Interview with Lisa Taylor

Welcome to Jagged Edge!

Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

Sure, well I’m 23 years old. I graduated from West Point with the class of 2010, and have a degree in physics. I was recently medically discharged from the U.S. Army, and that was when I decided to begin my writing career.

What inspired you to write?

I’ve loved reading since I was very little. I saw the different worlds as an escape but also as places to learn from. I think many people are shaped by the stories they love, and I was only nine years old when I thought for the first time that maybe I could create one of those stories.

What authors influenced you as a writer?

More than I could list, but they include C.S. Lewis, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and H.P Lovecraft.

What is your favorite Quote? Why is it your favorite?

“It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” – Krishnamurti.

I was blessed to have very intelligent parents, and I was taught things like logic, problem-solving, ethics and other topics from a very young age. An idea I grew up with was to never accept something as truth unless it makes sense to you. Especially now with the internet, we all have the capability to explore and learn, and we should never discount our own thoughts just to fit in. This is a trait common to most of the heroes in my stories. Sometimes the world is immoral, but we should never sacrifice our morality just to be a part of it.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

I would go to Narnia. As a child I fell in love with Narnia because it seemed endless. I felt that truly anything was possible there.

What is at least one thing that every writer needs to have or do?

Every writer needs some kind of writing program that will help them organize their work. Six months ago I would have claimed that this wasn’t necessary because I wrote my first novel, The Hour of Tiamat, strictly on Microsoft Word. I wrote it over a span of years though, while I attended college and did other things. Working on my next novel, Crystallized, I’ve discovered that keeping everything organized in my head while trying to write a novel beginning to end is VERY difficult. I recently bought a program called Writeway (I’m not trying to advertise, there are many such programs out there). It allows me to build character profiles, write note-cards for plots, conflicts, etc. and splits my manuscript into chapters and scenes so I can write it chunk at a time. I can’t tell you how much easier it is to write a scene when I have a note-card on my screen reminding me of my plot and character notes. It also formats the manuscript to industry standards which is a huge relief when the manuscript is actually finished.

Are your books different to your personal favorite books by other authors?

The Hour of Tiamat and my new project, Crystallized, are very much the type of book I like. I have a lot of book ideas lined up though, and not all of them are my favorite genres. For example, I usually prefer fantasy, horror, or at least something paranormal in books that I read. I have one book lined up to write, however, about a homeless genius who scams her way into college in an attempt to change her life. Normally I wouldn’t buy a book with a description like that, which is kind of hypocritical I suppose, but true nonetheless.

What lead you to writing in this genre?

Generally I prefer fantasy because it allows for so much more freedom with the imagination. Anything can be real in a fantasy, as long as it is internally consistent. The way I see it, if I want to experience the real world, I can just go outside. I read and write to discover more than just the real world.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Planning the story. I don’t mean the major plot, but even better are the little connections. After the main plot has been laid down, you really have to start getting into the details. Every once in a while this great little idea will come out of nowhere, like how to make a seemingly minor scene in the beginning connect to a later part of the story, etc. One little detail like that can be super exciting for the writer.

Least favorite part of the writing process?

The editing. Writing is a blast when the story is flowing from your fingers as fast as you can type. After lots of sleepless nights and great ideas it’s a good feeling to sit back see it actually written out. That’s when it hits you; now you have to go through the whole thing over again and fix it, even though it seemed perfect as you were writing it. It’s a bit of a daunting task.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on a YA fantasy called Crystallized. It will be the first of a trilogy called the Crystal Chronicles. It’s going to be an epic story and I’m ridiculously excited about it.

Where readers can find you?

Well my books are for sale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, all the normal online avenues. They can check out my personal website for more details about my work and cheaper prices, at http://www.creatingworldswithwords.com.