We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hrb Collotzi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi HRB, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

When I started writing I thought it would be all world building and immersing myself in a fantastic story surrounded by brilliant characters, kind of like reading a great book. Unfortunately, that’s not how it has turned out.

While the writing process can be much similar to that scenario, the rest of it can be a massive slog through reality. First, I get this wonderful story into black and white, but then comes the revising. Some authors say that you shouldn’t write something that you’re not willing to read 76 times, and that’s not a joke. Not only do I have to go back and reread everything several times to make sure it’s perfect, but then I do it several more times after I send it to a beta reader, then I do it several more times after every beta reader, then several more times after the editor gets their hands on it, then several more times before I can hit publish.

Revising notwithstanding, the hardest part I have come up against is marketing. I briefly tried querying traditional publishers before I realized that I would have to do a greater portion of the marketing myself anyways. It just didn’t make sense to allow someone else power to change something I’ve perfected over 76 attempts and give them access to my hard-earned royalties to do it. So I decided to put in the work to reap all the benefits myself.

However, it’s not so easy or cheap to get a cover, format, upload information, build an email list, create content for social media and emails, gain followers, post ads, and generally get the word out about this incredible work that I’ve created. The solace that I’ve found is through my husband, who helps me as much as possible, and the incredible support of the independent author community. Is it all worth it? I don’t know, but given the option to go back and do it again, I would probably do it the same every time.

HRB, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Heidi, and I write fantasy under the name HRB Collotzi. When I was young I had an overactive imagination and I loved to tell stories, however, I wrote very little while growing up. Yet, after marriage and kids, my child-like mind woke up and began creating again.

I wrote my first two novels without any intention of publishing them or letting anyone read them except friends and family. But I was encouraged to take some classes, put them together in a cohesive manner and possible look at publishing them. I took the classes because I thought it would be fun and an outline for a dragon series came together instead. I realized that it would be selfish of me not to share these with the world, so I published the Avonoa series.

As I wrote the Avonoa series, I kept thinking about those first two books. I decided that they were a good story to share as well, so I went back and revised them and published the People of the Storm duology.

Since the People of the Storm books were written and didn’t need much work, while I sent those to beta readers and editors, I worked on the Dragons of Avonoa series. These are the sequel series to the Avonoa series, but can be read separately as well.

Authors will often tell you that as you write, you focus on the story, but as you revise, you plot and plan for other stories. This is certainly something I have experienced a lot as I began to plot for two more series to follow the Dragons of Avonoa series.

What makes my stories different? Well, there are very few novels that have a dragon as the main character. Sure, the story has similar elements and creatures as other fantasy stories, like humans, centaurs, faeries and lots of sword fighting and magic. But where else can you soar through the clouds on a dragon’s wings as you can through their point of view?

My upcoming works are different than most common works as well, but through time as well as point of view. In my new series, Dragons of Avonoa, books two, three and four will all happen to different characters in the same timeframe. In book one we meet all of the characters and get a feel for their quirks. Then in books two, three and four, we follow them along their separate paths toward their same goal. When the series is complete, a reader will be able to read books two, three and four in any order between one and five.

In my writing, I enjoy disguising common tropes behind original ideas, stories and characters. I strive to share exciting worlds that readers can disappear into when the stresses of reality threaten them. I hope that everyone can join me and my characters on these epic adventures!

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

I love hearing when a reader really enjoys and connects with my stories and characters! Since I write fantasy, I go to a lot of renaissance-style festivals and sell my books there. I love talking with people and sharing my stories with them, but the most gratifying is when a reader comes back and tells me how much they love my books. If someone can deeply relate with my characters or themes or even relish the chance to submerge themselves in the world I’ve created, it gives me a profound sense of accomplishment.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Writing a book or novel is a turbulent and often terrifying journey through sometimes abstract and occasionally enjoyable thoughts and ideas. Much like a rollercoaster at an amusement park, some people are exhilarated and even get addicted to it, but others get sick at the thought and desperately avoid it at all costs.
My life, from start to present, has been the same admittedly ricocheting journey in it’s own right. I’m bi-polar and for a very long time have struggled with rage and peace wrestling in my own mind. There are times I write feverishly for hours on end, ignoring all of life’s demands on my attention. But there are, more often than not, times I can’t focus and have no motivation whatsoever to open my laptop or even think about my stories. Through patience with self, medication, therapy and lots and lots of prayers, I have been able to overcome these struggles and push forward in my writing journey.
Not that any of these difficulties have disappeared by any means, but I have found several ways to help sustain me and keep my goals attainable. One of the biggest things I’ve done that has helped is the habit of looking back at my work at the end of the day and setting achievable goals for the next.
There was a time (and it still happens occasionally) when I severely struggled to get any work done at all. I couldn’t even open my laptop and I considered shutting everything down, my business, my social media, my website, everything. I was ready to give up. Instead, I spoke with my therapist and my husband and God and chose to give only 1%. I left everything up. Mostly because it would be too much work to pull it all down, but I left it up. And I gave that 1% to myself through rest.
The next day, I decided that I would just write something. It would be awful, I knew that, but I would write only 100 words and be done. I wrote 700. And it wasn’t all that bad, either. So I set a goal to do it again, but to give myself a day off in between.
The next day I wrote 1,300 words. It was supposed to be my day off. I wasn’t supposed to think about writing at all. But I felt so good about the 700 words that I wrote, that I wanted to feel that way again.
The next day, I forced myself to take the day off. I did other things, like errands and family activities, but the entire time I was thinking about my books.
The following days I wrote. I allowed myself to write and I was able to follow up and write a good portion of the goal I had set for myself.
I’m not saying it ended the problem, in fact, it’s a common occurrence, but I’m able to turn to this experience and give myself hope that I can do it again. As my therapist has encouraged me to do, I try to look back at my successes and remember how it feels and that it is possible. These are the thoughts that push me to continue. I will still take a day off here or there, but I try to remind myself that all is not hopeless.
Or I go back to the story and start killing people off. That helps too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hrbcollotzi.com/ or avonoa.com or peopleofthestorm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrbcollotzi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hrbcollotzi/

Image Credits

GetCovers; Dantzel Rhodes