Lucynda Storey-Erotic Romance Writer

Thanks for agreeing to answer some of my questions about your writing life, Sheila.

Please tell our readers a bit about you and how you came into the fiction writing business.

I’m single and live in the Bayou state. After being laid off from a fortune 500 company, I decided to pursue my life-long dream of being a writer sooner than later. The road has not always been easy but it has been rewarding.

How do you get your head in the right place to continue on with a story you were working on yesterday?

I tune out everything going on around me (good and bad) and concentrate on the story itself. I allow the characters to be the center of attention during the time I’m sitting behind the keyboards.

How many hours a day do you spend working on your stories?

It depends. If I’m on a deadline, I will write 8 hours a day. If I’m not on deadline, I will write 4 hours a day unless I have other things such as marketing and interviews to do.

What was the best piece of advice you were given in regards to your writing?

Writers write. Write the first draft so you will have something to work with. To also MAKE time to write because there will never be enough time to write.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?  Why?

I’m a little bit of both. I know how my story is going to end before I sit down to write it; however the journey there may change once I sit down to write the story.

Who is your favorite author and why?

As an avid reader, it’s hard for me to pick just one favorite author. I have many, but will name a few. Maya Angelou because her words sing; Nora Roberts because her stories touch the heart no matter if you’re young or old; and Terry McMillan because her stories were my stories and opened up the door for me.

What’s your favorite genre to write in? Why?

It’s a tie. I enjoy writing women’s fiction and young adult books because I can use an entertainment platform and discuss issues women and young adults deal with.

How do you avoid interruptions?

 Interruptions can’t be avoided; however to eliminate people from being offended when I can’t be available, I explain to them what goes into writing a book.

What single book helped your writing the most? What lesson did you learn from it?

Story by Robert McKee. The book was instrumental in showing me no matter if you’re writing a novel or a screenplay how important “the backstory” is so you can relate your characters lives to your audience.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers? Why?

Yes. I like to get feedback on stories before they go to the publisher so I’ll know what’s working or not working. My beta readers are frank and honest with me and I appreciate their input.

Were you always a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was 9 years old but only started doing this professionally in my thirties.

What did you do before you started earning money as an author? 

I was a project manager and training coordinator.

Do you still do this?

Every now and then I will take a contract job.

What would your ideal day be like?

After the basic stuff, I usually start my day off by checking email, twitter, facebook, etc. That usually takes about 2 hours. I then write for a few hours in the morning and I work on marketing and promotions and returning emails, etc in the afternoon.

Who has given you the most support along this creative path?

My mother has been very supportive. I also have to say my close network of writing peers have been there during the ups and downs.

What was the most important piece of fan mail you’ve received?

They all are important. The fact that someone has taken the time to not only buy and read my book, but put forth the extra effort to email me means a lot.

What do you do to refill your creative well?

I have to take time away from writing for a few days and do something off the computer.

What inspires you to get the words down on the page?

The characters; my characters want their stories told and I’m just a vessel used to get their story on the page.

And just for fun, what or who is your favorite:

Drink - Sprite
Movie - Love Jones/You Got Mail
Actor - Denzel Washington
Actress - Angela Bassett
Book - Bible
Color - Red
Holiday - Christmas/My Birthday
Season - Spring/Fall
Saying - To live is to love; to love is to live ~ Shelia Goss
Historical person - Phillis Wheatley 

Thank you Sheila.  Continued success to you and your writing career. 

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 3:45 pm and is filed under Lucynda Storey, Interviews, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.