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

Wendy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?

The most innovative thing I’ve done as a creative is a fundraiser I started with my husband. Lifelong Star Wars fans, we were devastated at the loss of the Galactic Starcruiser immersive theater experience at Walt Disney World. We wanted to bring a bit of that magic home and to raise money for charity, so we created A Galactic Dinner, an fundraiser for Make-a-Wish set in the Star Wars universe. My husband, a professional chef, conceived a five-course menu of space-inspired dishes, and I wrote an original theatrical event that took place during the dinner. We raised over $20,000 for Make-a-Wish in a two-night event.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I write novels as D.W. Vogel and plays as Wendy Vogel. My novels include the Horizon Alpha science fiction series and The Forgotten King from Future House Publishing, and The Risen from Outland Entertainment. Plays include During/After, Finding Mickey Mantle, and Virtual Reality. I love the challenge of creating new worlds, and looking at life through the different lenses of novels and stage plays.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The creative life is a challenge of discoverability. There’s a perception out there that “if you write it, they will come,” but so much of success in writing is finding your audience and helping new readers find your work. It’s all about marketing, and that’s not something that comes naturally to a lot of artists and writers. There are millions and millions of novels on Amazon…how will readers find yours, and why should they choose to spend 80K words with you in the world you’ve written for them?

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of creating something that’s never existed before is the chance to share my vision with others. The feeling when someone tells you, “I loved your book!” is a thrill that never gets old. Bringing others into the story and hearing that it brought them joy or made them think…that’s why we do what we do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wendyvogelbooks.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DWVogel
• Twitter: @drwendyv