This week, TheLatinoAuthor.com is featuring author Reyna Grande. Ms. Grande grew up in Guerrero, Mexico and East Los Angeles, California, having migrated to the United States at the age of nine. Reyna’s life experiences have helped her capture the spirit of her writing style and to mesmerize her audience as they read her books. Read our interview with Reyna Grande and see what drives her to write in spite of some of the challenges she faced along the way of her life journey.
Please begin by telling us a little bit about yourself; where you grew up, where you currently reside, family upbringing, or anything you would like our readers to know about you?
I was born in Guerrero, Mexico. I lived there until I was nine years old. Then I came to the U.S. as an undocumented child immigrant to live with my father, whom I hadn’t seen in eight years. I spent my adolescence in Highland Park (a community on northeast L.A.). I had a very conflicted relationship with my father, and I realized very early on that our separation had caused a huge distance between us, one that we were never able to overcome.
What inspired you to get into writing? Was there a specific event that moved you to this profession or was this something you always wanted to do?
I started writing when I was 13 years old. It began as an exercise for me to learn English faster, but I soon fell in love with writing because I was able to funnel all of my emotions into the stories I wrote. Writing kept me sane. However, I didn’t think about becoming a writer until I was 19. My English professor gave me books written by Latina writers and it was then that I began to consider the possibility of being able to become an author, like Cisneros, Alvarez, and Castillo had done before me.
As an author, what are the toughest criticism as well as the best compliment that you received regarding your work?
The toughest criticism is that my writing can be a bit melodramatic (I blame it on all the Mexican soap operas I grew up watching!). The best compliment is that my prose is lyrical and captivating. I don’t write poetry, but I love writing words that flow beautifully together.
Having written two fiction novels Across a Hundred Mountains and Dancing with Butterflies, why did you decide on a memoir at this stage of your life?
I had wanted to write the memoir since 1997 when I was a junior at UCSC. I couldn’t do it so I turned it into fiction and Across a Hundred Mountains was born. I didn’t give up my dream of writing the memoir some day. In 2007 when I was writing Dancing with Butterflies, I would once in a while write a scene from my childhood whenever I was stuck with my novel. By the time I finished Dancing with Butterflies I had about 100 pages of the memoir. The Distance Between Us gave me a chance to reflect on my past experiences, on the choices my family made, on the consequences that immigration had in my life, but also the good things that came out of it. It was a book that I needed to write in order for me to start to heal.
How has your family responded to your memoir?
My siblings are very happy about it, as this is their story as much as it is mine. Also, it is a very nice gift to give to our children (between us all we have 13 kids). Through my memoir, my own kids as well as my nieces and nephews, will get to know their parents and learn where they come from.
Writing a memoir can be therapeutic; however, it can also be trying to relive some emotional moments in your life. Was this an issue for you and if so, how did you overcome this?
Writing has always been my therapy. It helps me to cope with things and to unload my burdens and my emotions. Every time I sat down to write it was like cutting my wrist open to bleed all over the pages. The memoir was extremely painful to write, but I put all of those emotions into the book so when I was done writing I actually felt lighter…and freer.
What preliminary steps would you suggest a writer take before he or she begins to write a memoir?
I would say decide what kind of memoir it is going to be. I knew from the beginning that it was going to be about my coming-of-age, although it wasn’t until the second draft when the book started to take shape. Don’t be afraid to write a bad first draft. It is after you write this draft that you will get a sense of what to keep and what to leave out in order to have a concise narrative arc.
How would these steps differ to writing a general fictional novel? Please elaborate.
A memoir is different from a novel in that because it is about your life, you will have tons and tons of material to look at and select from. With a novel, you only create what is necessary for the story. There is less ‘footage’ to go through, so to speak.
Most of us have mentors or key people that have inspired us. Can you share who those mentors are in your life, and can you tell us a little bit as to why they inspired you?
My mentor for the past nineteen years has been my former English professor, Diana Savas. I met her at Pasadena City College in ’94. Diana was the first person who saw my writing potential and who encouraged me to become a writer. She has always been there for me and is an important part of my life. Once I became a published author, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of Latina authors, such as Sandra Cisneros, Julia Alvarez, Denise Chavez, Michele Serros, etc. These powerful Latinas inspire me just by doing what they do, writing beautiful books. It is empowering to me to feel part of a committee of Latina writers.
As an established author, what would you say are the most important elements of good writing and must have tools for writers?
I think the most important thing a writer can do is to rewrite. I have read many books that could have been GREAT books if only the author had done one more draft. Be careful with loose ends. Check your arcs. Each scene, chapter, and the entire book needs to have an arc. Get people to read your manuscript and ask them to give constructive criticism and be ready to listen to it and do something about it. It is always hard to hear about what isn’t working…but it is better to hear it now, when you are still working on the manuscript, than to hear if AFTER you have published your book and there is nothing you can do about it!
If you could give one final bit of advice, inspiration, or encouragement to an aspiring author, what would it be?
Whenever your work gets rejected by an editor, give yourself a day or two to wallow in your misery, but by the third day get back out there and send it out again. You just need one person to tell you yes, and the rest is history.
What’s next for you now that your memoir is completed – a new book, a new genre? If so, can you share with our readers as I know they would love to hear about any new writing ventures?
There are two novels I have in mind right now—one for adults and one for young adults—that I want to work on. However, I haven’t been able to focus because I’ve been busy working on a publicity plan for the memoir. It is like planning my next pregnancy while I’m still on my third trimester! But as soon as the memoir comes out and I start to travel I will choose one of the two novels and work on finishing a draft. I am very good at writing while I’m traveling—at airports, airplanes, hotels—those are the rare moments when my mind is not split between being a mother and a writer, so I take advantage of the time when I am away from my kids.
Contact: www.ReynaGrande.com
