12 November 2025
On Wednesdays on social media, people use the hashtag #WriterWednesday to chat about all things author, book and writing, including authors promoting their own work. As I love to support self-published writers, I thought I’d join in and will be featuring a UK self-published writer every Wednesday on the website.
This week, I met Hertfordshire writer M.G. Vaciago to find out more…
Please tell everyone about yourself; when did you first become interested in writing?
I’m a mum of three and my love of writing began at a very early age, I would say around the age of 7. It was born out of a need to escape as I was bullied from the age of 5 or 6 until my late teens, so for me writing became my coping mechanism. It allowed me to create realities that were completely different from the one I was living in and I could write myself into the story as any character I wanted to.
I only took the plunge and published my first book (Big Little Voice® Colours the Grey) when one of my sons was viciously bullied and I wrote a book to help him through the ordeal and he pushed me to publish it to help other children in the same situation.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I was about 7 years old and my stories were fantasy-based stories, I think I was just looking for an escape and fantasy was the only genre I’d ever been exposed to at that point. I actually found one of my first stories a few years back and it was quite awful, but you could see that even at a young age I had a very vivid imagination and I could set the scenes really well.
What genre/genres do your books fall under?
My books are children’s books and they focus on real issues children worry about e.g. bullying and anxiety, and address them in a relatable way that children can understand. The books are all written in rhyme too, so that it’s easy to remember the messages in the books.
What is your latest book called, what is it about and what was the inspiration behind the book?
My latest book is Big Little Voice® Calms the Storm, this book was inspired by my eldest son and his struggle with anxiety whilst sitting his GCSE’s. The book highlights the anxiety most children face, where they feel like they’re not good enough and can only be good enough if they pass a test or achieve something amazing, instead of realising they were good enough the minute they were born. My goal with the book was to get children to understand they are enough just by being in the world, they have nothing to prove.
Besides your current book, do you have any new projects coming up?
The Big Little Voice series now has four titles with each book focusing on a different issue:
Big Little Voice® Colours the Grey – Bullying
Big Little Voice® Behind the Smile – Self-Esteem
Big Little Voice® Dries my Tears – Bereavement
Big Little Voice® Calms the Storm – Anxiety
but I am hoping to write a few more titles.
I’m also planning on expanding the Dino Cloud® series, which at the moment only consists of the Dino Clouds® Party, I also have another picture book series. So more books in that series should follow.
Where can people find your books?
Signed copies can be bought through my website, on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith and also from Troubador Publishing.
What has been the greatest moment in your writing career?
My greatest moment was seeing how the story I wrote for my son went on to help so many other children and sparked a series (of 4 books so far), which I plan to expand. It has been an absolute joy to be able to visit schools and know this book can spark a discussion among students. I have also been honoured with winning numerous awards, the latest being a Small Business Sunday award from former Dragons Den host Theo Paphitis.
Besides writing, what hobbies or interests do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love expanding my book collection, which currently stands at about 2,000 books, so I am always on the hunt for special editions or signed copies. I enjoy reading and have a very vast ‘To Be Read’ pile. I love spending time with my children and taking them to their various sporting activities. I also love visiting museums and exhibitions, they also seem to spark some kind of book idea.
Which novelists do you admire?
I really enjoy Dan Brown books and usually finish them in a few days. The books are very fast paced and they really open my eyes to the hidden meanings around buildings or places we see all the time.
What has been the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Don’t overthink it.
If you try and focus on the writing, editing, publishing journey as a whole, you will be really overwhelmed, so just focus on the next step, you don’t have to have it all figured out, you just need to take it one step at a time.
Do you have any tips or advice for other indie authors?
I would say you really have to believe in yourself and your books, it’s such a tough industry, so you really need to be resilient and keep going no matter what. Also shout about your books, tell everyone about your books, they’re your books and no-one else is going to feel as passionate about them as you are.
You can find out more about M.G. and her work on her website or via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Blackwell’s, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok, Troubador Publishing, Waterstones or X (Twitter).
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