About J.D. Lakey:
J.D. Lakey was born and raised on the high plains of Montana under an endless sky and as far from civilization as anyone in the twentieth century could get. There she explored the finer nuances of silence and the endless possibilities of the imagination. The stories were always there. The shifting of fortunes finally granted her the time to gather all the stories and give them flesh.
An avid reader of science fiction and comics, she currently lives in San Diego, California where she divides her time between her writing, commuting on the I-5, and spending time with her delightful grandchildren.
What inspires you to write?
I cannot NOT write. Writing is my “normal”. An empty page is an invitation to fill it. I am hag-ridden by a muse that wants to be heard, wants to tell me things. Every once in a while, I write something so perfect it gives me goosebumps and I look at it and wonder where it came from. So, when I say writing inspires me to write, you will know what I mean.
Tell us about your writing process.
Sometimes entire scenes pop into my head, complete with dialogue. Then it is just a matter of getting out of the way and typing as fast as I can. Sometimes when I don’t know what to write, I start with the opening sentence in a conversation between two characters and then write to see what they have to say to each other. When the silence in my head keeps me from writing, I use the opportunity to edit. Things always come unstuck after a chapter or two.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
No.
Do I listen to them? Sure. They are like autonomous avatars in a compuer game. You put them into a scene and let them walk around. They all have something to say.
What advice would you give other writers?
Find your voice and then write what makes you happy. They say there are seven basic plots. So nothing you say has not already been said a thousand times over. What is different is your voice. Your point of view. No one else sees the world as you see it. Bring that uniqueness into your writing.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
When I was writing my first full length book, everything I read said that publishers wanted “formula”. Every publishing house was trying to recreate that lightning-in-a- bottle of the Harry Potter books and the Twilight books. Editors needed the ten word treatment blurb that shoved what I wrote into a box with labels plastered all over the lid. I couldn’t betray my art in that manner. I could tolerate someone to say yes or no, but I was not going to listen to someone tell me what to write so I decided to self-publish, choosing Amazon’s self publishing platform because it seemed the easiest and most author-friendly.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I’d like to see some form of self publishing tied in with other media, such as YouTube. Reviewers with channels recommending their picks, etc. We need more women doing this, though. The male voice dominates the internet with a sometimes unfortunate one-sided point of view. But YouTube is out of control. The platform that replaces it will be the one everyone will want.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Science Fiction,
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
J.D. Lakey Home Page Link
Link To J.D. Lakey Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
