1. What inspired you to write this book?

I saw students white-knuckling their way through a rough draft, concentrating most of their efforts on the mechanics of writing (grammar, spelling, and punctuation) without understanding the academics of academic writing.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

This book is written for any academically qualified high school student looking to land an acceptance letter as a qualified candidate to colleges and universities — because, COLLEGE! What if they get in? I want to arm students with the formula for  success in academic writing at the undergraduate level, and I start with the college application essay because in 2023, three out of four ESSAY CURE students were accepted into their first-choice college or university and earned on average $80,000 in scholarship offers.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I do not believe writing is a “soft skill.” I believe writing is a technical skill that serves as an essential component in an interconnected and global economy. Any professional who does not master confidence in communication suffers greatly as a result. I empower readers with a formula to improve their writing as a technical skill.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

I honestly didn’t spend much time on it at all, I simply used the same fonts and colors as I use on my website.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Writing is a complicated art.  In order to elicit an emotional response from readers, a writer needs to enter the limbic system of the brain, which can only be done through the senses.  Painters, photographers, chefs, dancers, sculptors, musicians—these artists work in materials that are fundamental to the senses. An eater, for example, can immediately taste what the chef creates; a viewer can immediately experience the painter or the photographer; the audience can immediately hear the orchestra or the musician.  The same cannot be said for writers. Writers craft with words, and words strike the eye first as symbols which then must be translated into the sense that the language signifies and evokes. Adding to the complexity: readers bring their own memories and experiences to the piece from which they will then begin to decode the meaning of the words—and at that point, it may or may not be the meaning the writer intended.  Eliciting an emotional response from readers by entering the limbic system of the brain, therefore, is the ultimate task of the writer. Since it can only be done through a reader's senses, a writer must show, not tell.  The task for writers is to connect with readers by stringing words together to exchange information or news or ideas, to communicate the exchange of information, news, or ideas.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

The barriers once imposed by traditional gatekeepers of content are breaking down all around us, and I feel that’s a good thing. I’m seeing and hearing voices and ideas that I otherwise would not have had access to. On the flip side: there’s a lot of noise, and weeding through that noise can be a lot of work.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

Yes. In my work as an associate faculty member at the University of Phoenix, I was able to identify the problems students struggled with when writing. As my own two children began the process of college applications, I was able to use what I’d learned instructing in the classroom with my kids, my kids’ friends, and my friends’ kids. It worked! That’s when I realized I was onto something.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

“Please don’t use the word passion in your college essay. Period. Instead, show me what passion led you to do.” In moments such as these, Gacharna’s conversational frankness is refreshing. — Kirkus Reviews

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I don’t have a publisher or an agent, so I had to go at it alone. It was a bit daunting. I learned a LOT. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to land an agent as I want to continue publishing! I have “RIGHT My Essay” already written, it’s the guidebook for college students to help them with every essay they will write as an undergraduate, and “RIGHT My Essay — For Kids!” stems from my work with a Montessori educational consultant (Jackie Grundberg from Backpack Sciences) where I show elementary and middle school students how to incorporate these principles into the assignments they do, especially common assignments such as posterboard presentations of science projects. I would also like to create a guide for teachers (elementary, secondary, and undergraduate) because the assessment of student writing is equally as important to the final product as the student writing itself.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

An academically qualified student who wants to succeed in college at the undergraduate level can either read my book and get the instruction, starting with the college application essay, or sign up for one of my summer workshops where I walk students through the instruction in the book step-by-step.

Read the full interview here.