Julia Vellucci

Julia Vellucci is a 17-year-old author, born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario with five books traditionally published, and a passion for the written craft.  She discovered her love for creative writing over two years ago.  She best expresses her true self and imagination through her characters and the worlds she creates.  For any writing advice or questions and comments regarding her novels, she can best be reached on her Instagram handle or website.

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Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Julia! To kick things off, tell me a little about yourself.

Apart from my writing, I love reading or watching a good mystery unfold.  I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends.  My background is Italian as my grandparents were both born in Italy, from both sides.  My parents were born here in Canada,  and my sister and I are born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario.

What led you to write books, especially in the fantasy genre? Do you write in any other genres?

My passion and love for the creative written craft is thanks to a high school book and writing club I was apart of a little over two years back, so when I was 15.  Without it, I wouldn’t have discovered the passion, escapism and true voice I found through the unique worlds I’d create that were full of people, many that were parts of myself or others I’m quite familiar with or still have to meet.  Fantasy is not the main genre I write but often finds itself as a subgenre in my romance novels as the indescribable, the make believe, the no way this could ever be real, but I want it to be, is what brings my books to life.  The magic, invisibility, frozen hearts, utopian society, and much more, may all seem fictional but are presented in a way that allows the reader to believe that despite that, there is some realism that lies behind it, especially when it comes to the strong emotion of love that when attached with these elements and struggles, truly connects the readers with what could easily be real.

Do you write with a particular message or worldview in mind?

Everything I write has the same message in mind although the themes may be different.  I highly believe in the idea that we were all brought here on this earth for a reason, to make connections and build each other up for the better.  Otherwise, why be here together if you’re supposed to be alone?  Due to this belief of mine, in every romance novel I write, with the subgenre of fantasy or without, is the idea that a connection must be made for the characters to move forward with their discovery, love story, move on from the past, etc.  This shows how it is the connection with others that make us the best version of ourselves and get us far in life.

I love that! What is your preferred writing style? Is your writing style preference the same as your reading preference?

When it comes to my writing style, I do a mix of both as I mainly write in the present (excluding flashbacks).  I like a good mix of both as it shows character contrast between then and now, but feel as if present tense captures more emotion.  I prefer the first-person narrative as it allows the reader to truly relate, learn from and understand the character or characters they may be rooting for and what parts of themselves they reveal to others, their insecurities, how they grow or don’t grow as a character and how they view those around them.

Do you prefer a sympathetic villain or someone a reader loves to hate? Or is there another kind of villain you prefer to write?

I prefer a sympathetic villain as I believe that there is good within everyone as our experiences make us who we are, and we all have the power to grow from them if we have the willingness to do so, or those that care about us in our corner to help.

Tell us all about one your published series.

My most recent published work is the third book in my fantasy romance Love Tetralogy (series of four) which is called “Woman by the Penthouse”. Each book in this series focuses on a different kind of love, this book being my favourite as the main character, Lex, experiences a love to hate relationship, not only with love, but with emotions.  Lex was cursed to be invisible and have a frozen heart for the majority of her life and realizes that the life she created for herself isn’t truly her due to certain events and a man she managed to love despite this, returning to her.  This book not only focuses on her understanding and knowing her true self at its core, but coming to understand the strength everyone sees in the misunderstood and blunder of a woman, that she fails to see, which is vital when the world rests on her shoulders.

What are you working on now?

Currently, I am working on the first draft of a spinoff book to my Love Tetralogy which can be read as a standalone book and is a continuation of a character’s story which is left partly unfinished in book three.

Are you traditionally published or do you publish independently? Why did you choose that path to send your books into the world?

I am traditionally published and chose this path as it is more affordable, makes one’s books more reputable in my opinion, and when thinking of an author, a publishing house comes to mind.  So, in order for my dream of having my books published become a reality, I wanted the full experience despite the exciting yet frustrating journey it took to make this possible.

Who are your favorite authors? Why?

My favourite authors are mainly mystery authors such as Michael Hiebert, Lisa Jackson and Agatha Christie as in their books, they all have incredible plot twists and messages one won’t see coming which is something I try to incorporate into my own books.  These authors also all write in a way in which the climax isn’t until further along in the book yet still manage to intrigue me and keep me reading it which is definitely something to admire.

What are your writing habits?

I try my best to write every day with the goal to write between 1,000-2,000 words, sometimes more or less.  It depends on how much time I have and how busy school is.  This is great as I do several drafts of my books and need time to edit it on my own before pursuing publication, and allows me to escape enough into worlds that consist of the imagination and can be controlled unlike life itself.  I’ll write while listening to a song on repeat in which the words match the theme or a situation occurring in the chapter I am writing and will pick a different song for each chapter.  This truly allows me to get sucked into the worlds I create:)

Do you prefer to plot your books out in advance, or do you dive in and see where the story takes you?

I will do a mix of both as main ideas and certain scenes are planned out while everything in between is thought out as I write, and some planned out ideas end up changing, taking the story to exciting, new horizons.

Haha. I’m a “plantser,” too! Do you enjoy writing plot-driven or character-driven stories more?

I enjoy writing character-driven stories as a plot is only as good as the characters that undergo it.  The characters that allow you to feel like a part of the story and care about their fate that the plot brings their way.

I wholeheartedly agree with that. What destination in the world would you most like to visit?

Italy as just everything about it is stunning, that is my background, and I would be interested in seeing where my nonni (grandparents) grew up.

What is a fun quirk you have?

I dislike when I read books and the author will avoid using the word said or says when a character speaks and replace it with fancy words, most that are completely unnecessary or that I’ve never seen before.  Due to this, in my own writing, I’ll constantly use the word says or said before or following dialogue and add an emotion to it to give it detail, not make it sound as basic as it has feeling, emotion (ex: “…,” Hope said dreadfully as tears slipped down her cheeks which she quickly wiped away in her attempt to deny any emotion).

In closing, what advice do you have for aspiring writers?

If you have an idea for a book but it’s been overdone, don’t give up so quickly because there is so much more to this.  If you got as far as finishing your book, don’t give up or feel discouraged after receiving one or more rejections for publication.  Many book ideas have been done, it’s difficult to find something original, but it has yet to be written by you.  So, find a way to make it truly speak to you, to readers by finding your own way to make it unique.  As when it comes to traditionally publishing your book if you choose to go down that route, it can be tedious, time consuming and torturing to some extent, but once you find the right publishing company for your books, it will all be worth it in the end.  Also, if you’re like me and have a passion for creative writing, never lose that.  Hold onto it and why you enjoy writing so much and any writing-related obstacle suddenly doesn’t appear to be as terrible.

Thank you again for letting me interview you, Julia! I wish you every success with your continued writing endeavors.

To follow Julia Vellucci’s author journey, and grab her tetralogy, check out the links below!

• Website: https://juliavellucci.weebly.com/
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Julia-Vellucci/e/B08RWHJQXL/
• Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julia-vellucci
• AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/juliavellucci/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/juliavellucci_
• TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdPGnMER/