Friends! Today is an exciting day because I got to host an interview with author Lauren Searson-Patrick on her writing process, her journey to publication, and (most importantly) her writing mascot.
Lauren is a good friend of mine. We met back in 2020 on Instagram, and we've been trading manuscripts back and forth ever since! Even though we're on opposite ends of the world, I'm so thankful we touched base. Lauren's writing truly touches the soul. So without further ado, let's get into the nitty-gritty.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your books?
Honestly, I think I'm like a lot of people - I'm a working Mum who's determined to realise her own dreams at the same time. I live in a semi-rural community with my husband, two kids, and a very cute gold lab and, when I'm not working my day job or writing, I teach yoga on the side.
My books, so far and for the foreseeable future, are adult fantasy with strong romance subplots because they're two of my favourite things - magic and love!
How did you get started writing?
I started actually giving time to my writing during the pandemic when I really needed an outlet for myself. In hindsight though, writing was always something bubbling away beneath the surface, and I'd just never given it the time of day to see where it would go. Lockdowns certainly provided time, and I decided to give myself permission to explore it.
What's the most unique part of your writing process?
Probably the awkward position I sit on the couch to do it! Seriously though, I don't know that I have a unique element. I have read a lot of craft books and try to continue to learn as much as I can from resources like that, different platforms, and other writers and blend what works for me into my own model. As I have been writing, I have discovered each book is slightly different, and I really enjoy the evolving process.
How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
Going through the process of publishing hugely changed my process, and I learned a lot! This was largely due to working with editors, getting feedback on my manuscript, and becoming part of the community. When I first started, I wrote a lot by feel alone. Now, I try to balance writing the first draft by feel but with a layer of strategy as well to make the next rounds of revisions a bit easier. Basically, I try to help future-Lauren along rather than popping words in and hoping for the best.
What prompted you to self-publish?
In a nutshell - because I decided to self-validate.
I thought long and hard about traditional or self-publishing and, at that time, there was quite a sense that this decision would then be the path I would be committed to for the rest of my author career. And I found that really stressful - I was an unpublished author with no experience in either the traditional or self-publishing arenas, and I had no idea how to make that decision.
As part of my research, I was also finding lots of stories of traditionally published authors who had got there after many, many years of queries (often upwards of ten) before being picked up by an agent - which, while encouraging about not giving up, also doesn't guarantee being published.
After many months of mulling all of this (and much more) over, I decided a few things, mostly centred around my children:
I didn't feel I had time to wait for an opportunity to traditionally publish. My children and family had seen me work away at that first novel (Amber Wolf, which was starting to get some really good, genuine feedback) for a long time, and it just didn't sit well with me to potentially park it for a decade or indefinitely after the sacrifices they made too.
When I considered what I would want to tell my children in the future when they asked, "Whatever happened to that story you were writing," I didn't want to tell them I didn't pursue it because someone else told me I couldn't. I believed in my story (and still do!), and I wanted to stand behind it.
That if I didn't lead by example, and show my children we can do hard things, test our dreams, and work hard to make them come true, who will? So, basically, I decided I didn't need or want 'the system' to validate my dreams or my work, and I did it myself.
Why do you write what you write? Did your mindset change at all after publishing?
Because I love it. I have always loved reading but fantasy was the first genre I REALLY fell in love with, and YA fantasy will always have a very special place in my heart. More recently, I have become a pretty avid romance reader too.
But, in fantasy novels, I found it harder to find books that had an adult main character I could relate to because of who I am now, as opposed to who I was as a teenager - particularly female characters. I don't believe women reach their maximum potential or value at 18 or 20, we're pretty epic in our 30s, 40s, 70s and 80s and on too, and I wanted to read about someone closer to my age or life stage.
No, my mindset hasn't changed yet after publishing, and I still write what I love, but I am more aware of the advice around writing to market. There is a lot of business sense in that approach, and many authors can combine that with a niche they love writing about which is a great thing!
What were your expectations of self-publishing? How were they different from your reality?
I "knew" self-publishing would be hard.
It's way harder.
I went into it thinking I was publishing a book. I was actually starting a business, and the administrative and marketing sides of that business are far greater than I had expected. There are some weeks I could work full-time in this business and not write a single creative word. It can be very exhausting, especially if I don't carve out time for the creative process because that's where the joy is - I certainly didn't start writing so I could get more admin in my life!
What was the hardest scene to write in Amber Wolf? In Blue Pointed Star?
In Amber Wolf, there is a scene where the main character, Lish, has to say goodbye to her found-brother, and it made me cry when I wrote it and every read-through after!
In Blue Pointed Star, the hardest scene was from more of a technical perspective - there's a scene where Lish and a portion of her found-families have to go into underground tunnels to retrieve something really important. What they find in those tunnels is quite confronting, and I could feel it all play out in my heart and mind. It was much harder to get that same feeling down on paper while still making sure the reader knew where they were, exactly what was happening, and why it was important - that scene was tricky!
How do you balance writing, marketing, etc. with all the other life stuff that goes on?
Well...I'm not sure I do it well, to be honest! Time-wise my family and day job have to come first. But outside of that, I do something writing-related (often admin) literally every day. When I'm drafting, I really try to make space to write a little each day too because that's what makes me feel emotionally a bit more in control of where I'm going with this career. I think I'd be a little panicked if I didn't have another manuscript in the works, so making sure I am moving forward is something that's good for future-Lauren!
If you didn't write, what would you be doing for work?
The same as what I do now. My day job landscape hasn't changed since I started writing, and it won't for the foreseeable future. This isn't because writing is less important to me by any means but, right now, there are stability, experiences, and opportunities in my day job that is different from being a new author. So right now I get to do both which is pretty lucky (if tiring!).
What would be your author mascot?
Ha! I think I have to say wolf here. It was no accident wolves played a role in the Amber Wolf duology. When I was ten my Mum went on her first, long overseas work trip to Canada and brought me back a wrist cuff with a hand-engraved wolf face on it. A little letter came with that cuff that talked of the things wolves symbolise like family, loyalty, protection, instinct, etc., and that has stayed with me all these years.
Thanks so much for reading along! You can find Lauren on Instagram and now also on TikTok at @laurenspbooks. Her books are available widely online and in a selection of bookstores. Lauren has a regular newsletter for book and life updates. If you'd like to sign up or purchase her books, you can check out her website.
And if you still want more, here's a little nugget from Lauren:
I've got a few things in the works, the likely first being a standalone fantasy about secrets and a second chance at love. After that will probably be another duology, and I also have a lot of people asking for Amber Wolf spinoffs so...we'll see!