About Leanna Englert:
I'm a former freelance writer in fields ranging from healthcare to manufacturing. Causes on behalf of preventing blindness and serving blind people have been a lifelong interest. At one point I belonged to a little band of volunteers who transcribed print books into Braille. Years later, I had an opportunity to use my ability to read Braille (by sight, not by touch) and write it when I taught the first blind student mainstreamed into an Omaha, Nebraska, high school.
I now live with my husband, Timothy, in Austin, Texas, where both of us are volunteer narrators for the Texas Talking Book Program. Inline skating and polymer clay are favorite activities, along with anything that involves my family.
What inspires you to write?
Inspiration comes when I encounter a topic that's like an itch demanding to be scratched. My published novel, Compromise With Sin, grew from my need to grasp why laws mandate instilling drops in newborn babies' eyes.
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm a messy writer, very much a "pantser." I don't outline, and I don't necessarily write scenes in order. I do begin with rough character sketches, and I upload photos of people my characters resemble. I do this because I'm one of those rare people who is unable to visualize.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters talk to me. E.g., I was trying to develop a beloved patriarch who used conditional love to keep people in line. But he wouldn't bend to my wishes. He turned out to be someone who genuinely loves people.
What advice would you give other writers?
1. Don't try to write and edit at the same time.
2. Your first draft is perfect. (I read that somewhere.)
3. Face the blank page, and give yourself permission to suck.
4. Join a critique group.
5. Persist.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I publish independently in large part because I wanted to keep control of my work.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Book publishing will evolve and endure. I see what is happening now as a healthy environment for writers and readers.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Historical fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Leanna Englert Home Page Link
Link To Leanna Englert Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
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.
