Interview with Ross Victory Author of Panorama

Ross Victory is an Award-Winning American author, singer/songwriter, travel geek and author of the father-son memoir, Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son (2019) and Panorama: The Missing Chapter (2020). Ross spent his early years collecting pens, notepads and interviewing himself in a tape recorder. With an acute awareness for his young age, Ross was eager to point out hypocrisies and character inconsistencies in children and adults through English assignments. If he weren’t keeping his English teachers on their toes for what he would say or write next, he was processing his world through songwriting and music.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: http://www.rossvictory.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rossvictoryofficial
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rossvictoryofficial

Welcome to Nuttin’ But Books. Tell us a little about you and your writing background?

I’m an Award-Winning American author, music artist, travel enthusiast and author of the father-son themed memoir, Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son and bisexual-themed follow up Panorama: The Missing Chapter. I grew up collecting pens, notepads and interviewing myself in a tape recorder. If I weren’t keeping my English teachers on their toes for what I would say or write next, I was processing my world through songwriting, music, and poetry. 

Tell us about your book?

Panorama is a bisexual-themed non-fiction memoir that explores masculinity, sex, and relationships. After a friendship ignites and morphs into a curious tale of parallel souls with a Brazilian-American soldier serving in the U.S. military, Panorama reflects on the author’s contemplations to return to a crumbling family life in Los Angeles or to endure his life in Seoul for an end-of-contract cash payout, until things take an unexpected turn.

In Panorama, I broaden my stance on the importance of moments spotlighting isolation and exposing the perks and ailments of escapism. With precise prose and a thought-provoking storyline that covers eating live octopus, philosophical debates about the gender of God, pregnancy, and bisexual erasure—Panorama stands tall as a connected yet separate story. Panorama puts biphobia under a microscope by exposing double discrimination with consideration to cultural intersections of race and religion.

Using the death of my father and brother as the linchpin to personal development, I reframe pain and loss into resilience and personal achievement.

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

Books take forever to write! Panorama: The Missing Chapter took one year to write, and the book that inspired Panorama took two years to write. With every large project I complete, I learn more about how to write smarter, save money and time, and trust the process.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you're an author?

Most people do not seem phased by me being an author. I have noticed that some people claim they are a bookworm--almost immediately. Others state that they've always wanted to write their memoir or a book but have never gotten around to it. Personally, being an author with published works is not the most relatable topic. A new goal I have is to focus on building my network and friendship with other authors.

What do you do on those days you don't feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

As a writer, I try to stay in touch with how I feel. I don't write when I'm uninspired. When I am inspired, I set my timer for 3 or 4 hours and write with no breaks. I've also learned not to edit myself during the writing process. Sometimes I write when I'm waiting in line at Target or stuck in traffic. Panorama, was partially written in Tulum, Mexico, on a beach with a perfect sunrise and weather, so calming and peaceful locations can be quite inspiring. I also split my writing into stages: planning, writing, editing, and re-writing. When the story is complete, I will wait a few weeks to let it marinate and read it back to fill in holes or remove sections that don't make sense or may not be entertaining.

What would you do if people around you didn't take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

As a rule, I don't accept criticism from people who have no evidence of vulnerability or projects that they've completed.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Absolutely! For me, writing feels like a need to express and get my ideas out at all times. Almost like the need to vomit. The technical and mechanical part of writing: tone, word choice, phrasing, grammar can be very time-consuming, and it can feel daunting.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No. Success as an author is linked to idea formulation and idea completion. Being an author is recognizing you have a voice and using that voice in written form.

What has writing taught you?

Writing has hands-down taught me to be patient and trust the creative process. The final product will look different than the initial idea. It will only get better, which makes me think of life itself. I want to believe that the payoff is coming.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

You can visit my website: rossvictory.com or my Instagram page @rossvictoryofficial. I also have an account on Goodreads.com and several articles posted on Medium.com

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. What's next for you?

I have several songs that I intend to release, and a host of short stories that I would like to publish. Be sure to check out Panorama, the song which will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Sunday, June 21, too. As the world struggles to get a grip on COVID-19 and institutional racism, my role is to be the best version of myself through art that soothes the spirit and provokes conversation.

 Panorama is available for purchase at Amazon.