About Lisa Wilson:
Lisa Wilson (aka Juror13) is a trial blogger who resides in California, USA. She calls herself Juror13 because she views cases from the perspective of a juror. Her opinions are intended to be representative of the public, not the media nor the legal contributors. A true interrogation of the evidence from a layman’s point of view.
Lisa’s interest in true crime began with the Scott Peterson case in 2002. She has had the opportunity to serve jury duty on two occasions, with the most recent being in 2012, where she served as the jury forewoman.
After years of discussing cases online with fellow armchair detectives and trial watchers, Lisa finally decided to start her own blog in 2013. Since then, she and Nick van der Leek have formed a partnership titled #SHAKEDOWN under which they have taken on the task of conducting deep investigations into the Oscar Pistorius, Jodi Arias and Amanda Knox cases, and have co-authored several books. Additional cases and content are in the works.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve had a passion for expressing myself through writing my whole life, but only started sharing my private work with the public three years ago. It was the desire to have larger discussions about our legal system, important cases and our broken societies that inspired me to start a blog. I was truly moved by how many people participated in the conversations and how much the world is longer for real connectivity. That blogging eventually evolved into meeting my co-author, Nick van der Leek, and writing several series of e-books, not just about true crime, but about the philosophical lessons that can be gleaned when we simply pay attention to what’s happening in our world.
Tell us about your writing process.
At the time, I am writing strictly non-fiction. Nick and I tend to be seat of the pants writers, although we do have an outlined narrative to begin with evolves as we hammer out our thoughts. We research and write about our subject matter consecutively so the material is as fresh as possible in our minds. We give ourselves about a month to complete each project, as we believe it’s essential to stay with our thought-process, much like an actor staying in character. It’s an intense period of writing, but the finished project tends to be much better than if we take months to complete a book. Because the topics we write about are deeply rooted in humanity and morality, we often include personal perspectives and stories to bolster the points we’re trying to make. Our goal is to take our reader on a personal journey of discovery. We provide hyperlinks to photographs, documents and videos that we feel will enhance their experience with the narrative.
What advice would you give other writers?
Just let the words flow. Don’t worry about making it perfect as you’re writing your piece. When you go back to read and edit what you’ve written, if the words don’t sound like they’re authentically from you, then you must revise your work. Readers are saavy and can tell when something’s contrived. Also, good editing is essential. It’s preferable, in addition to editing your own work, that you have a seasoned and reliable editor to team up with you. The goal is to find an editor who understands you and supports your vision.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Nick and I self-publish. It’s the best way to get your work out there quickly when you’re ready. If you’re going to self-publish, you must be prepared to do your own marketing which can take a fair amount of time and skill. The pay off is you have control of what and when you share your work. With e-books, it’s also an added perk, that even after publishing, you can go back to edit as you see fit.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the future is here with self-publishing. It’s an amazing platform for talented people to have control over their work. Finding a publisher who has the capacity for new authors, even for the best of the best, is a daunting task. Many readers nowadays are hungry for all sorts of material and are often open to lesser known authors provided their content is reliable.
What do you use?: Co-writer
What genres do you write?: Interrogations of true crime, popular culture and the modern zeitgeist
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Lisa Wilson Home Page Link
Link To Lisa Wilson Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
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.
