Daisy Plaza, a Hartford, CT-based writer, shares the inspiration behind her debut book I Did It For Her, her writing process, how working through her trauma gave her a new perspective on life, and why she thinks everyone deserves to tell their own story.
What is your background in writing? Has it been a lifelong passion or did your interest in writing develop more recently? In other words, how would you say it fits into your life?
Although I didn’t necessarily go to school for writing, I’ve always loved writing down my thoughts and I was always told I was a great storyteller. In 2012, I went back to college to take some classes, and in one, I had to read and dissect a book and provide my thoughts on it. That sparked my interest in writing again and particularly in writing a book. I spoke to my professor about it and she essentially told me that I needed to find a publisher and that she couldn’t help me. I felt discouraged and thought maybe I was wrong and decided it wasn’t my time. But the urgency never left me and I knew one day I would write something, I just wasn’t sure what it would be at the time. I will say that I absolutely love writing and want to do this for the rest of my life. I want to write a children’s book for my grandchildren and maybe a second part to my biography.
Tell me about the inspiration to write I Did It For Her. How has writing about these events shed light on them or brought forth a new understanding of them?
My inspiration to write came from a young girl named Ericka. She dated my youngest son for three-and-a-half years and we became very close, so much so that I considered her my other daughter. She always used to say that I have to tell my story, and she even helped me create my outline for my first book. A lot was going on with my life at the time, so I put it on hold. I thought I had plenty of time to write my book with her, but sadly, Ericka died in a car accident in 2021. One of her last text messages to me said, “You have to finish your book,” but I couldn’t do it at that time. I went through therapy and I needed to be there for my son. We were devastated. Two years later while trying to pick up the pieces, I saw the name of a publisher on a person’s page that I knew. I decided to reach out to the publisher and she asked me to send her what I had. She loved it and my journey officially began for me to write my story. I decided to name the book I Did It for Her, in honor of Ericka, my daughter Mikeala, and all women.
Writing about your own life can be an extremely vulnerable process. What has it been like sharing your story with the world? Why did you feel it was time to share your story now?
It definitely was a very vulnerable process to share my story. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. I kept questioning if this was the right thing to do – did I want everyone in the world to know pieces of me? The timing felt right, even though my life was still very chaotic. I knew I needed to fulfill my promise to Ericka about completing my book. My writing was like an escape; I was able to close off the world and write. It gave me hope and something to look forward to every time I wanted to give up.
Tell me about the events that you’ve spoken at. Why was it important for you to share your story this way?
I’ve been blessed to attend many events. I was a part of a panel at the Hartford Public Library with nine other Latino Authors. There were so many powerful stories everyone shared and that were very impactful. This gave me the idea to do my own “meet and greet” book signing event to introduce my book. I also did my first podcast with my publisher. I was interviewed by Hot 93.7 radio station twice, and the outreach that I received from that was amazing. I hosted a workshop at Eastern College, where I was able to meet so many amazing young girls and tell them my story. I continued to tell my story at an event called “E-Women Network,” where I spoke about how to inspire other women on business ownership and encourage them to follow their purpose. I was able to express the details of my trauma and domestic violence, while showing resilience in how I wrote my book during my worst time. With all of the things happening, I realized that this was not just about me and my story, but my purpose! I wanted to inspire and motivate and show others that we can overcome the worst things in life and still make it on top.
What does your writing process look like when writing about your life? Did anything about your process stand out or change when writing this book?
My writing process was therapeutic, chaotic, frustrating, depressing, and finally, led me to resilience. I kept asking myself if I was sure I wanted to do this. I didn’t write my story to hurt anyone, but to help others. Before I published my story, I had to ask my children if it was okay. I needed that confirmation from them first before I published.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
I hope readers understand that while life is never easy, having a positive mindset that all things are possible and that we are the narrators of our own story can do so much for you. I want to be the voice for those who feel that they don’t have one, as well as show others that together we can make a difference.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers that we haven’t already covered?
So many people have reached out to say thank me for sharing my story and have expressed that I made a difference and impact on their lives. This continues to encourage me to do more. I didn’t write this book just for me; I wrote it for anyone who feels that they are alone. I intend to continue this journey and meet many more people around the world to empower them to be who they are.
Daisy Plaza’s book is available at all major book retailers.