We were lucky to catch up with Theresa Halvorsen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Theresa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Like so many, I started daydreaming about what it would be like to fall into the various worlds I would read about. It was an easy jump from there to create my own worlds and my own scenarios. Then an easy jump to pretend to be someone else living in those worlds.

Then, I found out how different words in different combinations could evoke different feelings, different attitudes, and different visualizations.

I was hooked.

But we all know creative endeavours are difficult, involve lots of rejection and may not make us a living. So it was always a dream, something I would do when I had “the time”.

About four years ago, a wonderful friend faced her mortality, and I suddenly realized I was going to die, hopefully not soon, but eventually. And there was so much more I wanted to do with the time I had.

And one of those things was to make a living as a writer. So I started writing, learning about writing, learning about editing and learning about publishing. That led me into wanting to help others with their writing, editing, and publishing.

And four years later, I have several books, own a publishing company, No Bad Books Press, and do all the editing for NBBP. And I threw podcasting with the Semi-Sages of the Pages into the mix too, because why not?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I began as a speculative fiction writer and to date, I’ve written Warehouse Dreams, River City Widows and Tiny Gateways. I’ve co-written Lost Aboard with S. Faxon and edited Released, a horror anthology. The other day someone asked me what was fun about writing and I had to answer–everything. I love it even when it’s hard and I’ve written myself into a corner I have to get out of. I love exploring complex characters, especially those with mental health problems, and I love exploring societal issues through speculative fiction worlds.

From there, I’ve moved onto editing Four and a Half Billion People by Catherine Pomeroy and Origins by S. Faxon. I am also working with two other authors on their upcoming novels. My favorite part of editing is when I have an idea, and the author takes it, expands on it and makes it so much better than it could’ve been.

No Bad Books Press offers author services, including publishing, and we’re open to queries now. I love helping authors see their dream of having a quality book in print. I love helping them achieve their dreams and see their books sold and readers loving them as much as we do.

And finally, Semi-Sages of the Pages is a podcast by authors for authors that I co-host with the amazing M.S. Ewing, Morrigan Puhr, and S. Faxon. I love my relationships with these three other women and how we build each other up, even on the hard days.

I’m so proud of each of these endeavours, especially as I balance them with a full-time job and a commute unrelated to my writing life.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I was very young when I queried my first story to agents; it was so long ago, I actually mailed my queries in with a stamped self-addressed envelope if I wanted a response. I did not know what I was doing and the story I submitted was… unpolished.

I wish I’d known this was going to be a marathon, not a sprint that I’d win with a book deal and all money issues taken care of. I wish I had a mentor. When I started getting rejections, I wish I had more help from Writers Digest.

I wish I’d known there were writing conferences I could attend where I could make friends, find a mentor and learn more about this publishing journey. I met my podcasting partners at a writer’s conference and each one I go to gives me more networking opportunities and abilities to grow with my craft.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The life of a creative is hard and full of uncertainty. Things may be going well one minute and then terrible the next. Balancing time, family, and financial obligations can add an extra layer of stress.

So, for me, the most rewarding part is helping others achieve their dreams. I’ve mentored other writers, cheering from afar as they celebrate their successes. Editing books and helping writers grow in their craft is rewarding. And of late, I’ve been writing a book (due out in 2023) for creatives about time management skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theresaHauthor.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresa.halvorsen.5/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheresaHauthor
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theresahalvorsenauthor?lang=en