sābanto: The Crimson River, I wanted to burn the manuscript, because I didn’t think I was good enough to publish a book. My husband insisted on reading it and after a few weeks, he encouraged me to continue working on it and have it published. He never stopped believing in me throughout the process.

I can’t point to any specific job that made me decide to be a writer or had any major contribution to that decision. I think, however, it is important to note that no matter what we do for a living, every experience contributes to the stories we write. Sometimes we may not see the connection, but it’s definitely there.

I need quiet time with no distractions in order to be able to immerse myself in the story and keep writing. During the summer I would grab a coffee and sit outside under the pergola with my laptop. Recently I found that I am most productive in the morning, so I try to get up early, especially on the weekend, in order to make progress with my manuscript.

Canada is seen as a diverse country with different people and cultures working and playing together, supporting each other. It’s true, however, a closer look reveals that we still have a lot to work on. Many indigenous people still don’t have easy access to clean water, our homeless are sleeping on the streets without adequate shelter, and there are families who often go hungry because they cannot make ends meet. When I watch the news, I see people claiming that immigrants are taking their jobs, that the poor are lazy or addicts, and that so-called “unskilled” labor doesn’t deserve a living wage. These misconceptions frustrated me, and that’s how the Sābanto story started to take shape.

I don’t want to include spoilers in my answer so I think I will keep it short and vague. There are three things that I wanted to include as part of the plot and character development: (1) Although we think we are in control of our lives, in reality, there are people and situations that keep on manipulating us and influencing our worldviews and decisions. (2) No one is perfect and everyone has flaws, no matter how ideal we seem to be on the outside. Everyone has their secrets. (3) Humanity wages a constant battle with who we are, our past, our emotions, and our drive to be different. The outcomes of these struggles and our actions are what shape us.

Reviews are a required and inevitable part of publishing. Getting positive reviews is a cause for celebration, but negative reviews can be very painful. I’ve been using this feedback as an opportunity to learn who my audience is. Sābanto is not an easy-read, feel-good novel, and not everyone will find it interesting or worth the read. Those who are sensitive to social issues and world politics, however, tend to enjoy Sābanto and their reviews reflect their personalities.

Writing my first book was an enormous task and I learned a lot about writing and publishing. There is, however, still lots to learn. I’m hoping to continue to deepen my understanding and perfect my writing and editing, but I will take it one step at a time. Every story we write helps us grow as writers and humans, and I think that as long as I am writing, that growth won’t stop. The beauty of being an author or a reader is that we are being thrown into unknown waters over and over again, and what we learn from these experiences will never cease to surprise us.

Writing definitely increases my energy level. My books are far from peaceful. The fast pace and action-packed novels are written in accordance with the rapidity of the action they contain.

Keep at it. There are no shortcuts or workarounds for the hard work and stress of writing a book that I can offer. I don’t think they exist. The reality is that books are born from pain. Many times I have to push myself to write or to get moving with the editing, which is neverending. The final product, a published book, however, is a reward for all the hardships of writing and it is totally worth the time and effort put into it.

I’m currently in the process of editing the second part of Sābanto, which is a continuation of the first book. It doesn’t have a title yet, but I have some ideas and I hope to be able to make a decision soon. In the second book, the readers will learn what happened with their favorite characters and get some closure on some of the subplots that weren’t resolved in the first book. I am also introducing new and exciting characters that will spice up the story. A small spoiler: while The Crimson River deals with extreme poverty issues, the second book will focus on workplace safety and healthcare for the society of the future.

I heard about the AllAuthor website from a friend of mine who had published a book. AllAuthor was also on the list of verified sites on the Alliance of Independent Authors, so I thought I would give it a try. I think the site is well done and gives some visibility to authors and their books. As of right now, I don’t think the site is helping me much with the publicity around my book, but my book has a very specific audience and it requires a specific targeting method that I have yet to figure out.