[Note: This interview was originally published on Duncan Heights on June 6, 2019. Though it is backdated to the original publish date, it has been republished with updated/working links on March 27, 2022. Also, for what it’s worth, I still subscribe to the Scribbler subscription box and still recommend it to prose writers of all kinds.]
I’m pleased to announce a new series of interviews I’m hosting with successful writers from all across the writing spectrum. Are you a successful writer or poet? (Define “successful” however you like! There are different ways to be successful, as you’ll see from my series.) Get in touch! I’d love to interview you too.
We’re starting off with the indomitable Victoria Scott, one of the founders of one of my favorite subscription boxes (and “the only subscription box for novelists, created by bestselling authors”!): Scribbler. Ms. Scott created Scribbler along with her writing partner (and New York Times bestselling author!) Lindsay Cummings. On her website, she writes, “Our dream was to launch a business that would do three things: keep writers motivated, improve their craft, and put them in front of publishing decision makers.” And boy howdy have they! I began my subscription to Scribbler in August of last year [2018] and can’t get enough of it! Seriously, it’s one of the best subscription boxes I’ve ever paid for, and it’s worth every penny. Ms. Scott’s most recent novel We Told Six Lies was published in March 2019.
Quick hits for the readers
Victoria Scott on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Scribbler on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you, Ms. Scott, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer questions for this interview!
Have you read anything that made you think differently about creativity and/or writing?
I loved Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. It frees you from feeling like you must chase every idea you have, while also pushing you to chase the ones you don’t want to get away. It really is magical.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Sticking with a story once you hit those plateaus, and that mentality applies to any endeavor. Sometimes I think that what differentiates authors from those who never finish a book is the ability to push through that heavy midway point and reach the end.
Who and/or what has influenced you most as a writer?
Kiersten White has always influenced me. Her style, her ability to take chances when jumping genres, and her kindness to other writers. She’s the real deal.
How do you think being a writer has helped you as a person?
It’s made me realize what I can do. How big obstacles aren’t that big when you take them apart piece by piece, page by page. It’s made me become a riskier businessperson when running goScribbler.com, my company for writers.
Why do you write in your particular field/genre?
I really just take it book by book. That’s what’s great about writing young adult fiction; you rarely get boxed in.
Tell me about the lifecycle of a Scribbler box, from inception to shipping out.
We usually choose the book that will go in a particular box about 4-5 months out (if not even farther out), we then build products around it, work on the printed materials, and start ordering a couple of months before we ship the box. Packing the boxes takes one full day and several days of prep before then. We have an operations manager and several packers, and my husband and I are there to oversee quality control and jump in to help where needed. It’s a labor of love, to be sure, but we adore every second of it!
[Featured image courtesy of goScribbler.com.]
