Author Interview: Marigold Andres Uy
Getting to Know Pinoy Indie Authors
I truly feel Pinoy (Filipino) Indie Authors are underrated and, most times, under appreciated. In support, I am resuming my interviews with Pinoy Indie Authors.
In addition, I have also created a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping Pinoy writers to write, publish, and promote their books.
If you’re a Filipino indie author or writer, come join us! You’re welcome — whether you write in English, Taglish, or Tagalog. We’re all in this together!
Author Interview: Marigold Andres Uy
Marigold Andres Uy is our featured Pinoy Indie Author this week, and boy, she’s literally one amazing Super Woman, busy as a bee!
Aside from writing and publishing her own book (after book after book), she draws, designs, and paints. She co-founded 8Letters Publishing and now runs her multiple businesses almost single-handedly.
About Marigold Andres Uy
Marigold Andres Uy’s bloodstream is made up mostly of coffee.
She thinks of a new story whenever the earphones are plugged in.
She’s been writing since she was four, having started with nature-themed poems. They discovered she has a knack for story-writing when she wrote for stage plays in school. That fueled her enthusiasm more, making her start her first novel about nature and the seasons.
She happily lives in the comforts of her home in Cauayan, Isabela. She sometimes can be seen by the beach, in her other home in Claveria, Cagayan, drinking coffee forever and always.she’s busy as a bee – literally.
Marigold Andres Uy
Prolific Author, Artist, and Successful Entrepreneur
Connect with Marigold Andres Uy and purchase her books here:
Q & A with MARIGOLD ANDRES UY
What inspired you to become a writer?
I have always been a reader right from the start. I just thought, ‘what if I also had a book of my own on my shelf?’ I used to print my own books and bind them on my own. Didn’t know this could lead me to publish them now.
Could you describe your writing routine?
I mostly write at night. Even before I had my perfume business, my writer-self have always functioned better by eight or nine at night. I give myself one to two hours of nonstop writing and then stop when it’s time to go to bed. I don’t think about it for the rest of the day and focus all my writing energy within that designated writing window only.
How do you develop your story ideas?
I’m the type of writer who makes things up as I go. Sometimes, I outline, especially if it’s for publishing and I need a more solid plot. But most of the time, I write for my own entertainment, so I usually wing it out as I go.
How do you approach creating memorable characters?
I mostly write about male characters, and one of the things my friends and readers say about them is my ability to give them mannerisms. One example is one of my characters have this habit of patting his LI’s head.
I guess, sometimes, it’s the little things that make a character stand out which makes him memorable, rather than always giving them something ‘grand’.
Q & A with MARIGOLD ANDRES UY
How do you balance research and creativity in your writing?
I combine what I’ve searched about with what I imagine and create a new ‘thing’ instead. Like, I could probably research a whole government system and based my whole world-building around that, while changing some and keeping some facts.
What challenges have you faced as an author?
My laziness, mostly. And promoting my works. I am quite a busy person, so I post about my book once, and probably forget about it for so long.
How do you deal with writer’s block or self-doubt?
With writer’s block, I just let it be. I could go on writing for three to four months nonstop and suffer from burnout for the next two. I guess, I wouldn’t call it writer’s block, because I usually have a lot of ideas still during this burnout and recovery phase.
As for self-doubt, I don’t usually beat myself up that much. I tell myself it’s normal and that there are people better than me, but no one can do what I can.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Read as much as you write. It helps deepen and broaden your vocabulary and knowledge.
Can you give us a sneak peek into your upcoming projects?
My current projects (aside from my manananggal story) are:
- Idol Mixtape – Contemporary Romance. This one is a series of three or four (maybe five?) romance books centered around how idols fall in love.
- The Dragon Prince – Medieval Fantasy. I still have two chapters left for this. It’s a fantasy novel about seven princes who are tasked to find the cure for a disease that is spread across the world and among creatures. The Seventh Prince is the main lead, but all his brothers have their own spotlights along the way.
- The Cruel Princess – Medieval Fantasy. A side story for The Dragon Prince. It’s about how the Third Prince had fallen into disgrace after falling in love with the enemy kingdom’s princess.
- Rose Fever. This is a duology about a disease called the Rose Fever. It is a fatal illness that resembles a rash. Those who died and came back to life will be taken by the kingdom’s authorities and will be venerated as saints. It is part of what I call The Alstroemeria Project, a series of books with flowers in their titles. It also centers around similar themes, like the protagonists having colored hairs.
The titles and genre/theme in this project are:
- Rose Fever – medieval fantasy
- Iris Children – this one has a Ghibli vibes kind of story and has a bit of steampunk going on in some parts.
- Wisteria Magic – modern fantasy / realism
What’s the message in your latest book and why did you choose it?
My latest, huh? The last one I wrote is a romance novel about a J-pop idol and a female company owner. To be honest, it was one of those guilty pleasure books that I wrote just for the heck of it.
But if I must choose one book with a message, I’d probably choose ‘The Little Mermaid and the Witch’s Son’. It’s a fairy tale retelling that revolves around choosing responsibility and chasing dreams. That sometimes, sacrificing a certain dream is inevitable to maintain balance in life, and become a responsible individual.
Did you know I wrote a Short, Sweet, Steamy Romance series?
Here’s the first Book in the Series. I hope you can check it out – it might just be worth your time!
BACK HOME TO YOU
Till when do you hold on, and when do you let go? Back Home To You is a second chance amnesia romance and the first story in the You’re Mine Series of short, sweet and steamy romances.
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