Alexandria Rizik
Alexandria Rizik is an award-winning filmmaker and the author of two books, the poetry collection Words Written in the Dark and the children’s book Chocolate Milk. She was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was brought up by a large Armenian family. She received her bachelor of arts in English literature from Arizona State University. Alexandria’s love for writing began when she was a young child: her aunt bought her a journal and told her to write her a story, and the rest is history. Her favorite part about writing is being able to write the happily ever after that doesn’t always happen in real life. Besides writing, Alexandria loves yoga, wine, and family time. She lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
Instagram: @Alexandria_Rizik
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
When I write, I tend to listen to a lot of indie artists. Depending on what kind of mood I’m in, sometimes I don’t listen to music at all. But I envision scenes like a movie a lot of the time and create playlists on Spotify that go with my writing.
Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?
Yes, I collect wine corks. I’ve been collecting them for five years or so. I’m a huge wine drinker so there are plenty to go around.
What brings you great joy?
My family brings me joy! I come from a big, crazy, close Armenian family and we drive each other nuts but they’re also my best friends, especially my three sisters. Also, wine and pasta.
Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
I usually know from pretty early on if a book doesn’t intrigue me. I liked to be hooked immediately. If within the first chapter or two I’m not feeling it, I usually stop reading it.
Is there another profession you would like to try?
I wish I could paint! I envy people who are good with their hands. I can barely cut with scissors in a straight line, in fact my first grade teacher got mad at me because everything I cut was crooked.