A month ago Vince Guaglione published his latest big work The Narratives: Anthology (Volume 5). It’s a special peace of writing art based on essay form. If you are curious to learn more, don’t waste any time – read the following lines.

– What is your last book The Narratives: Anthology (Volume 5) about?
– The Narratives: Anthology is a compilation of all four previously published Narratives works, plus some new material, that were crafted over the course of two years, following the death of my significant other. It traces my personal journey through the five stages of loss, my healing process, and the beginning of a new phase in my life. Each short essay style narrative touches on a particular personal or societal topic, but when taken as a whole, I recognize these entries as emotional stepping stones in the transformation of my life.

– How did you decide to write the series?
– When I finished the first book, I thought that was the only book I’d ever write because I had completed what I set out to do. It was an outlet for me and allowed me to make sense of many of the difficult emotions I was feeling. It was a great form of therapy and it served its purpose well. But after some time had passed, I realized I had more inside that I needed to process, so I started the second in the series, then that turned into a third, fourth, and finally, a fifth, with the fifth becoming a complete collection.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– For me, the biggest challenge was revealing my inner thoughts and feelings, knowing that I was going to be placing those squarely in the public eye. It’s very personal when you lose a loved one, and sharing what I was going through was difficult. I knew friends and family would read it and I wasn’t sure if they would view me any differently. There were days when I wondered if I should be doing this, but I always came back to a single thought – if I could help someone who was going through what I had, it would all be worth it. So I stayed true to myself, remaining as transparent as possible throughout.
– Why you select essay form to present your ideas to reader?
– Each essay reads as a journal entry. I used to keep a journal as a teenager and it was always the most natural free form type of writing for me. When I initially thought of the concept for my Narratives works, I was certain that journaling was the type of writing I wanted to do. After all, how best to express inner thoughts and emotions than through a journal.
– How much time did you need to finish the book and to publish it?
– The first volume, The Narratives: Keeping The Soul Alive took me six weeks to write. Editing, getting cover art created and proofing took another four to six weeks. From start to finish, each short work took about three months to write then publish. The Anthology is a compilation plus a forward and five new pieces. Adding the bonus content, editing, cover art, and proofing took about six weeks. But all the work in the series took me about two years to complete. I started volume one in September of 2012, and finished the Anthology in September of 2014.
– Who are you?
– I’m just an average guy with a lot of stuff in my head that I try to sort out through writing. I’m really a simple person who enjoys the beauty that life has to offer. I’m also my own worst enemy so seeing past my own struggles are tough sometimes, but I’m getting better at it with each passing day.
– What are your writing habits?
– I work a full time job so at best I have about four hours a day to dedicate to writing. However, I rarely use those hours to write. I’ll write only when I have something that I am working on. And that just depends on whether I have an idea that I feel I can run with. When I do, I’ll try to do a couple hours each day as I progress through the work, but I will take days off here and there. Most of what I’ve published has been in short essay form so I can usually complete one entire essay in one sitting.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of your books?
– Not entirely, but I’m not surprised at the lack of interest. The Narratives series is best categorized as personal transformation/motivational and humanistic so it’s a real niche market that it’s targeted towards. The hot genres such as young adult, paranormal, dystopian, and erotica seem to have a built in following, so writers in those genres have a better chance at selling then I do. And, of course, I’m an indie author without a marketing department behind me, so that makes it even more difficult to find sales.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– I’ve done some promotion through my online channels such as facebook, twitter, goodreads, and google plus, but have also done two video interviews to discuss my work and have also started doing these types of blog interviews. I wish I could dedicate a bunch of time each day to promotions but there never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything I like to do when it comes to promoting my works.
– When we will see your next book?
– I just released The Narratives: Anthology and another short work titled, In The Dark Recesses…, the latter living in the dark poetry/prose genre, so I don’t have anything additional planned soon. I’m targeting one or two releases in 2015. Both will be suspense fiction with metaphysical overtones. Short fiction is becoming more popular these days and I love writing short stories, so that’s where I’m heading next.
– What are you working and how your job helps in your writings?
– I work as a software professional, so I’m very logical and highly disciplined. I carry those two aspects of my personality into my writing process. Although my writing is highly emotional, I structure each piece in my mind and outline it before actually doing the writing. I never really go off script because I have it organized in my head before I write a single word, and it makes the writing much easier for me.
– Rate the three most important events that will change the world in the near future?
– 1. Global climate change
2. Diminishing natural resources
3. The working class rising up against the establishment
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be? (Don’t forget to answer)
– If you could recommend only one book for people to read, what would that book be? I’d recommend The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. It’s a wonderful story that teaches an interesting lesson. Sometimes, we don’t recognize what’s right in front of us, but the lesson is that sometimes we have to keep walking our path in order to see what we may have overlooked along the way. It’s a very moving parable. I’ve referenced it a few times certain Narratives essays because it made such an impression on me.

Learn more about Vince Guaglione at his Web page
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Take a look at his books
The Narratives: Anthology (Volume 5)
In The Dark Recesses…
Eva
Chasing Angels