Author Interview: Tyffany Hackett

It's time for the July 2020 Writing Desk Blog interview! 

My guest this month is author Tyffany Hackett. You can find Tyffany's bio and links to her platforms in the Get to Know the Author post from Wednesday (22 July 2020).

Image provided by: Tyffany Hackett

Today is also the release date for Tyffany's latest novel, Ventus, the final installment of her Thanatos Trilogy!
 

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Writing Desk Blog: Welcome Tyffany Hackett to the Writing Desk Blog! Thank you for joining me today.

You are having an exciting and busy publishing year. Your latest novel Dawn Till Dusk, co-written with author Becky Moynihan (who was my guest on the blogback in May), was released on 26 May 2020 and the final book in your Thanatos Trilogy, Ventus, is due for release today (24 July 2020)!  If you had to pick three words to best describe Ventus, what would they be? 

Tyffany Hackett: Omg that's hard. Um. Maybe . . . Emotional. Nerve-wracking. Final.

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WDB: Was the Genesis Crystal Saga series you've started with Becky the first time you've co-authored a novel? How did the experience compare for you to writing your own series?

TH: I've co-written before, but nothing that was going to be published. In middle/high school I had a group of friends and we wrote together regularly (mostly Harry Potter fanfiction to be honest) but that should NEVER see the light of day, hahaha! It's definitely more challenging to have to run ideas past another person, but it's also easier to solve problems that way. You have to learn to compromise a lot more when you're not the only one steering the ship xD

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WDB: I've seen an array of character art featured on your website and social media platforms. Does having the characters represented in artwork help bring them to life for you? Do you prefer to draw your own, or commission work from artists? 

TH: I generally have my characters fully fleshed out before I even consider commissioning art to be honest, so in my head they're as real as actual walking breathing people. Seeing them is unreal, and so fun, and one of my absolute favorite things, but even if I never saw them in art form I'd still have solid images in my mind. And while I absolutely wish I could draw my own, it's not a talent I've ever worked on. But the plus side there is I get to work with some incredibly talented artists and they have always done my babies so much justice.

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WDB: It's got to be bittersweet coming to the end of a book series. Is there anything special you'll be doing to mark the occasion? 

TH: Oh man, bittersweet is the word for it. I've been working with these characters since I was 14. I still can't quite believe I won't be sitting down to continue their story, so sitting down at a doc right now is a bit of a shock to the system, haha! And honestly, I have a really bad tendency to not celebrate my accomplishments. If I do something it'll be last minute and probably super low key, bahaha!

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WDB: These next questions are ones I like to ask in each Writing Desk Blog interview, it’s interesting to see the range of responses I get! 

Are you a plotter or pantser? Do you have a specific planning style you use when writing, or do you prefer to let things flow more naturally?

TH: Pantser! I usually know points A, B, and C, and then I just dive in and write. Though, one mistake I made with my trilogy was not keeping organized notes. I literally had a point while writing Ventus where I couldn't find my notes on the Titans . . . and was only saved because I put a Titan glossary in Tellus. I literally had to publish my notes to remember where they were xD So going forward I definitely intend to plan at least a little, so I don't end up scrambling for world notes I wrote on a napkin two years before. bahahaha!

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WDB: What is your favorite method for connecting with readers and other writers? Social media, conferences, meet-ups, or a combination? 

TH: I love love love Instagram. It's my favorite of all the social media platforms, and most specifically the Bookstagram community. Not only is it a community of people there to share their love of books and bookish things, but I have met some of the most wonderful, amazing friends. Lasting friendships, people I might not have met without Bookstagram and who are very much real friends inside of Instagram and out. That's irreplaceable. I do have plans to do con circuits in the future though!

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WDB: Where do you typically work from? (Home, office, coffee shop, etc.) Is there any place you find you're more productive than others?

TH: There are two offices in my house; a downstairs, open-space one where my hubs and I have our gaming PCs, and the upstairs one that is exclusively my space. Primarily, I've been working downstairs. Going forward, I want to work in my office more. I'm much more productive in my own space, especially since I've designed it in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and comforting to me. Plus I'm surrounded by all of my books up there and man is that motivating. :D

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WDB: If you are able to tell us, what’s next for you? We know the sequel to Dawn Till Dusk, titled Fall of Night, has already been announced. Will you be focusing on that series, or do you also have a new project in mind now that the Thanatos Trilogy is complete?

TH: My primary focus for now will definitely be on the Genesis Crystal Saga. Becky and I definitely want to get that series going so that the wait between books is lessened. But on the side I'll be working on an East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling! :D I usually have two projects going at the same time, and that retelling wants out! 

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WDB: Has your experience primarily been with traditional publishing, indie/self-publishing, or a mix of both? Which route do you prefer and why? 

TH: My personal experience has all been with indie publishing. I started researching the publishing industry when I was 14, and I'll tell ya, it's changed SO much since then. In a good way, because indie authors have so many more options now. For a long time, because of the limitations of indie publishing and honestly the public opinion of it, I was dead-set on traditional publishing. But honestly, going the traditional publishing route can be really slow and you don't have nearly as much control over your work. Plus indie royalties are higher, giving us a real shot at making more money long term if we're willing to put in the marketing work. For me, it was the right path.

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WDB: Something about you that people may be surprised to know?

TH: Oh man. I'm always so bad at picking out things that others might potentially be interested in, haha! Hmm. I did tap, jazz, and ballet when I was younger and my intense love of performing was the reason I was minoring in musical theatre in college? :3 Actually, I did a production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon when I was like 7 or 8 (I was the West wind ;) ) and I'm convinced that's the reason I loved that story enough to want to retell it. xD

Thank you so much for hosting this interview!!! It's been so fun!!! <3

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If you haven't had a chance to read Tyffany's Thanatos Trilogy yet, the first two books in the series are Imber and Tellus.

Book images provided by: Tyffany Hackett