Author 20 Questions with Twyla Menezes
With her debut novel The Scholars Gambit releasing this coming Monday, 23 September, indie author Twyla Menezes plays the author version of 20 Questions
1) Describe the The Scholars Gambit in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.
Two academic rivals running from a life they don’t want.
2) How did you come up with the idea for The Scholars Gambit?
No idea! My mind is drawing a blank. Most of my ideas just randomly come to me or I dream them.
3) How did you come up with the title The Scholars Gambit?
Oh, man. I had another title for it, but it didn’t seem to do Sienna and Dexter’s story justice. So, I started writing things down and plugging in words. I ended up with a few titles, but this one stuck the most since it's about two rivals fighting for a scholarship and playing games with one another to get it.
4) If you had to describe your writing in just three words, what would those be?
That’s hard! Meaningful, heartbreaking, but heartwarming.
5) What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Just do it. I know it seems lame, but it’s true. I was super doubtful about my writing because we are our own worst critics, but I did. I sat down, and I did it. The rest falls into line.
6) How long did it take you to write The Scholars Gambit?
Five months to write it. Eight months of editing.
7) How do you find time to write?
As a mom of three and a full-time college student, I find time between my schedule and when my son naps.
8) What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Not knowing what comes next in your story. When I sit there and know what I want to happen but getting it from point A to point B is probably the hardest. I don’t want my stories to have unnecessary fluff. I want to pack a punch and hit my readers in the gut.
9) What has helped you the most when writing a book?
What has helped me the most when writing my books is to write every day, whether it’s five minutes or an hour.
10) How much research did you need to do for The Scholars Gambit?
A LOT! Since I wanted The Scholars Gambit to be more old-school than modern, I did a lot of research in the classes on technology, how the newspaper was made back in the 1950s, and how the mail ran. I didn’t want cell phones and all that other stuff in there, so I took it way back.
11) What are your top 3 Reads of 2024?
This is a great question. So far, my favourites would have to be:
Professor Obsessed by Caty Lee
Legends of Ravens by KJ Bradford
Timeborne by Sara Samuels
12) If you could meet your characters from The Scholars Gambit, what would you say to them?
They are both stubborn and hard-headed, but they are great people who deserve the love they give everyone else.
13) Does writing energise or exhaust you?
Both! Sometimes it energises me and I can’t stop. Then I have my days where I feel like it’s pulling teeth but that’s pretty rare.
14) You had a Kickstarter Campaign for The Scholars Gambit, what surprised you about it?
I was blown away when my debut novel was funded in just 5 hours! I had my doubts about whether being a first-time author would make it more challenging to get my project off the ground, but the incredible support I received proved me wrong.
15) What does literary success look like to you?
Literary success to me is building a community of friends and readers, hopefully both.
16) Are you planning a sequel to The Scholars Gambit that you can share a tiny bit about?
I have written around 22k words for the duet of The Scholars Gambit. It doesn’t follow Sienna and Dexter directly, but it does focus on someone who is a significant motivation for Sienna. Sienna and Dexter will be featured in book 2, and they may have a chapter or two of their own.
17) Can you share a behind-the-scenes anecdote or interesting fact about the creation of The Scholars Gambit?
The Scholars Gambit is very special to me. Sienna and Dexter are like a part of me, so they hold a special place in my heart. In this book, I included many things that are important to me, such as the number 23, which is my family's lucky number. The relationship between Sienna and a certain person (whom I won't mention) was a healing process for me, as it was inspired by a toxic relationship I went through. There are a lot more hidden things in The Scholars Gambit that I put in there from my own life experiences.
18) Can you offer any hints or teasers for the projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently writing book two of the Maple Ridge Duet. Sienna and Dexter are both in the book, but it is not told from their POV. I’m also working on a short story that’s a Valentine’s Day slasher that I’m hoping to release on February 14th. As well, I’m working on a collaborative mystery novel that is a secret project. Lastly, I’m working on next year's anthology piece. It’s now going to be a yearly thing, and we figured out the prompt early, so it’s living rent-free in my head.
19) Do you have any other books or works being published this year?
This year, I’ve worked on putting together a halloween anthology, Hallow 13 Anthology, with four other authors that will be published on October 13th. I also have The Lurkers, a tragic short story about Maggie and Harold that will be released on October 23rd.
20) What is your favourite part of being a writer?
My favourite part of being a writer would have to be meeting new people. It’s been fun making friends whether they are a reader or a writer.