Q&A With Karolina Grimaldi, Award-Winning Author

Please welcome Author Karolina Grimaldi to our Featured Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. She is one of the Honorable Mentions to the 2016 Genre Novelist 1st Chapter Contest, I sponsored (Beth Barany) in conjunction with the 2016 San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Stage. Karolina’s story, “On Your Side,” along with all the winners, is featured in the book, Carry The Light. I really enjoyed her tale!

***

If you’d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines here.

***

ABOUT KAROLINA GRIMALDI

I was born in Inglewood, CA and currently reside in Richland, WA with friends. I’m eighteen years old and have been writing since the age tewlve when life hit me hard and took an amazing person away from me and what helped me go through was journaling. I’m also a singer/songwriter for most of the time and who spends her time working at Chipotle and hanging out with friends all day long. I’m in the process of continuing my first novel, “On Your Side,” which I plan to publish one day.

On to our interview!

1. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.

I’m an 18-year-old singer/songwriter and author. Life has made me face hell and heaven and I can tell you right now, what kept me going was music and journaling. The fact that God gave me those gifts for a purpose is such a blessing. I love knowing that there’s someone out there in need of a good book or song and that motivates me to just pour my heart out in anything I’m working on. I’ve always said I was born a helper and that’s what I do. What inspires me is to simply help.

2. How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!

The wind blew me to where I needed to be. Never did I imagined that in the 17 years of living in Inglewood did I imagine moving states. I had a totally different plan in life but now I’m in Washington writing more and hanging out with people that I need in my life. My family and I were struggling financially and emotionally and were in need of a fresh start that wouldn’t cost so much. I opposed it because of plans I made for myself but my dad didn’t agree. But I’m where I need to be.

3. What are you most passionate about?

Relating to what I said about what inspires me, just helping. Someone once told me, “Those gifts aren’t yours to keep away, you have to show them for us to love and enjoy them.” Ever since that day I had to understand that I had a purpose. Why would God give me the talent to write and sing if it weren’t for a purpose. The first short story I wrote about myself called, “When words fail, music speaks,” I had my friends and family in tears, they felt every word and that’s because I wrote from the heart. When I sing, I sing about things that can relate to people not just for a nice beat to dance to, although who doesn’t love to right? I’m passionate about life and everything that comes with it, about writing and singing. I love the fact that I can totally make up a story and invite others to let their imagination through that journey. I can’t wait to finish,”On Your Side.”

4. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?

My writing process or rituals? I wish I can say I’ve written enough to say I have a routine but I usually get on a computer and start typing and then I backspace the whole thing and then I start again and backspace again and start all over again. When I’m home where I don’t have a computer I do my work on an app and I don’t have internet I do it on paper. I’ve been slowly going back to the old fashion way and doing rough drafts because they’re so much better but who loves rough drafts!? When I’m writing a story or a song I can definitely say that I have dozens of snacks throughout it all. My brain shuts off and I have to leave and then come back to it and grab a bite on the way.

5. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.

Insecurity. Knowing that obviously there’s someone better out there because of years of experience. I constantly have to remind myself that I am one only and no one can replace me, no one can do what their heart what I can with mine because it’s simply not possible. There’s only one me. Also because I’m still new with this, there’s so much to know and I constantly think there’s a right or wrong in writing and there isn’t! I haven’t published any book yet apart from the contest but I plan on making, “On Your Side,” the first one. To ease up on the insecurity first, I actually avoid critics and go for the believer in me 😆. I’m still yet to overcome the people who tell me one of my ideas isn’t good or that it doesn’t make sense. I know it shouldn’t be that way, but I have a lot of doubters. And then once I get the confidence I go to the helpful critics like my teachers and honest friends.

6. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?

How there’s no such thing as right or wrong! You write whatever your heart is feeling, your mind is thinking, and what in life you’re living. Every time I had a creative writing assignment I would ask my teacher if I can write this or that and he would tell me to write about anything. I feel like there’s already enough in the world that keep you from doing what you want and people telling you no. Writing is different, it’s beautiful.

7. What’s next for you in your creative work?

My main goal is to finish, “On Your Side.” I never imagined it could get an honorable mention in the contest and it’s a confidence booster. It makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. I think what helped was to stop thinking about any prizes and just make a great story. Like I’ve said before I want to publish it one day. God, it’s so scary just thinking about it but so exciting. I’m also working on a couple of songs that I want to record as well as a story I’m getting together with an awesome piano composer that happens to be my friend from work. Very excited for the challenges that are up ahead but so up for it.

8. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share!

This is one of my first interviews and I thought it was great. I loved your questions and how they helped me too, it made me realize what I want for myself in life again. Moving to a new State had me confused and lost. I forgot about my goals and ambitions but with this accomplishment it gave me hope again. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and experience. Thank you for doing what you do for us writers.

Colton Hollow is an 18-year-old who was adopted when he was 3 years old after his biological parents died in a plane crash that was caused by the evil scientist, Devonport. Colton’s biological parents discovered the cure for Alzheimer’s but Devonport wanted their creation. With the cure in hand, he treats his daughter Penelope Karin, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s. However, the antidote is not fully developed. Penelope is cured, but the strange reaction to the drug allows her to listen to people’s thoughts on her right side. When Colton finds out he’s adopted, his emotions get clustered and he jumps in a car and gets hit by a chemical tanker truck. After the crash, he discovers he can hear people’s thoughts but only on his left side. Colton believes the tanker truck was the only reason he’s able to listen to people’s thoughts and he doesn’t know the cure his parents created was also injected into him, but they weren’t able to show the world because Devonport murdered them. Colton then meets Penelope and they give each other the silence they once had but they find out how similar they are and it gets complicated.

To connect with Karolina Grimaldi

Facebook: Karolina Grimaldi
Instagram:  _karolinagrimaldimusic