About Laura D. Bastian:
Laura grew up in a small town in central Utah and now lives in another small town in northern Utah. She always loved stargazing and imagining life outside her own little world. Though they grew up only thirty miles apart, she didn’t meet her husband until they went to college. A graduate of Utah State University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education, Laura has been using that training as she raises her children and writes make believe worlds. You can usually find her on her laptop either typing away, or on social media interacting with friends.
What inspires you to write?
The world is such a wonderful place. Full of miracles and in a way magic. I love writing about things that are fantastical and allow me to explore strange new worlds while I stay tucked safely away in my small town life.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a seat of my pants writer. I have a general idea of main things that need to happen in my story, I spend the first few chapters writing and meeting my characters, figuring them out. Having conversations with them and just seeing where things go. Once I know where I’m at, I send them out into their world to experience things, put them in situations where they have to work hard to fix things up. I spend less time writing the first draft than I do editing the different revisions and new drafts of a story. Putting on the finishing touches at the end isn’t as fun as starting out with a new story idea, but it’s sure worth it when I can say, I’m done.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My husband once asked me about a character that I knew would be showing up in my story. He asked about what he was like and I said, “I don’t know, I haven’t met him yet.” So my characters sometimes come out of the blue and introduce themselves to me as the story progresses. I don’t speak to them per se, but they sure tell me what they will and will not do in the novel.
What advice would you give other writers?
Take your time. Don’t rush the writing process. It takes time to develop the skills needed to craft a decent story. And each project will be better than the last. Enjoy it. Let it be fun, but don’t forget to take it seriously as well. Writing is a business and to succeed, you have to put the time and effort into it.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I published one book, and a series to follow with a small press. They’ve been wonderful, have taught me a lot, and given me many opporunities to grow as an author. I’ve also joined in with other authors and self published a middle grade series knowing it was a unique project and that a traditional publisher would be hesitant to take it on. It’s been lots of fun. I’m also pursuing self publishing for some Urban Fantasy projects I’m working on and have sent out other stories to agents and editors looking to publish with larger publishing houses. Full out Hybrid Author here, and happy to have the many different options available to me.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the future of book publishing is promising. Things work well for the reader as well as the author. I know it will continue to change, but it will be workable for anyone who puts the time and effort into keeping up to date with it.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Young Adult Sci-fi and Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Laura D. Bastian Home Page Link
Link To Laura D. Bastian Page On Amazon
