Tell readers a little about yourself.
My name is Birgit C. Wolgarten, and I am a German author who has been writing stories for more than twenty years.
I love creating characters, bringing their worlds to life, and taking readers on journeys filled with mystery, emotion, suspense, and unexpected twists.
My stories range from fantasy and romance to historical fiction and crime. What matters most to me is creating characters who feel real, whose lives and experiences stay with readers long after the final page.
Writing has been my passion for many years, and I still find it exciting to discover where my imagination will take me next.
When did you start writing, and what got you going?
I began writing in my mid-twenties, driven by one thing: imagination. Pure imagination.
I have always loved inventing stories, creating characters, and exploring worlds that existed only in my mind.
I was fortunate enough to learn the traditional craft of writing from a professor of literature, long before my first book was published.
It took another seventeen years before I finally published my first work. But throughout all those years, my passion for storytelling never faded.
And even today, after all this time, it is still my imagination that inspires me to write.
What do you do when you're not writing?
Is there a life beyond writing? Sometimes I wonder!
But yes, I have a large family, and there is always someone who has something on their mind and comes to me for advice or simply someone to listen.
At 65, I’m still young enough at heart to embrace new ideas and exciting writing adventures, and wise enough to offer a little advice to those who actually want to hear it.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Where do you write, and what does that space look like?
I write in my own little writing room, a place I affectionately call my “Schreibstübchen.”
It’s my personal retreat, filled with books, creative projects, little treasures and things that inspire me. Here, I can leave everyday life behind and immerse myself in the worlds of my characters.
My desk is where imaginary people become real to me, where stories unfold and where I sometimes lose all sense of time.
It may not be a grand writer’s studio, but it’s my little cozy Kingdom of imagination. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
What are you working on right now?
At the moment, I’m working on several exciting projects, including a new historical mystery series that takes me back several centuries into the past.
I’m also bringing more of my existing novels and stories to life as audiobooks through my own channel, Nebelmeer Hörwelten.
Another project close to my heart is translating my books into English, one by one, especially for readers on NovelMint. Of course, this is only possible for works where I hold the necessary publishing and translation rights. Some of my other books are under contract with a publisher.
My imagination is rarely quiet. New characters, unexpected adventures and mysterious places are constantly waiting to be discovered.
But I prefer to keep a few secrets until the time is right to reveal them.
How do you build your story's world?
I always start with my characters. Their appearance, their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses, and the world they live in.
I want to know everything about them, including their everyday lives, their habits, their surroundings and the things that matter to them.
Some of my characters have become so thoroughly developed that they even ended up with ridiculously expensive health insurance and their own identity cards. All fictional, of course!
Once I have created these details, building the story around my characters becomes much easier. I know them so well that I can almost predict how each of them will react to a particular situation.
For me, a story doesn’t begin with a plot. It begins with people who gradually become so real in my imagination that their stories almost tell themselves.
Have you hidden any secrets in your books that only a few readers will spot?
No, never. I am absolutely loyal to my readers, and I would never deliberately play games with them.
Of course, my stories contain mysteries, surprises and unexpected twists. But by the end, every reader should have all the answers.
I want my readers to experience my stories exactly as I imagined and wrote them, to feel the emotions, understand the characters and discover the truth alongside them.
For me, storytelling is about trust between an author and her readers. And that trust is something I would never betray.
What advice would you give a writer finishing their first book?
I would give three pieces of advice.
1. Courage.
Never be afraid to share your imagination with the world. There will always be people who love your work and others who don’t. That’s perfectly normal, and it will never change. Don’t let that discourage you.
2. Patience.
Every writer experiences moments when the words simply won’t come, or when their mind feels completely empty. When that happens, stop. Do something else. Give yourself a few days, or even a few weeks. Then sit down, read what you’ve already written, and often the words will begin to flow again.
But never force it. Readers can sense when a story has been forced rather than allowed to develop naturally.
3. Find your own way.
If you don’t know where to begin, listen to your instincts. For me, everything starts with an idea, a single thought. Then I create my characters. They are the foundation upon which I build my story.
But I know authors who write the ending before the beginning, while others start with a detailed outline or synopsis.
There is no single correct way to write a book. Find the approach that feels right for you, trust your imagination, and make the story your own.
That’s when everything falls into place.
