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

Veronica G., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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 believe that for a writer, one of the most important tools in your craft toolkit is reading. I’m a lifelong voracious reader across all genres. For many of those years, I read for the love of it, purely for fun. When I became a writer though, I began to read with a more critical eye. I studied those texts and mined them like the treasure troves they were.

The first thing I wrote was a short story. Admittedly, it was a mess. So was the novel that followed. But that’s okay because it’s part of the process. With practice and ongoing study, your writing will improve.

Time to practice the craft was one of the hurdles I had to overcome. Maintaining a full-time job left precious little time for writing, but it’s fascinating how those stolen moments – an hour before work, lunch hour, weekends – they all add up. Honing the craft is cumulative in that regard.

Veronica G., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an IT professional by day and interestingly, became a writer as a result of a challenge. I took up that challenge by of course, buying a book. It was a craft text – of course about writing. I read it cover to cover – twice. The last line of that text was to put the book down and go write. And I did.

Though I read and write across genres, my first love is science fiction and fantasy, or the more broad term of speculative fiction. So that’s what I began writing. So far, I’ve penned more short stories than I can count, and garnered a few publications. And I’m the author of three novels, with another due in December of this year.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art is what sets us apart. It’s what makes us human. When you think about things that have survived over the centuries, much of it is art in all forms. Nature is art. Try for a moment to imagine a world without paintingd, music, literature, dance. Not a fun place, no?

It’s unfortunate that one of the things that most defines us is so difficult to make a living at. Most writers that I know juggle a full-time job along with all the demands of being authors. And it’s a model that isn’t always sustainable. It someones feels like you’re always on the precipice of burnout.

Artists would benefit from a couple things. First, people who are able, should purchase art. Support it with your dollars. It would also be incredibly helpful to also see support in the form of grants and fellowships that allow creatives to supplement their income.

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

I love writing. It’s the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done. The time I spend thinking about my stories, working out characters and plots, then putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), is my definition of a dream job.

One unexpected bonus of being an author is the lovely emails and notes I receive from readers. People that say I got a particular thing right, or that they just enjoyed the story. I’ve even had someone tell me they didn’t like the love interest for one of my characters. And I agreed with them!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.veronicahenry.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewordslinger/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/veronicawrites
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/veronicaghenry.bsky.social

Image Credits
my book covers