A Conversation with Lisah Jayne Walden
Q: What first drew you to writing, and when did you decide to take it seriously?
As a child I always had a vivid imagination. I think it was due to my homelife being so chaotic and painful. I would always look out the car window and imagine these new worlds filled with adventure, filled with a life so different from my own. I would have to say that the first 40is years of my life were the most painful filled with constant chaos and trauma. I was always writing in journals and it wasn’t until I went back to college that I began to take writing seriously. I started off at a community college and began to really write my stories there. I then transferred to University of Rochester and truly began to hone my craft, but I wasn’t done. I then went to SUNY Brockport and got an MA in creative writing. It was after graduation that I put together a collection of horror short stories and published them in 2019. Unfortunately Covid hit and I went into survival mode as I lost 3 streams of income in 2 days. After my recent breakup, I decided no more distractions! I was going to leave the world of short stories and flash fiction to complete my first novel. I wrote it in a month! The writer’s block was gone and the words flowed.
Q: How would you describe your writing style and the types of stories you enjoy telling?
Victorian gothic meets modern paranormal romantasy! My stories are not for the faint of heart. They are graphic, edgy, filled with beauty and pain. The stories I write are a direct commentary of what others would wish to sweep under the rug. Growing up I was told to NOT discuss what happened at our home. Well, my immediate family is now deceased (except for my dad), and I have nothing to lose!
Q: Tell us about your current book or series. What is it about, and what inspired it?
I took a short story that was published for an anthology and decided to turn it into a novel. The short story was about an Irish American man who travelled to Ireland to find his muse to become a successgul author. He enslaved her as well as many other fae creatures. The novel and series is about a nineteen-year-old who loses his parents tragically and runs to Ireland to his uncle’s estate not realizing that everyone (including the woman he falls in love with) is an enslaved fae creature. This series doesn’t just stay in Ireland. Book two takes the reader to Jamaica. I am Irish and Jamaican, and I wanted to tell the horrors that were done to the Irish and the Jamaicans by patriarchal colonizers. There is so much of my history that was kept from me and it is time for these stories to be told.
Q: What sets your work apart from others in your genre?
I care about historical and cultural accuracy. Compassion for indigenous and female issues. I don’t use gore or sex unless it’s necessary for the plot of the story. Twisting tropes from their cliches to give accuracy for those I want represented in my stories.
Q: What kind of readers do you feel your work resonates with most?
I think that readers who have experienced pain and loss, trauma and isolation would find my stories a comfort. They are not alone. Those that have not experienced the dark side of humanity and the ugliness that is hidden from most, may not be ready for what I have to say.
Q: What has been the most challenging part of being an independent author so far?
Letting readers know I exist!
Q: What is something you’ve learned about publishing that you didn’t expect when you first started?
I thought writing the piece would be the most difficult. It is not. Getting your book into the hands of readers is the most difficult thing to achieve. Companies are out to make their corporate deadlines and could give a shit about you. The grift is strong and an indie author NEEDS to be careful. Protect your work and your rights at all cost! What worked in marketing ten years ago does not work today. Social media has silenced creators trying to force us to spend thousands in advertisement. Corporate greed and capitalism is the enemy to us creators. I will not be putting any of my novels/series on Amazon. Why should my hard work and creative force be used to fatten Bezos’ pockets. I’ve watched in horror as other indie authors have had their books removed from the platform AND NOT GET PAID what was due to them. I will take my hard earned money and use it to bring readers to my website. I will be seeking out independent book stores to carry my book on their shelves. I will put myself out there for meet and greets. I am very passionate about this.
Q: What keeps you motivated on the days when writing or promoting feels difficult?
My characters have a story that needs to be told, and they will not shut up until I tell it! Aside from that, there may be a reader out there that the story would resonate with. My story may be the thing that could change their life.
Q: What does your writing process look like, from idea to finished book?
I have to make a playlist on Spotify. Then I daydream… a lot! Next, I make a list of characters and look up names that would fit them. The names of my characters have meanings behind them (most of them). RESEARCH!!!!!!! Outlines! Once the outline is complete I then plug it in on Word. Write! Realize where I need more and what needs to chopped. Rewrite. Send to MJ. MJ then tells me what is missing. We go over plotholes and what characters need more. REWRITE AGAIN. CRY. Cuddle with my cat and have a glass of wine. Edit again! Walk around feeling as if my brain is completely numb. Sleep!
Q: Are you more of a planner, or do you prefer to write as you go?
For my short stories I was a pantser, stream of consciousness. Now that I am writing a novel (especially a series) I am a planner. I have to have an outline. I still will go into that stream of consciousness and surprise myself by what was created, but there is clear goal in mind.
Q: What are you currently working on next?
Book two of my series called Wretched. There are going to be five books in the series A Breaking and Crushing of Bone: Wrecked, Wretched, Wakened, Withered, & Wrath.
Q: What are your long-term goals as an author?
To live in Ireland with my son and my cats, sipping tea, and writing.
Q: If someone is picking up your work for the first time, what do you hope they take away from it?
The world is a vampire…..set to drink!
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about becoming an independent author?
Thicken up that skin. Get some callouses working. READ! READ! READ! If you want to be a serious writer, find an author you adore. Read absolutely everything they have written. Study them. Learn from then. Get their books on audio. Listen to them. Hear how beautiful the language and the craft is woven into tale. Disect their work. Devour their work. Practice and hone your craft with your voice based on what you have learned. INVEST IN AN EDITOR AND AN ARTIST!!! Research everyone you are about to give money to assist you with creating your book. Do not let these companies bully you. Be an advocate for yourself. I just fired a publishing company for their shit work. They begged me to stay. I said NO! Your book is your creation, your child. Show it the care and investment that you would with an actual child!
Explore the Books of Lisah Jayne Walen
About Bowers Ink Publishing
Bowers Ink Publishing is a curated network of independent authors working together to increase visibility, connect with readers, and support one another in the independent publishing world.