Meet Vanessa Moore | Author & Writing Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Moore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have been making up and telling stories for as long as I can remember. When I was eight, and one of my little brothers was around two years old, my mother would sit him on top of telephone books to eat dinner at the dining room table. He would constantly tip his chair back a little, and everyone was always telling him to stop. One day he tipped that chair back, and the chair didn’t just tip forward the way it usually did. It went all the way back and my brother hit his head on the china closet. My mother rushed him to the ER for fear that he might have a concussion. Luckily, all he had was a knot on the back of his head. But at eight years old, I was inspired to write a book about it called, “Why You Should Not Tip Chairs.” I wrote my little story and had my other brother who was five, illustrate for me. A few months later I wrote another story about my little brother and another relative. That same year, while I was in third grade, we were reading the folktales of Anansi the Spider in school. My teacher gave out blank hardcover books for my class to write our own Anansi stories. The excitement I felt to have my hands on a blank hardcover book is unexplainable. I was a very talkative child with an overactive imagination, who really enjoyed role play games. I had a massive Barbie doll collection, and I grouped them into families that had backstories. As a teenager I was heavy into the computer game The Sims… all of this led to me becoming a fiction writer and a published author by the time I was thirty-four years old.
The skills I built in college led me to want to teach others as well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a published author and writing coach. When I begin coaching a new client though, I let it be known that I am a writer at heart because I am capable of writing, editing, and proofreading anything, however my heart belongs to fiction. Coming up with stories off the top of my head brings me the most joy. I write fiction Black love, and the thing that sets me apart from other authors in my genre is that although the stories are fiction, the realism that I add evokes strong emotions in my readers.
Upon graduating high school I wanted to be a filmmaker, but my plans did not pan out that way as I got pregnant the very next year. Still, I pursued a creative degree and earned an Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts and Media Studies. I considered a BA in creative writing, but instead followed up with a BA in English Literature. While in that program, I was able to take courses in different types of fiction and polish my ability to analyze literature as well as my own writing. Last, I completed a Masters Degree in Education, and in that program I was able to create strategies of how to engage young students, and teach basic writing skills effectively.
None of this was easy. For all of my college career, I was a working mother. I also deal with stress anxiety, so you can imagine how the combination of motherhood, financial issues, working full-time, and attending classes full or part time created terrifying roadblocks. My determination to be the best mother I could be, and my village that I mentioned before are the elements that got me through dark nights of tears and worry.
I think it sounds cliche, but the biggest lesson I learned within the last five years of being a published author who eventually created a brand, is that absolutely anything is possible with focus, and beginning with confidence the “size of a mustard seed.” Confidence grows as the accomplishments come, but as long as one is focused, and maps out their journey towards their goals in steps, and celebrates the completion of every step, they will indeed achieve the success they pine for.
My brand and story are still a work in progress, however everyone should know that Vanessa Moore is always “rooting for everybody Black.” My stories, novels, and novellas are about Black love, and I specify that it’s not romance because love is not always romantic. Sometimes love is scary, or hard, or confusing. My stories are not just about love between couples, but about the Black family structure, and friendships as well. There are ever evolving codes of communication within Black culture, and I love to share that in the interactions between my characters, because its intriguing and should be celebrated.
As far as what I do as an editor and coach, the world should know that when clients get my time, they are getting me. I am raw, straightforward, and even emotional when I coach clients through their writing processes. I feel that if someone thinks they have a story to tell, then they are right. They do have a story to tell, and I want to help them tell it the best way they can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a Bronx girl down to my bone marrow. On a visitor’s first morning in my city, I would introduce them to New York breakfast staples. There are a lot of great diners where you can get the simplest, yet most fulfilling breakfasts such as a bagel with cream cheese, a buttered roll, or a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, which here in New York is pronounced like one word; baconeggncheese. I am not a coffee drinker, but coffee is a big deal here, and in The Bronx the best coffee comes from Puerto Rican and Dominican bodegas… don’t be alarmed by the cat that roams the aisles, he’s security. (Joking, but not really.) These are the things that New Yorkers cannot live without. Tremont Avenue is one of our longest roads and it runs from East to West of The Bronx. The east end of the road has some cute little Latin bars and restaurants where you can get delicious sangrias, and empanadas. My favorite spot in that area is Havana Cafe, and I would gladly make a reservation for brunch, where we could have mango sangria and one of their seafood dishes like paella, and we could enjoy good music and a hyped atmosphere. If my guests lean more towards soul food, we could hit Beatstro in the South Bronx where every brunch is a full-on day party. The deejays play r&b as far back as the 1970s, dance music, and as the home of hiphop all the hiphop classics. They too serve a thirst-quenching sangria to wash down french toast or shrimp & grits.
New York is full of landmarks, museums, and exciting places to go. I love the picnic areas of Central Park and Pelham Bay park. I am always down for a picnic. My daughter is a frequent museum goer, and literally any museum in New York offers an experience like no other. Hanging with us, guests would have the opportunity to take in not just visual arts like paintings, but ancient artifacts, and cultural and spiritual items like crystal exhibits.
Many people love to shop in Manhattan when they visit New York, but if you are not necessarily looking for high end brands and not built for the hustle & bustle of the city, I would suggest the quiet shopping area in Westchester County called Ridge Hill. There’s stores, restaurants, a movie theater, and even a Lego Land for the kiddies.
One week is not enough to explore the wonders of New York, but if someone spent a week here with me, they would have a jampacked time, and go home exhausted, yet chatty about all they experienced.

Website: www.VanessaMooreLLC.com

Instagram: @vanessa_blacklove_moore

Twitter: @loventhebizz

Facebook: Vanessa Moore The Author