Author Q&A – Vivian D. Lewis

Q: As a way of introducing yourself, can you tell us a little bit about the things you write? For example, do you focus on a particular genre?

A: My name is Vivian D. Lewis, and I am a versatile writer. Presently, I have two fiction, mystery, suspense, and spiritual-empowerment (combined in the story) books, which are based on real-life adversities. They are creatively designed to paint an image of what’s happening in the world and the consequences that follow on from negative behavior. Due to the nature of the stories, I named them the Bad Girl Twins; they are powerful, eye-opening, and shocking. I do not write any particular genre, but my style is to reveal the negative and turn actions into positive results.

Q: When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author?

A: I was fifty-three years old, and I didn’t have any desire to write; the thought never crossed my mind. I knew I wasn’t educated on all the grammar rules, and writing wasn’t a passion of mine. Then, one night, I had a dream; I was asleep, and I heard a voice that said, “write, troubles in my way.” I didn’t understand what that meant, and all I wanted to do was rest, but I couldn’t; even though I was asleep, I seemed to be having a conversation like I was awake. My pastor told me that when a conversation appears like that, God is speaking.

I couldn’t sleep peacefully, so I got up and wrote it down, and threw it in my drawer. I thought it was over, but I was sadly mistaken. It came back in a year; once again, when I was asleep, I was unable to rest, and I heard, “write, troubles in my way.” I held a conversation in my sleep, and I told the voice that I didn’t want to be a writer; if I did, I would have started when I was a young adult. I went on six more months, with my mind in deep strain. Finally, I decided to test my abilities on paper, and I’ve been writing ever since!

Q: Do you have a favourite author? Or have you been influenced by any other writers during your writing journey?

A: I do not have a favorite author, and I have not been influenced by any other writers. I was influenced by the dream I had that I believe was created by God in heaven.

Q: Is there anything that you like to do in your spare time (other than writing)?

A: I enjoy music, overlooking the welfare of my elderly mother, and providing meals for individuals at the nursing home.

Q: What is your favourite part of the writing process?

A: My favorite part of the writing process is seeing how my story will unfold. I get excited as I am making up fictitious names for the characters. I make up abnormal names, so they will stand out, and the memory of them will remain. For example, if my main character is a woman with ruthless behaviors, I look up the word in the dictionary and choose a synonym for it. Once I get a perfect match, I will spell it backward. One synonym for “ruthless” is “cruel”, so my character’s name would be Leurc. Sometimes, I put Mr, Mrs, Officer, Dr, etc. in front of the name, and that makes it stand out even more.

Q: Do you do most of your writing on a computer? If so, is there a particular programme that you like to use?

A: At first, I had to write everything on paper, but repetition made the process easier; I now have the ability to type on my computer. The program that I like to use is called Apache Open Office Writer.

Q: Do you like to plan out your stories before you write them?

A: My stories are not planned; I make them up as I go. Since I enjoy writing mystery, suspense, and spiritual empowered-type dramas, I tend to fall into that category of writers.

Q: Are you working on any writing projects at the moment? If so, is there anything that you can tell us about them?

A: Presently, I am writing my third book, which is called Abused Journey: End to a Lifeless Pit. It is based on real-life situations. Quite often, individuals get involved with a person who they feel is their soulmate. Yet they often don’t know very much about the other person, which means that disagreements can occur. Sometimes, this leads to physical violence. Abused Journey: End to a Lifeless Pit is eye-opening and shocking.

Q: Do you have any advice that you wish to share with your fellow writers?

A: Determination, focus, and the desire to keep pressing forward is the key to success; nothing worth having is easy. We fall down, but we must get back up, dust ourselves off, and get back to work. We know what we want to do, and to accomplish it, we must keep going.

Q: To conclude this interview, can you tell us a little bit about one of your books or stories?

A: Troubles in My Way: Immortal Sins, Volume I is a mystery and suspense novel based on the disasters of real life. It is comprised of adversities, hatred, betrayal, drugs, abuse, and much more. I chose to write about immortal sins because some of our future leaders are starting life without the knowledge and understanding of the boundaries that must not be crossed. They experience fear, anger, and retaliation as a result of the negative behavior, but there is no spiritual connection. My book is powerful and eye-opening; it explores some of the consequences of negative behaviors and the rewards of positive decisions.