Q & A with Virve Aljas-Switzer, Publisher & Author

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A little of both. I’m a visual person, so I see chunks of a story play out in my head first. The tiring part is making sure that the words I put on the page help to convey the same ideas to a reader. The process of working with illustrators has been exciting, because they may interpret the words I’ve chosen in an entirely new way.

Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

It takes courage to put yourself out there. Readers will judge you. But I hope that authors have some humility as they write, and go in assuming they don’t know everything.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

My name is Estonian and can be difficult for North Americans to pronounce. But whether readers enjoy my writing or not, it’s mine to own so I wanted my name on it. If people can wrap their minds around character names in titles like Lord of the Rings, they can handle Virve.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Be patient. You’re not on anyone else’s timeline. Give yourself time to experience new places, people and perspectives that will make your work better.

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

Priya, the main character in Tin Cans and String is inspired by a close friend of over 20 years. She was aware that I had her in mind, and she saw the book through most stages of its development. Each situation is unique, it may not be possible to consult everyone--but even someone you’ve known most of your life will have input that you didn’t consider. What harm can it do to have more information?

What does literary success look like to you?

I first pursued a traditional path of signing with a literary agent, then with a publisher, etc. Now I’m happy that the ideas that have lived in my head for years are coming to life. I hope that someone reads my stories and they feel a little more joyful than when they started.

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I wish that I was exposed to more books by under-represented authors. I can’t speak as much about other countries but in Canada our exposure to BIPOC, Indigenous, disabled, LGBTQ2+ creators was limited to non-existent when I was younger. It’s still a real problem.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

One of my books was first an idea over a decade ago, and went through countless drafts. Another was drafted and revised in a few weeks.