Good afternoon everyone! We are going to start the digital meeting with the author of The Enigma of the Lost Labyrinth, Nuria Elisabeth Sánchez. She has a Degree in Spanish Language and Literature from UNED. After more than a year of training at the Escuela de Escritores de Madrid in Creative Writing and at the Escuela de Escritores de Barcelona (escritores.org) as a proofreader, the young 29-year-old author launched to publish her first novel on amazon We are gathered here to talk about everything from the creation process to the very history of the book.
Good afternoon Nuria! Welcome to the meeting.

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"Good afternoon everyone! Thank you for organizing this meeting and everyone for being here together and participating. It is my pleasure to answer all your questions. Let us begin!"

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María A. Hernández Sánchez: What inspired you to write about Egypt and such a little-known pyramid?

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"Good afternoon, Maria! I was inspired by Herodotus's texts about the Hawara pyramid and all the speculations that exist around it. It was precisely the mystery and the disparate data on it that encouraged me to choose it as the subject of my novel."

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Ana Reina: What influenced you to write this book?

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"Good afternoon, Anne! If I'm honest, I think one of the things that most influenced me in deciding to throw myself into the idea of writing this book was the circumstances. Many years ago, I had a brief and vague idea of this story, but I was focused on my career. However, the same year that I was finishing the last year of my degree while trying to get my B1 in English, the idea of this novel appeared in my mind again. At that time my paternal grandfather was very ill and suddenly, in one of those existential ramblings that we all have, I thought: "I want to do that novel, I want to publish it. I't's something I want to do before I die." So it was. After graduating, I enrolled in the Escuela de Escritores de Madrid where I learned to refine my style and to know what I wanted to tell and how. It was in this way that I began to forge The Enigma of the Lost Labyrinth and decide to throw myself fully into the world of writing, something, by the way, that I had always wanted."

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Maxi Donnadieu: Hello, you know that I loved your novel... And I would like to know if the saga continues and if you are already working on it, I hope so because I would love to continue enjoying the story... I wish you good luck and that everything the world knows your work.

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"Good afternoon, Max! Thank you very much for your words and for your support! I'm glad you enjoyed my novel. I can tell you that I will continue the saga and there will be a second part. There are already several people who ask for a continuation and that encourages me even more to move it forward. It's been months since I started drawing it up, but right now I'm focused on another literary project and it's not easy to combine it. I hope to finish it by next year. A hug."

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Ana Reina: Why did you opt for this type of genre?

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"It's my favorite genre. I have always liked reading historical fiction novels since I was a child. If we add to this my passion for Egypt and its culture, together they were a perfect puzzle for me. Also, I like complicated things and I have always considered this genre to be very difficult."

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Estebi Sánchez: I hope that if you like to write you will continue with your books. I will continue reading. I like the intriguing ones. Greetings.

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"Good afternoon, Steve! I think that by now you all know that I am passionate about writing, so I will not stop doing it even if difficult times come and even more so if I have readers like you. Thank you very much for your support. A hug."

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Sara Blanco: How long did it take you to write the novel?

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"Good afternoon, Sarah! Taking into account the previous process of exhaustive documentation, it took me more or less two years. I started the writing process in the summer of 2015 and finished it in the summer of 2016."

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Brendan López: Do you think you will continue writing forever or has it only been a novel?

 

"Good afternoon, Brendan! I have written since I was little, in my adolescence I increased the pace and wrote even more, do you think I could stop writing at some point in my life? I do not think so. It is something innate in me, it is almost a necessity. I enjoy creating stories, researching topics that appeal to me and when suddenly a story pops into my head, I can't help but sit down and write it. I hope to continue writing all my life."

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María A. Hernández Sánchez: Has it been difficult for you to link several stories that are disparate a priori, but that complement each other and provide information from various points of view?

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"Of course. I consider the structure of the novel to be one of the most complicated things in my work. For me it was a challenge to link several stories that complement each other and that in turn provide information from different points of view. I was very thorough and checked every detail so that I didn't miss anything. It was crucial that each element was in its place in order to play out the plot. I think it is a method that helps a lot to create the intrigue and that was just what I wanted."

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Sara Blanco: How long did the proofreading process of the book take you?

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"About nine months. When I finished the novel, I devoted myself completely to correcting it, analyzing it and going over the smallest detail for months. Later, when I was totally satisfied with the final result, I sent my work to be corrected by an expert proofreader and great professional from the Barcelona School of Writers. It was she, moreover, who gave me an editorial reading report that dispelled any doubts I might have about launching myself to publish this novel."

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Rosario Montes: Have you studied anything related to the world of writing?

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"Good afternoon, Rosario! I started with my career, which is closely related to the world of writing. When I finished it, I studied Creative Writing at the Escuela de Escritores de Madrid and after that I took a proofreading course."

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Nacho Rodríguez: What is the most difficult thing for you when it comes to writing a novel?

"Good afternoon, Nacho! The most difficult thing is undoubtedly the structure and creating characters that are as real as life itself."

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Lorena Vivas: How did your passion for Egyptian culture begin?

"Good afternoon, Lorena! The truth is that since I was little I have been very curious. I liked to spend hours browsing encyclopedias of art, animals, nature... I loved discovering new things. When I was nine years old, I went to see the movie The Mummy and it was where I discovered the world of the pyramids and fell in love with the mysteries of Egypt. Since then, I became interested in Egyptian culture and every time I went to a bookstore or shopping center, if I saw an encyclopedia about Egypt, I had to buy it. There was even a time when I wanted to learn how to decipher hieroglyphics, but it was a tough task for a girl."
 

Ana Reina: What are your sources?

"The sources on which I have based the historical part of my novel correspond mainly to the writings of Herodotus where he tells that he visited the labyrinth of Hawara and describes briefly, but carefully, details of what he saw. I found it very interesting to use that information, lacking much data, to base the historical part and invent a reality. I also researched the current state of the Hawara labyrinth and collected information on the latest expeditions and on the opinions and impressions of people who had recently visited it. In this way, I turned reality into fiction and created a story with shades of truth.
Parallel to this, I carried out an exhaustive study of the world of cinema, as well as Egyptian culture and some of its historians.
And finally, I chose interesting locations and researched about them and analyzed every corner of each place where the most important scenes or moments of the book would develop. I like to take care of every little detail to the maximum."

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Brendan López: Would you change your style if the public asked you to? Do not stop writing, we look forward to your next novels.

"Thanks for your words! When I was studying Creative Writing, they made me realize that I was more flexible than I thought, so if the public asked me, yes, I would change my style. I write novels for the readers, not for myself, and if they like another style better, why not give them what they ask for? I live for and for them."
 

Ana González: Have you written anything before this novel?

"Good afternoon, Anne! Yes. I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the annual student book of the Escuela de Escritores de Madrid where I published a story that I titled: Sin aliento. You can read it on my blog: http://elrincondelarteee.blogspot.com.es/.../acercademi"

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Clari González: Does the main girl look like the author of the book? In what aspects?

"Good afternoon, Clary! No not at all. Alison and I only have two things in common: a passion for writing and a love for Egypt.."

 

María A. Hernández Sánchez: Do you plan to write the second part? When?

"You are not the first person to ask me and I am very happy to hear it, thank you. The truth is that I do have a second part in mind, what I don't know is when it could see the light, but I would like it to come out before the end of 2018."

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Ana Reina: The characters are written with great care. Have you been inspired by people from your real life?

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"No not at all. The characters are totally invented, but yes, each one of them has been taken care of down to the smallest detail. I am a very empathetic person and I am also one of those who is very fond of anything he does. I like to pamper everything I do so to speak. I admit that over time, the more I progressed in my work, the more affection I took for the characters and perhaps that is what you have seen reflected. I have a special affection for this novel, because it is with it that I have had the opportunity to fulfill my dream and I have really enjoyed creating it."

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Sara Blanco: How was the cover and back cover of the book chosen?
 

"It was a very complicated process, especially for me. I was the one who designed both. I took my camera and went looking for what I was looking for. An image that could make the reader feel at the gates of the entrance to the labyrinth or within it, encouraging them to delve into/lose themselves in its mystery. I also added the symbol of the Egyptian key to life, which has a meaning within the book and that is why I also chose it for the design of the back cover.."

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Haridian Díaz: What inspired you to create this story?

"Good afternoon Haridian! What really inspired me were the questions that arose when I discovered the mystery of the Hawara labyrinth and its pyramid. I looked for ways to answer all the gaps on the subject and the fact that it was a wide range of unknowns was what made me fall in love and made me wonder how everything could have been."

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Daniel Rodríguez: How did you decide on self-publishing?

"It was a very difficult decision to make. I consulted my professors, people who did self-publishing, I looked up information about the publishing world, about self-publishing houses, and I weighed the pros and cons. Most people advised me to self-publish my work, claiming that I would have full control over it and could know what the public thought, that it was difficult for the big publishers to pick it up. So, I finally decided to publish on Amazon, since it offered me greater coverage and did not require a number of sales, nor an amount of money to publish. I couldn't invest more money, so the Amazon platform was perfect. Anyone from anywhere in the world can buy my work, what more can I ask for?"

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Katrina Freire: Do you think that people value enough today all the effort and money that goes into publishing a book?

"I think most don't. It is possible that it is also due to ignorance of everything behind it, right? But in today's literary world, where there is so much self-publishing, it is difficult to make yourself known and, above all, to be respected. Some people think that self-publishing can be a whim, a supplement, but not a serious job. Some think that the books are published without passing any filter and yes, there may be some cases, but it is not a maximum. However, for me, self-publishing is a job. I have invested a lot of money and time in this novel in the same way as if it had been published by a publisher."

 

Damien Ponech: I do have a couple of questions I can think of: How old were you when you first became interested in writing and what books have you read that most inspired you to write. (I have a couple of questions: How old were you when you first became interested in writing, and what books have you read that most inspired you to write?)
 

“Good afternoon, Damien!! I have been interested in writing since I was a child. When I was four or five years old I wrote long letters to my cousins and invented stories where I drew the places and the characters or moments of the story. When I got tired of playing, I would write. Then I spent my adolescence writing without stopping.
I have read many books, but perhaps some of my references were Dan Brown's books. I love historical fiction novels!"
 

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Javier G.: Did you have to document yourself a lot?

"Yes a lot. I spent months documenting myself, about Egypt, the cinema, the Hawara labyrinth, Herodotus, the cities and places that appear in the book and about other topics that the book also deals with, but that I cannot reveal here. I guess you know what I mean."

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Ana Reina: What are your most beloved and important books in your life?
 

"Hard choise! One of the books that marked me the most when I was a teenager was The Curse of the Leopard Sorcerer by Heinz Delam. I love it. Then came The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and I became fond of reading all his works, but perhaps the one I liked the most was Angels and Demons. And in this last year I have been fascinated by the works the last cato and The return of Cato by Matilde Asensi and it has impacted me Return to your skin by Luz Gabas."

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Rosario Montes: What is the technique you used to make the novel?
 

"Film technique. Hence the thoroughness to create the effect of a movie camera."

Nacho Rodríguez: Do you have any other event planned?

"Yes. I would like to make a video that shows a tour of the most prominent places in the novel where I explain details or reasons why I chose them, among other things."

 

We are going to end today's digital meeting. Thank you all very much for participating and sending us your questions through private messages, twitter, etc. I hope you have had a nice time. Thank you, Nuria, for your predisposition. We wish you much success with your novel and your next projects. A hug.

"Thank you so much to you and to all of you who have submitted questions! It has been a pleasure for me to answer them. See you soon! A hug."