In this interview, Alexandra Davila shares her inspiring journey from a young aspiring writer to a published author. Her story begins with a childhood dream nurtured by supportive teachers and a love for storytelling. Life’s twists and turns, including the demands of teaching and raising a family, posed challenges, but Alexandra’s passion for writing persisted. With encouragement from her husband and an unwavering commitment to her craft, she turned fleeting moments into powerful bursts of creativity. Through overcoming self-doubt and balancing multiple responsibilities, Alexandra’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and the joy of seeing one’s dreams unfold. Join us as we delve into her remarkable story of resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of literary passion.
- What inspired you to start writing, and how did you finally make the time for it?
I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little kid. I always sort of dabbled in it because I loved to read, but in third grade we had a creative writing assignment after raising caterpillars into butterflies in the classroom. My teacher was so tremendously supportive of my work and told me I could be a writer some day, so I continued! Everyone always bought me notebooks to write in. Then in high school, my 10th grade English teacher was a mentor to me and he also told me I could be a writer one day.
Being a teacher now myself, it’s entirely possible they were just being teacherly and encouraging me, but here I am! I didn’t write for many, many years because life came at me fast, but then some time after having my second child., I just felt a difference in my brain. Foggy mom-brain for sure, but just the need to tell stories and the wires in my brain firing more creatively. I don’t know, I just started imaging characters in my head. I had this one particular character in my head, then true inspiration hit me while I was stuck in traffic on the way to work. I told my husband about it, and that Christmas break from school he approached me while the kids were napping and gave me a notebook and told me to start writing. So I did, the ideas just kept flowing, and now here we are! I mostly wrote at work when I had my lunch or prep period if I didn’t have something else to do. If I was home with the kids I wrote when they napped. So I only ever got thirty to forty minute spurts in, which really amounted to only fifteen sometimes after the time it took to “get going,” but those little spurts added up. - How did you overcome the feeling of self-doubt when you started writing seriously?
At first I was just writing for myself. To prove that I could do it. Because there was nothing at stake, I didn’t have much self -doubt. Oddly, as the story evolved and I started to really feel in my gut that it was good, that’s when the doubt started to kick in. Like, I knew it was good and I suddenly started to panic thinking I wouldn’t finish! But the first book was easy; it nearly wrote itself. It was the second book in the series (release date Oct 2, 2024) that I doubted over and over again. I had much less time to write it because I had moved to a different school, it wasn’t the best environment so I was exhausted by the time I returned home every afternoon, and my creativity was stifled. I was writing, but it never felt right.
There were sections I rewrote so many times or was stuck on for what seemed like an eternity. I would be lying if I said I didn’t consider quitting multiple times, wondering if I was just a one-hit-wonder like some songs on the radio. I have a friend who is a prolific writer (and a mentor to me), and she constantly motivated me. Sometimes she just snapped at me to get it together, other times she was kinder and more understanding, and in the best moments she reminded me how incredible my characters are and how people want to know what will happen next. I look up to her professionally and personally, so venting to her always helped. - Can you describe a specific moment when you felt overwhelmed by your writing goals? How did you push through?
My goal was to finish book 2 by the end of the school year, which here in NY is at the end of June. Around April I was so far behind I mentally gave up and told myself I would finish when it was the right time. But then I don’t know what happened, my momentum shifted. I attribute it to the change in seasons. I hate winter and always find myself more stressed during those times, but when it’s warmer out, the trees are blooming, and the days are longer, I feel better all around. More focused. So I suddenly started picking up speed and somehow, magically, I did reach my goal and finished by the end of school with a few days to spare! - What role did your support system, especially your husband, play in your writing journey?
My husband has been incredibly understanding. When I was down and out, he would remind me that breaks bring clarity, or if I suddenly did have a moment of clarity he would allot some of our alone time together (something precious when you have small kids) so that I could just write. Every little bit helped to push me forward. When it comes to events, the school year can be tough because our time together is so limited, but he is my biggest fan and he helps me allot time for events (book festivals, comic cons, Barnes and Noble signings, etc) and wants me to succeed. He also has a much more creative brain than I do, believe it or not.
My brain can be very linear: point A to point B. His is more like a roller coaster doing all the loops and jumping between multiple tracks. So sometimes when I was stuck on a plot point I would talk to him and bounce ideas off of him, and because of how quickly and wildly his brain moves, I would come out of the conversations prepared to write! I always had the title for the first book in the series, but when I was trying to come up with ideas for the latter books, he was a great sounding board for that as well. He is also visually creative. He designed the covers for me when I had zero idea what I was even looking for. The covers have been a big hit, by the way, so he must have done something right! He even made my website for me! We make a great team and I don’t know where I would be in this process without him. - How do you balance your time between your career, family, and writing?
This is the hardest thing for me. If my kids were older, maybe it wouldn’t be as challenging because they would be off doing their own thing. But my girls are only 4 and 5, so family time is everything and they have to come first always! I also teach high school, which gives me lots of breaks throughout the year that other people don’t have plus my summers, but the hours make my day start super early. I have a long commute as well, so all these pieces together make for very limited time with family, alone time with my husband, and then last on the totem pole, time for myself (writing or otherwise). I have had to come to terms with the fact that I just can’t do it all, and some things will just have to get put to the side some days. If I only get a few minutes of writing time each day (or sometimes none at all), it is what it is. Does it bother me ? Of course. I often feel like I’m failing on all accounts because I can’t do everything at 100%. But there are things in life we can control and things we can’t, and there is only so much I can do about my schedule, so I just let it be and ride the waves of emotion that come with it. - Can you share a memorable experience or breakthrough you had while working on your books?
Two moments stand out. When I was writing my first book, I wrote a chapter that hit so perfectly I felt chills. It was a chapter where all the characters finally converged, so the fact that it hit so well meant that all the difficult things I had written before had been done just right for this last chapter to work. I was so proud! The second moment was from a comic con I attended recently. A girl emailed me through my website because she started reading The Undoing and was blown away at how sympathetically and realistically I portrayed the teenage characters. Her thoughts and feedback made me cry! - How did you deal with the fear that no one would want to read your work?
I’m not in this for the money. I just want my story to be out there. When I initially posted about it on social media, so only my friends would see what I was up to, I was so scared! People are so judgmental!!! But it was like pulling off a band-aid: I just did it fast without thinking, and whatever happened after was in the universe’s hands. If no one wanted to read it, oh well, right? At least I did it! Except that the reaction I received from my immediate circle was so overwhelmingly positive I cried! When I went to my first event I was so excited to be there, but so underwhelmed by my sparse table with its one measly book and its no-name author in a see of amazing artists. I told myself to just focus on the experience of being there, and that helped keep me going, and you know what? My positivity brought people over to my “measly table”. The interactions I received from people and the feedback from them was so motivating, it pushed me to keep going with everything else. I remind myself of these things during the lull periods where I have no events, no interaction on social media, or no sales online. People DO want to read it! It’s not a bestseller and I’m not famous, but there is a book out there for everyone, and I just have to keep finding my people. - What advice would you give to someone who feels they have too many responsibilities to pursue their creative passions?
Listen, every friend I have responded the exact same way to my publishing of The Undoing: how did you find time for that with work and family? If I can do it, others can too. Sure, my circumstances are different because I have a long commute for brainstorming and a job that affords me periods off to squeeze in some writing if I’m lucky, but everyone can find fifteen minutes. If we can spend fifteen minutes scrolling on Facebook or Tiktok, we can write for fifteen minutes, even if it turns out to be a hot mess and it’s a sporadic note written on our phones or a napkin. It’s still something. Starting is the hardest part, but writing that first really solid paragraph or creating that first memorable character will feel SO good and keep any writer going. - What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the writing and publishing process?
For publishing, I think it still doesn’t feel entirely real to me because I haven’t been picked up by a traditional publisher. It definitely hurt to be rejected after putting my heart and soul into something. There is also a stigma in the field that indie writers or self published authors aren’t legit enough. I get where the stigma comes from. However, the more events I go to and the more I dive into this, I am glad I am self-published. I have more control, can do what I want, and have my own timeline.
For my lifestyle, having my own timeline is important right now. Maybe I will always be self-published, maybe not, but for now I am happy. I have met many authors in my position and some are really disheartened by not having an agent or publisher. I totally understand! But it’s about changing the mindset, and when you do, you will be able to enjoy the journey a lot more. - How do you stay motivated and inspired to continue writing?
Reading. Every writer needs to be a reader. When I am super stuck on writing, I pick up more on reading. I keep notes on my phone on particular style notes or even a phrasing of something I really like or find inspiring. But that aside, reading just gets the imagination going and help clear my own head. It’s also just enjoyable and something I love. It is not work (writing is work, as much as I do love it), and sometimes we all just need to take a break and do something we enjoy. - What has been the most rewarding part of your writing journey so far?
Hearing the reactions from readers! It’s not just when people enjoy the books either. It’s when they bring up things I hadn’t considered before or ask me if I did something intentionally. Or when they bring up something that was exactly what I intended, but wasn’t sure if anyone would pick up on. It just makes me so happy to know that I did what I set out to do, regardless of how far it goes. - How do you see your writing evolving in the future?
Right now I am writing an apocalyptic series, but I want to branch out to dystopian fiction as well. I would also love to collaborate with someone some day, because great minds coming together in art is amazingly explosive in the way that fireworks are. But if I’m being super honest, I would love to see my books made into a TV show or movie. Many readers of my debut novel have said it reads like a movie! How amazing would that be to see it on the screen?
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