A.G.: Aw, that’s awesome! So you started out writing at a young age, tell me, how did that progress into you becoming the CEO of your own corporation, Areion Media? Tell us a bit about what that is like!

S.K.: It’s a lot of fun and so far not too complicated -- although that could change in the near future. I formed a corporation in anticipation of negotiating my rights and protecting my income. It also gives me accountability -- I treat my writing and coaching like a business because it is one! Forming an LLC for your writing business is not something you need to do right away, but it made sense for where I was at in my career.

T.C.: That’s definitely something for us to keep in mind. Now, on top of managing your own corporation, you are also an author, screenwriter, and college professor. How do you balance all of your work?

S.K.: This is a great question, and I’m constantly evaluating and tweaking the way I approach my work. I set very clear deadlines (it helps that I have a writing coach and a manager who expect me to turn around material on a regular basis!) and I schedule my work aggressively. I’ve also learned how to work anywhere and at any time, even if I only have a few minutes. I use my voice notes recorder on my phone to think out loud while I’m driving, and I’ve written scenes of a film script sitting in the waiting room at the dentist on the Final Draft app on my phone. It’s about maximizing the time I do have -- and that means I have to be very clear on my project priorities. There are days when teaching takes up all my time. There are days I devote fully to writing. There are days when I’m split between the two. But I plan my work yearly, and then break it down quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, and then down to the hour.

A.G.: Wow, that is very inspiring! It’s crazy to me how you are able to manage all that work, and I greatly admire how you are so diligent in managing every free minute you have. So you mentioned writing a film script during your free time. What is the process of getting your writing adapted for the screen like?

S.K.: This is an interesting question! So far I haven’t adapted any of my own work for the screen. Everything I’ve written for film has been original work for that medium. But I’m working on positioning myself with my next novel series so that adaptation could be a possibility in the future.

T.C.: That sounds exciting! Many authors draw inspiration from what they read, who are some of your favorite authors?

S.K.: I have a huge list of favorites, but I’ll name some of my “mentors” in the genres I love to write. For fantasy, Tolkien and Brandon Sanderson top my list. For sci-fi: Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert (Dune was the novel that made me want to write sci-fi), Isaac Asimov, Hugh Howey, A.G. Riddle.

A.G.: Ooh some new names- I’ll have to check their work out! You seem to have quite a few favorites, leading me to think you read a lot in your free time. When you aren’t doing anything book or work-related, what do you like to do when you aren’t working?

S.K.: I’ve made exercise a huge priority in my life. Walking, running, mindful movement and dance are all favorites and they keep me sane! I read as often as I can, and I love meeting friends for coffee!

T.C.: I also find exercising a great way to release all the stress of the day! You’ve come a long way from making up stories with your sister, how did you get to where you are now- balancing 3 different, amazing jobs- and how did you keep yourself motivated?

S.K.: It’s been a long and winding road to this place for sure! I’ve never given up writing, even when I was doing other things, and I invested in educating myself every chance I got. I kept working on my craft so that when opportunities came across my path, I was ready to take them. But it’s a process that requires huge amounts of patience -- even now. I have amazing support from my family and now from my managers, and they encourage me so much when I get frustrated or things get hard. That’s so important. And I have big dreams -- like, scary big -- but I very intentionally keep my focus on the work in front of me. I take it one step at a time, but every once in a while I look up and realize how much closer to those dreams I am!

A.G.: I love that so much! So do you have any favorite character tropes?

S.K.: I love a good trickster hero! But I’m also fond of brilliant but socially awkward characters (like Sherlock or Charlie Eppes from the series Numbers). I guess I’ll also add conflicted “chosen one” characters -- Neo from the Matrix, or Rey and Ben Solo from the last Star Wars installments.

T.C.: Ooh those are definitely good ones. Here at Silver Arc, we hope to help many authors, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

S.K.: Yes. Never stop learning. I think writing is a craft that you never actually master -- you just become more adept. There’s always something more to learn or something new to try in your work, so go after projects that challenge you and scare you a bit. Don’t be afraid of feedback on your work -- you can’t grow without it. And above all -- keep writing, because you never know what opportunities will come your way!

A.G.: Such great advice- thank you, I’m sure it’ll help the Readers so much!

T.C.: Yes, wonderful advice!

A.G.: Sadly that brings us to the end of our interview. Thank you so much for joining us, S.K. Valenzuela, and thank you Readers for visiting once again!