Meet MaryAnn Sciavillo-Lopez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful MaryAnn Sciavillo-Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with MaryAnn below.

MaryAnn, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Growing up, I have always been shy and an introvert and often kept to myself. Because of that, my nature led people to consider me conceited—though I am completely the opposite—and so I had few friends during my school years. I depended on my imagination, my love of reading, and writing to deal with that time in my life. Once I started working in the “real world,” I saw my confidence in my abilities grow, and my managers often promoted me from clerical to administrative positions. The promotion that changed me the most was when I accepted the role of an International Shipping Estimator with a moving company in Connecticut and when another shipping company sought me to work at their office in the Empire State Building. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the position, but the idea of it gave me confidence in myself.
Though I still find myself to be shy in crowds, I no longer allow it to control the outcome of what I want to accomplish.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am recently retired and now spend a lot of time writing. I have always loved to write, creating plays, and writing short stories. As I got older, I often wondered if I had the ability to be published someday. I didn’t start taking writing seriously until the age of fifty, writing historical fantasy fiction. After self-publishing two novels, it took another ten years, and the pandemic, to get myself writing again and I’m so glad that I did. I have written two novels in a time-travel trilogy, a collection of short stories, and my work-in-progress; a bookstore ghost novella. Indie and Self-Publishing have allowed my dream of creating works to become a reality.

Through writing, I have met some wonderful authors at my writing group, Citrus Writers of Florida, and by attending Author events. I committed to attending as many author events and markets as I can this year to promote and sell my stories.
My books are available in paperback and ebooks on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/sciavillolopez

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three things impacting my journey were realizing I’m not too old to be a writer, I’m not too old to learn, and I’m not too old for the journey of where it will take me.

My advice for new writers early in their journey is to write, write, write. Join a writer’s group and learn from other writers (either in your area or online), and attend conferences if possible. Once you have a book published, market it everywhere possible through social media, events, your blog or website, etc.
Keep writing and learning.

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?

Time. Even after retiring, time can get away from you quickly. Often, there are unforeseen interruptions as well as everyday interruptions. I try to commit to writing a certain amount of words every other day and also commit time to edit my stories. But, also, take time to get away from your computer and play with your dogs, go to lunch with your spouse or friends, and socialize. Don’t burn out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/author/sciavillolopez
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAnnsNovels
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sciavillolopez
• Other: https://www.sites.google.com/view/theindiescribes