Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Guetebier.
Hi Amber, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was raised a bit of a heathen in the forests of Northern California. As a kid with a big imagination, I spent a lot of time chatting with plants and fairies and writing stories in my head. I always knew writing was important to me, and was that kid that would write 10 pages of expository writing while all the other kids got bored and begged to go to the playground. So I think I was destined to be a writer and help others find that potential in themselves.
I spent most of my life in or around San Francisco, California until about 9 years ago when we decided to relocate to White Bear Lake. Not long after moving here, I found White Bear Center for the Arts and it really helped me connect with the community in a way I was craving. But I’m not much of a visual artist, so it took a few years before I found myself plugging into writing classes offered there. Now I am proud to say I am teaching those writing classes, spearheading the growth of the writing program at WBCA and helping to create a space for our talented and thriving community of writers in White Bear Lake, the North Metro, and Twin Cities. Two of the programs I am most proud of are the Writer’s Well, an open writing group for writers of all types, and the Pen and Ink Society, a writing club for teens.
Simultaneously to all of this, I transitioned from a high-pressure editorial job to freelance writing and editing. I am the author (under the name Varla Ventura) of several books, including my latest, Enchanted Plants, an exploration of fairy tales and folklore through a botanical lens. I freelance for several outlets and still help authors with book development as well. And when I get a spare minute, I write a bit of horror.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My path to where I am has not been smooth at all. I took the long way around the barn. Like many young women, I struggled with self worth and finding my path. Because of some of the circumstances in my childhood, I developed an unconcious, but ingrained desire to be abused or make sacrifices that were not to my benefit. This took a toll on my mind, body, and spirit as I navigated my way in the world. I also eschewed traditional education, so my path to being an experienced editor and writer has been hard fought in a world where academia reigns. Having said all of that I’m 50 now and my mind set has thankfully evolved. Becoming a mother has certainly changed the way I view myself and the world. But also finding “success” and how success is measured has evolved. Is it measured by book sales and royalty checks or likes on a post? Or is it measured by the face of a fellow writer when they have triumphed at an open mic?
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I sometimes joke that I write anything people will pay me for. And I do a lot of side gigs writing and editing articles for various online outlets. But as anyone who knows me will attest, I have two big passions: writing and plants. I’ve spent many years in the horticultural industry, working in retail nurseries, with landscapers, and running my own gardening business. At this point in my life I am able to merge the two on a semi-regular basis. I just wrote a book about plants in fairy and folklore and my next book is also a unique plant book. I am also able to write gardening content for a few websites, which I love.
As Varla, and as Amber, I am known for my penchant for pirates, plants, and paranormal things. I love a good ghost story, spend as much time as humanly possible exploring cemeteries, and love to travel (to see new cemeteries and plant species).
It’s important to me to find the story behind the story. The story behind the name on the headstone. The legend of each plant. I delight in it.
As a writing instructor, it is my greatest joy to inspire others to write; to help new writers gain confidence and experienced writers keep going. Like any industry, writing and publishing can be full of gatekeepers. I more of a gate-burner. No time for gates or fences, there’s room enough for everyone in my yard!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My grandmother’s garden in San Francisco had a large patch of giant white calla lilies (Zantedeschia). My sister Wendy and I loved taking the pollen from the stamen, which felt like silk in your hands, and sprinkling it on our heads declaring it was pixie dust.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.varlaventura.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/varlaventura/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577255785252
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberguetebier/
- Other: https://www.writhingink.com/
