Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Guestopia: Suzanne Lazear

Click here for more information about our monthly Guestopia feature!



Why I Write
By Suzanne Lazear

I’m one of those people who have wanted to be a writer all their lives. I can remember back in the third grade specifically wanting to write a book that could be bought at a bookstore. I wrote short stories in junior high. In high school I had all sorts of ideas for the books I'd write one day. I even wrote chapters of a story in my English class journal instead of our assigned topic. In college and grad school I’d write instead of taking notes.

One day, about a year before my ten year high school reunion I thought to myself gee, I always thought I’d be published by now. Then, I worked backwards, well, why haven’t I?

It came to me.

Oh wait, you first have to write an *entire book*.

In all those years I’d never sat down and written a story from start to finish. I decided my new year’s resolution would be to write an entire book.

I wrote four complete manuscripts and several incomplete ones that year. Most were pretty bad. I was learning—learning how to write a book, learning what genres I liked to write and was good at, and finding my voice.

Most importantly, I reignited that passion for writing with a vengeance. Where I never lost it, somewhere a lot the way it went to “keep warm” which was probably why I never finished anything. I’m not sure why. I could have been a friend in my youth who said I couldn’t be an author because she wanted to be one, it could have been the guidance counselor who said I’d never be published, it could be that secret fear many writers have of putting their things out there – you spend so much time crafting a book and it’s hard when people point out its flaws.

Who knows.

It took me a long time to submit. Over a period of time I submitted manuscripts #2, #7, 9, and #10. After several years of writing constantly, taking online writing classes, entering writing contests, being in critique groups, and attending writers meetings and conferences, I sold manuscript #10 – INNOCENT DARKNESS.

I write because I can’t imagine not writing. I no longer want to be a writer, I am one.



INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of The Aether Chronicles is Suzanne Lazear’s young adult steampunk dark fairytale debut. Suzanne lives in Southern California with her daughter, the hubby, and a hermit crab, where she’s currently attempting to make a raygun to match her ballgown. She’s also part of the Steampunk group blog Steamed. Learn more about the Aether Chronicles at http://www.aetherchronicles.com and www.facebook.com/theaetherchronicles

Be careful what you wish for...In an alternate version of 1901 Los Angeles sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed to restore his dying world. Her best friend, V, who has secrets of his own, appears to help Noli escape and return to the mortal realm. If they are successful, Noli will live, but if she does the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing! The begining of your post reminded me of myself. I have always dreamed of being a writer but I only wrote inconsistantly. About six months ago I decided that I was going to go for it. I'm still on my first manuscript but I am working on it every day and learning all that I can about writing and publishing. It was very encouraging to read that you made a similar decision and that you accomplished what you set out to do. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an inspirational story. I'm always glad to see hard work paying off.

    ReplyDelete