Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isa Ottoni. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I don´t have any formal training in writing apart from devouring fantasy books since I could read. My academic and career paths were not focused on creative writing, so everything I know about the craft today came from studying any materials I could put my hands on, and learning them by myself. As a teacher, I know a thing or two about learning, so I applied that knowledge, that mindset, to my own learning path. I read books on writing, watched countless videos and lectures online, devoured blogs and essays — anything I could do to hone my skills and become a better writer. And I wrote. I wrote bad stories, several broken stories, until I finally crafted a good one. And then another. And then another. Trial and error, that was what made me the writer I am today.

For a while, it was just my computer, my books, my notes, and I. It was pretty lonely, but everything changed when I found my writing community. Generosity is the key component there, and being able to share what we know and also learn from other writers is priceless. And I am still learning, I learn something new every day.

More than writing skills, like grammar and vocabulary, I think the most essential thing a writer must learn is empathy. We write stories about people and for people. Even if we play with dragons and fairies, humanity must be the core of every story. So I´d say that the ability to look into that special part that makes us human — the flaws, the mistakes, and the beauty of it all — is what really makes a story matter. Everything else is practice.

Another thing is that we must be open to feedback. We must be able to listen to others and learn from our mistakes, otherwise, we will never get better. My writing skills improved exponentially once a found people to share my work with.

And finally, resilience. Writing is not easy, publishing is not fast. We must believe in ourselves, be patient, and keep writing, knowing that one day we will get there. We only need to stick with it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I´ve always read, have been devouring speculative fiction since I can remember, but it was only in 2019 that I truly contemplated the idea of writing my own stories. The desire had always been there, but it was during my Ph.D. that I felt the need for it. I wrote scientific papers, theses, dissertations, but they felt stiff and dull compared to the beauty of fiction.

It started as a bet with myself, could I do it? I would try it but also promised myself that no one would ever see the mess I was making. I had fun, a lot of fun. The best part of my days were those stolen moments when I´d scribble some magic into a blank page. But soon, that was no longer enough. I wanted —- no, I needed to share what lived only in my mind with others, others who would understand me and the stories I was crafting.

At the beginning of 2022, I finally met those people, and though terrified, I managed to find the courage to share. I made great friends and soon, I was writing and showing my writing off. Their kindness and generosity were what encouraged me to try to publish them.

In August of the same year, my short story “Braza” was published at Funemployment Quarterly, my first publication ever. Then, “Dea Sulis Minerva” got second place in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writers Alliance short story contest, and then “Too Close” a micro fiction got picked up by 101 Words Magazine.

I have five short stories to my name, and more coming up soon.

I write fiction with a spark of magic and fantasy with a spark of reality. I am interested in complex characters and what-if scenarios, I want to make you laugh and then rip your heart apart (figuratively, of course). Magic is something that has always interested me, so I gravitate towards fantasy, though I have tried my hand at sci-fi, horror, and even contemporary fiction. I also love love, so human relationships are also something I try to understand through my work. If an idea makes me giggle, I write it down. If it makes me dread, I write it down. If it´s but a vibe, something intriguing even if subtle, I write it down. I am never happier than when I am writing.

Short stories are a delight to craft, I love the range of themes and ideas working with short pieces provides. I have sweet stories and happy endings, and heart-breaking ones with endings that will leave a sour taste in your mouth. I can play with gods, dragons, and fairies, with magic or futuristic gadgets, I can jump from world to world and make the best out of that journey.

I have been also working on a novel, but I don´t know when that will be ready to exist outside my writing group. For now, I will keep learning and writing, publishing stories that call out to me the most.

Here´s my complete bibliography:

‘Braza’, a comic fantasy tale, featured in Funemployment Quarterly | Summer of Year One
— All Braza wants to do is finally have some rest, but how can a dragon sleep if he keeps being rudely interrupted by heroes seeking to slay him?

‘Dea Sulis Minerva’, a fantasy story about Gods in conflict with Humankind, got second place in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writers Alliance short story contest
— When two goddesses share a worship site, they are bound to clash. Sulis returns to Bath after a long holiday to find that Minerva has been cursing people on cue. Angered, Sulis decides to explore the temple and learn the reasons behind people’s petitions. They find Agnes there, a young woman who has been wronged, and must decide what to do next—abide by the girl´s request or curse her instead.

‘Too Close’, a contemporary micro-fiction, featured in 101 Words Magazine
— After years apart they finally meet again. Will love get a second chance?

‘The Switch’, a horror short story, featured in All Existing Magazine
— A switch that does not control any light or outlet and a kid who compulsively turns it “on and off” are the key ingredients of this weird, and at times, horrible horror story.

´Tormenta´, a fantasy short story, coming on July 31st 2023 in Pirate Gold, a Dragon Soul Press Anthology
— A witch and a pirate compete for the same treasure, while battling magical ocean storms, tricking a guardian titan, and overcoming their own stubborn dispositions.

“Yours Truly” is an epistolary tale about a journalist´s attempts to interview a fairy, It got thrid place in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writers Alliance short story contest.
—- In his letter to his editor (and dearest friend), Oliver Quill narrates the mishaps of his journey and the blunders of his heart.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Writing is, in itself, the reward. To be able to make abstract feelings, complex emotions, tempestuous thoughts into something concrete, something palpable and alive, is the best thing in the world.

A story starts with a flicker of an idea, and as you work on it, as you think about it, as you build something from scrap, it starts to grow, to take shape, to breathe, and then suddenly, it has a life of its own. There is no better feeling than finishing a story, even that first draft when it´s still broken, not quite there yet, but it is alive nevertheless. Then you come back to it a while later, you ask for feedback, you listen, then make your call, and there you have it, a bright piece of fiction, a wonderful piece of art.

Also, sharing that new life is another reward I can barely describe. When a reader comes to you and says how much they loved that thing you made, how that made them feel, how something in them changed…. Honestly, that is all the reward one can ever ask.

When I write a joke, and the joke lands. Amazing. When I write a heart-wrenching scene, and someone I have never met tells me how that scene broke their heart. Wonderful. When a reader calls your character by their name as if they were old friends, saying how much they love that fictional person you invented, and that somehow lives inside of you. Wondrous.

Humans need connection, and we connect through stories. We have been telling each other stories since we first learn how to speak and shared a meal around a bonfire. I´ve made such great friends through my writing, I am ever so grateful for that.

Being creative is being alive, we create because we cannot help it, because our brains are too restless, too eager to understand what cannot be understood. We write because we have to, because that is the only way we know how to live.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Writing is easy (sort of), publishing is hard (really, really hard). It takes a lot of resilience to deal with countless rejections before you find THE editor who appreciates you and your craft.

I don´t know how many rejection letters I´ve gotten so far. Dozens, probably more. The trick is not to take that personally. The market is competitive, editors have to go through hundreds, if not thousands of submissions for each issue, so it is as hard for them as it is for us. But there is an editor for you. There´s more than one editor for you. You just have to keep trying, keep submitting, keep working on your craft.

My last too picked-up stories had bounced back at least a dozen times. ‘The Switch’ (the weirdest piece of fiction I have ever written) came back so many times I was almost giving up on it. Maybe it was too weird, maybe it didn´t make any sense. But I loved it, it made sense to me — so I pushed on. I asked friends to beta-read it for me. I offer it to another writing group to critique it. I listened and made changes. And then, out of the blue, I stumbled upon a submission call asking precisely for weird stories, and I took that chance. The Switch finally has a home with All Existing Lit Magazine, the editor loved what I had there and I couldn´t be happier.

That happened with ‘Tormenta’ as well, a fantasy short story that I refused to let go. I asked my friends to beta, I listen, I made some changes, added scenes, cut others, and voila: Pirate Gold, a Dragon Soul Press Anthology offered it a home. A wonderful surprise.

If you love writing, keep at it. It is hard, it takes a lot of time and effort, it even hurts sometimes.
But I truly believe it is worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://isaottoniwrites.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isa.ottoni.writes/

Image Credits
The photos were taken by me. Short story covers were made using Canva. Promo art Pirate Gold provided by Dragon Soul Press Anthology with permission.