Meet Conchita GarSantiago

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Conchita GarSantiago. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Conchita below.

Conchita, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My journey didn’t start when I was young, regrettably, although I believe the idea of writing was always in the back of my mind.
During my school years, I enjoyed writing essays until I reached year 7, when a thoughtless teacher didn’t appreciate my composition and made unkind remarks in class. This unpleasant experience caused me to lose interest in writing for some time.
After a period of discouragement, I was grateful to find that my passion for writing had reignited. This happened as I started to travel and live abroad.

I would often write letters to my family and friends back home, describing my new lifestyle and surroundings in great detail. People were impressed by the level of detail in my descriptions, which brought my experiences to life on the page. They were particularly struck by how I was able to capture the essence of what I was living and experiencing, as well as the visual beauty of my surroundings. All in all, my letters left readers with a strong sense of what life was like for me at that time in that place.

Writing became my ally when I was alone in a foreign country and had not yet make friends. Through writing, I was able to feel the presence of the person I was writing to, and avoid the feeling of loneliness. It was a comfort to have someone to write to, even if they were far away. It all provided a sense of connection and helped me feel less isolated in a new and unfamiliar land.

As I continued to write, I began to appreciate its power to soothe. The act of putting one’s thoughts and emotions down on paper can be a therapeutic experience, allowing us to process our feelings and gain a sense of clarity.

Soon enough, it became a hobby that I enjoyed. In order to expand my writing skills beyond personal stories, I began to develop my ability to craft imaginative stories, and delving into this type of writing sparked a greater interest in pursuing it more seriously. Rather than focusing solely on autobiographical content, I found myself drawn to the creative process of storytelling. I enrolled in writing classes, and I must admit that I did quite well.
After completing writing courses, I joined some writers’ groups to further improve my skills. I found that being a part of a good writers’ group can be even more beneficial than the lessons themselves. However, I recommend starting with the courses as a foundation.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

After I discover the benefits of writing, I decided to continue honing my craft, I began participating in writing competitions. Through my participation, I was fortunate enough to have some of my work published on their magazines and websites.
After some time had passed, I was presented with an opportunity to participate in an anthology project with twenty-three other writers. Together, we created a book called “Hope.”

This experience taught me a great deal about the editing, printing, and publishing processes involved in making a book. After gaining new knowledge, I teamed up with some friends to create a new anthology of short stories. These stories were written by women, and they were about women. Our collaboration led to the creation of a book titled, “Weaving Words.”

After having a wealth of experiences, I was finally motivated to write my first novel. I titled it “A Cry for Home,: a fictional historical tale set during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. This conflict began in 1936 and ended in 1939 just a few months prior to the start of World War II. Many have said that the Spanish Civil War served as a prelude to the Second World War and the two events are indeed connected. For example, Hitler used the war as a testing ground for his battle machinery and as result, he was better prepared when the bigger war began.

The battles, political turmoil, and events depicted in my book mirror historical occurrences. However, I added a fictional element to the story by creating a dramatic plot centred around a family that experiences the horrors and perils of war. Although the characters in the story are not directly based on my own family, they are loosely inspired by them.

Writing is a powerful tool of self-expression, and it’s one of the many ways that human beings have to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
When I look at a paper, or a blank page on the computer, I see a vast canvas that is waiting to be filled. The possibilities of combining the keys on a keyboard are endless, limited only by one’s imagination. Anyone can sit down at their computer and start writing about their feelings, their unique perspective, or simply let their imagination take over.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I’m not sure if you could call these three skills, but I think is what made me more self-confidence when I sat down to write.

1.- Imagination. Unless you are going to write a book about factual facts, and only factual facts, you need imagination.
2.- To have a decent level of grammar. All the gadgets we have with autocorrect and other similar ones, it is not as necessary as it was a long time ago, but still, you need to “expose” your story in a good way.
3.- Read a lot. It would be very difficult to write if you haven’t read.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The biggest challenge is to publish.

Nowadays, large traditional publishers are looking for an easier way. In the past, people would read a couple of pages from your book, and if they enjoyed it, they would continue reading. Today all the read is your name. Do you have a big name, yes? you’re in. You don’t have a big name? You’re not in.

When embarking on a new journey, attaining a reputable name is not merely difficult, but rather an insurmountable challenge.

Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the presence of vanity publishers. Those ones want your book. And your money. You pay a few thousands and they put your book in their website. This won’t be of any help to you, since if you are not recognized, it is impossible for anyone to enter your name or the title of your book on their computer.

Given these circumstances, the chances of publication are nearly impossible.

The choice that worked best for me was to self-publish.

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