Saturday, February 21, 2015

Why Fight It? Just Write It!

By Leah Grant (Guest Blogger)


When Lisabet contacted me with an invitation to be on her blog, I must tell you I was surprised. I'm a newbie in this writing business and didn't expect to be asked to write something for an author with such an impressive bookshelf. I have been writing since I was nine. It is only now that I have been able to pursue my dream full throttle. I write under the pen name Leah Grant and prefer to live a quiet and private existence in my personal life. I do applaud those that take the great leap and go out into the world as themselves. At some point I hope to brave the rather narrow-minded views that can follow writers of erotic romance.

Stories are always knocking at the door. Characters hanging around in my mind, taking up space. I was reading here on Lisabet's site that most writers experience a 'movie' in their head. This is also true for me. I just type away and let a story unfold itself. Sometimes I think of myself as the 'first reader' because I never really know where the story will go. The ending - well, I also have to wait until the characters let me in on it.


I have had people ask, 'how does it end?' My answer to that one is as follows: 'how would I know?' True enough, I really don't. The looks of horrified bewilderment always leave me laughing softly. For those that never write, it can be very difficult to understand that the process has an almost magical quality to it. I believe authors have a strange connection to the ether. This connection leads to the unfolding of stories and dialogue that can leave us authors stunned at the best of times. 'I can't believe he just said that to her! What an insensitive ass!' And it isn't until later that afternoon while you are in the middle of making a sandwich that you realize you've spent the entire morning harbouring anger at that character. 


We drink copious amounts of coffee to stay awake and keep telling their story because the characters just won't let up. For authors, it is that real. We live with characters as they reveal their story to us. We worry about them, get upset that they may be making poor decisions. Until a book is out there in the world, the author is like a parent fussing over their offspring, trying to ready them for what lies ahead. Then we push the story out of our nest, hoping we gave it enough to fly - to soar and call out that it is alive and free.

In my newest release - Dream of the Raven - the heroine Helen O'Connell is someone I can really identify with. She has struggled and life hasn't been kind. I really like Helen because despite everything - she keeps going. Her edges are a bit rough and you gather very quickly that since her divorce - she has lost her trust in people. Instead of running and losing even more - she stays put - trying to carve out a new life for herself. Despite being burned in her past, she takes a chance on love and finds strength she never knew she had inside. 

 

To end this piece, I would like to thank Lisabet for her invitation and encourage you to take a tour of her website, Lisabet's Fantasy Factory. It has some very good information, free reads, a section for authors and many characters just waiting to meet you and tell you their story. 

All the best,
Leah

About Leah

Leah Grant lives with her husband and cat on the Canadian prairies. She has published two books with Totally Bound UK: Wilde Jagd and Dream of the Raven. To Run From A King with Evernight Publishing Canada. Coming up with Totally Bound - Over The Hill and Through The Woods will be out for pre order in March 2015. She loves coffee, chocolate and a dry chardonnay. Come by her site for a read, a giggle - the adventures of Miss Fish, drunk robins, complacent deer, and spooky goings-on—you never know what you'll find. And yes, she does tend to go on about the deer. Call it a hobby...  

http://leahgrantthewriter.com 




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1 comment:

Lisabet Sarai said...

Hello, Leah,

Thanks so much for being my guest. I love your sincerity and I hope your current and upcoming releases sell really well.

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