Ask the Author: L. Stephens
Answered Questions (5)
L. Stephens
Honestly, I've always enjoyed writing, I just didn't know it.
When I was in 5th grade I remember having to write a fictional story. Ten pages later I had a re-telling of little red riding hood in my hands. I still have it to this day... my first short story. It's awful! Every time I look at it though I'm reminded of how excited I had been after finishing each paragraph, each page.
Life veered me in a different direction in college where I pursued aviation and piloting, surprisingly enough my creative writing courses were still my favorite. I always liked reading my professors comments and viewpoints on what I had written.
It wasn't until the last few years that I took up reading fantasy novels. Once I was enveloped into the worlds that author created, I realized that I had been missing out for SO long! Two years ago, with my sisters help and support, I finally put my foot down and started what I thought would be a wonderful "hobby." Once I started, I realized that I didn't want writing to be just a hobby. I love it, even the frustrating parts, too much to ever think of it that way. It's part of who I am now and I have no desire to let that part of me slip by again.
When I was in 5th grade I remember having to write a fictional story. Ten pages later I had a re-telling of little red riding hood in my hands. I still have it to this day... my first short story. It's awful! Every time I look at it though I'm reminded of how excited I had been after finishing each paragraph, each page.
Life veered me in a different direction in college where I pursued aviation and piloting, surprisingly enough my creative writing courses were still my favorite. I always liked reading my professors comments and viewpoints on what I had written.
It wasn't until the last few years that I took up reading fantasy novels. Once I was enveloped into the worlds that author created, I realized that I had been missing out for SO long! Two years ago, with my sisters help and support, I finally put my foot down and started what I thought would be a wonderful "hobby." Once I started, I realized that I didn't want writing to be just a hobby. I love it, even the frustrating parts, too much to ever think of it that way. It's part of who I am now and I have no desire to let that part of me slip by again.
L. Stephens
Book 2 in our Price of Power trilogy is currently in our wonderful editors hands! We are hoping for a winter 2019 release and will let everyone know a more precise date once we do!
We are also working on outlining book 3 so that the first draft can begin!
Of course, with our crazy and creative minds we are also working through the kinks for our second series that will hopefully be released summer of 2020.
Busy times but also insanely fun!
We are also working on outlining book 3 so that the first draft can begin!
Of course, with our crazy and creative minds we are also working through the kinks for our second series that will hopefully be released summer of 2020.
Busy times but also insanely fun!
L. Stephens
Just try! It may take you months or years, but eventually even the best of stories come to an end. Don't hesitate because you aren't sure you'd be any good or because you're worried people won't like it. No matter what genre you write in, your story is a part of yourself and it deserves to be written down and given to the world.
L. Stephens
I won't lie... writing the first novel was awful. It sounded like such a great idea when we started but we quickly learned that writing a deep plotted trilogy right off the bat might have been biting off more than we could chew. I lost count with how many rewrites and plot issues that surfaced.
Then book two came along and it was a completely different experience. I wanted to write and write quickly because I wanted to know where the story and characters would take me. By the time the second draft was written, I was beyond excited to dig into the final outline... how will our series actually end?
That feeling of excitement is what I like the most. When you delve into the story so much that even I'm crying as I write it. You're absorbed into the histories and lives of these characters that, even as a reader, you don't get to experience otherwise.
Then book two came along and it was a completely different experience. I wanted to write and write quickly because I wanted to know where the story and characters would take me. By the time the second draft was written, I was beyond excited to dig into the final outline... how will our series actually end?
That feeling of excitement is what I like the most. When you delve into the story so much that even I'm crying as I write it. You're absorbed into the histories and lives of these characters that, even as a reader, you don't get to experience otherwise.
L. Stephens
I'm rather lucky in this department seeing as I have a co-author to help me. It seems as though when I'm stuck, she's easily able to power through. When she's drawing a blank, I'm there to bounce ideas off of.
Don't get me wrong though, there have been times where neither of us knew what to do. What I discovered after numorous rewrites for our debut novel is that if something is blocking you, it's because you took a route that you shouldn't have taken. A lot of our time during our early drafts was spent trying to make something fit. A story should never be made into something it's not. If the author allows the characters to lead the way then these blocks aren't as big of an issue.
Don't get me wrong though, there have been times where neither of us knew what to do. What I discovered after numorous rewrites for our debut novel is that if something is blocking you, it's because you took a route that you shouldn't have taken. A lot of our time during our early drafts was spent trying to make something fit. A story should never be made into something it's not. If the author allows the characters to lead the way then these blocks aren't as big of an issue.
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