Interview with Margherita Scialla, author of TEARS IN THE WATER

 

I am so very excited to be talking to Margherita Scialla, author of Tears in the Water! Tears in the Water releases January 17th and I highly recommend that people check it out. It was such a great read and I personally loved it. I found Alex to be a highly relatable character and Alex just stole my heart.

Join Margherita and I as we discuss their newest book! This includes where the idea and title for the book came from, some of the scenes that were rough to write, and what else they currently have in the works. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and talking with Margherita and I am eagerly anticipating the next book of theirs that I can read whether it's an upcoming title or one they already have out.      

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How and when did you first get started with writing?

The very first story I ever wrote happened when I was five, I think. I had a story in mind about a leaf falling from a tree and I really felt the need to record it somehow, but I was still very young and I didn't know how to read or write yet. But that didn't stop me, apparently: I was a very stubborn child and forced my dad to sit in front of the computer to write every single word I told him, and then we printed the stories to make a small folder with them.
My imagination had always been wild and I always knew, ever since I was very young, that I wanted to write whatever my mind could come up with. It's always been my childhood dream to become a published writer, but I never thought it would actually happen until a couple of years ago.

That is awesome! Childhood dreams coming true!!! That's so exciting!
What does your writing process/schedule look like?

I like to say that I work in chaos, because I'm very messy and I do things without planning or any kind or organization. I don't have schedules, I write whenever I can get a moment, although I do prefer to write during the night. Sometimes I'd be on the train or attending a lesson at university and I'd get inspiration for a scene, and a moment later you'd find me sneaking out my phone to quickly write it in the notes app so that I don't forget it later when I can actually get in front of my computer.
My books don't really get much of an outline, either. My ideas either come at me randomly, or from weird dreams I have, and once I have the start of that idea the first thing I usually do is go on picrew to try to create the characters the way I picture them in my head. After that I usually write small notes about who they are and maybe add some character traits, and then I start writing the story. I usually just have a very general idea of what I want to write, so I just type and see where the story itself brings me.

I can respect the chaos! I like that you just let the story lead you where it wants to go.
Where and how did you get the idea for Tears in the Water?

The idea came almost exactly a year ago, when I was texting my friend Rowan. We were talking about some fictional characters that are canonically cisgender, but that still had vibes or behaviors that felt trans to us. A scenario came up during our conversation and that inspired a very general plot point that I then shared with them, and they were so hyped about it that it made me want to start writing right away. I then added my own gender crisis to the mix, because I felt like it was the perfect thing to include in a story like this.

That is one interesting way to come up with the idea. I will admit, I'm very curious as to what fictional characters you two were talking about!
I personally need to know: how did you come up with the title for Tears in the Water?

It was very random actually, and I don't remember where it originated exactly, but I was laying down on my bed staring at the ceiling trying to force my brain to come up with a title, because they usually come to me pretty early in the writing process but for this book I could never get any idea. It came to mind out of nowhere and I immediately went "that sounds poetic. and it actually fits!", and I just had to use it.

Nice! It's a great title to have, almost literally, just been pulled out of thin air! I love it!
Was there a specific scene (or scenes) in Tears in the Water that you found challenging to write? Whether because it wasn't coming to you, it was an emotional moment, or anything like that.

All the scenes where Alex's self-hatred or anxious thoughts appear were pretty hard to write, because those are things that come from my personal experience. I pushed through because it was very important for me to include all of it, but I had to stop many times because I was triggering myself while writing.
The gender discussions were sometimes hard too, since I was still learning about myself during the completion of the book and at times it was hard to put those thoughts into words.

I'll admit that I was wondering. They were such vivid scenes that were hard to read, I was wondering if they were hard to write as well. I'm glad you took the stops that you needed and that you were able to push through. You really did write an amazing book!
Do you have a favorite scene in Tears in the Water?

This is a hard question to answer, and it feels like asking a parent who their favorite child is.
But if I really have to choose, I'd say the pool scene has a soft spot in my heart. I like the idea of Alex and Tate being alone and sharing a vulnerable moment in a place that brings Alex comfort.
Chapter twenty-two in general is also in my top favorites, because we get to see Uriah and Tate (whom I love immensely) being vulnerable as well.

I love the pool scene!! It's such a vulnerable and beautiful scene! And chapter 22 was amazing!
Did you ever have writer's block while writing this book? If so, how did you manage to push past it?

I had just a little bit of writer's block, but it wasn't because of the book itself. I'm a full-time university student so I'm attending lessons every single day from morning to evening, and there were some specific months when I was so physically and mentally exhausted that it was impossible to write. I couldn't force myself to do it, so I just waited for everything to calm down a little before I picked up the manuscript again.

That makes sense! I remember those days from being in university, they could be brutal.
What inspires you to write?

Honestly. anything and everything. Everything around me makes the cogs in my head work, even silly things like a leaf in a puddle or a cat crossing the road. My brain will use any excuse to create something, it really doesn't take much.
In general, I take more inspiration from daily life and what I learn from friends or the people around me, rather than from other books or authors.

I love that.
Do you have a book(s) that you'd recommend to everyone?

I do, although it's nothing similar to what I write (so I'm sorry if you were looking for similar recommendations). I always gush about Talia Hibbert's books. I haven't had the chance to read all of the things she wrote yet, but I read a few and they all made me emotional. I adore the way Talia writes emotions and difficult topics (like abuse). My favorite books by her at the moment are "A Girl Like Her" and "Get a Life, Chloe Brown", which I hope to reread soon.

I have heard such good things about Talia Hibbert! I need to pick up on of her books soon.
Do you have any words of advice for people considering writing their own book?

Write what you want to write and read. Don't focus on what other people want, but on what you want. In my opinion, your book's main target audience has to be yourself, because if it doesn't hit the mark for yourself it might be impossible it'll do it for others.

Great advice! I love it!
Do you have any books in the works right now? Anything you can tell me about them or your writing future in general?

I have a few other books planned, set in the same universe as Tears In The Water. I want to write about some of those characters' siblings, but I also have a sequel novella for TITW in the work which will be a collection of short stories with mostly domestic and soft moments (and maybe some extra scenes from the original book).
I also have some other fantasy stories in the work, some of which are in a sub-genre I never tried before (fantasy erotica).
Obviously, all of my works in progress are queer and trans. I still don't know which of those I will finish- and publish- first, it'll all depend on which story will grab me and force me to write it.

I look forward to seeing what you put out next!

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You can find Margherita Scialla on their website, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter.

You can buy their books through books2read links that they created. Tears in the Water, What the Stars Didn't Show Us, and Song of Phoenix and Ink.

If you can't preorder or buy their books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!