About Lorena Glass:
I was born Lori Michelle Gasser on December 21, 1972. I was born in Nashville, TN, where I lived in or around all my life. I’m a 42-year-old bachelorette Aspie (nickname of someone who has Asperger’s Syndrome) who lives with her two cats. I’ve written stories since I was a little girl, and have always been obsessed with reading and books. I’ve also always been an avid movie and TV watcher. A classic introvert. I’ve always dreamed of being a published author, and I think this is a classic case of never giving up on your dreams, no matter how long they take to come true.
What inspires you to write?
A lot of times, when I was young, I would write whatever I saw on TV. I’d seen scenes in movies and TV shows and automatically arrange them in in my head about how I would write them in words. And then I would. And then, as I grew older, I got myself out of that habit and started writing things of my own. I’d become interested in some specific subject, and then I’d feel compelled to write about it.
Tell us about your writing process.
Anyone would tell you that the wise thing for an aspiring author to do would be to start by writing short stories, and then work their way up to novels. But I never got the hang of writing short stories; every time I tried to write a short story, I kept wanting to add more and more to it.
As for writing novels, I suppose I would call myself a seat of the pants writer. A lot of times I just write as I go, which is why I have to go back over and touch up what I write multiple times.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
The way I usually relate to my characters is to base at least one on myself, and then base another (or more than one) on someone I admire greatly (usually a movie star). And that allows me to really get into the scenes and situations that write about.
What advice would you give other writers?
Though I never could get the hang of writing short stories, I do believe it is the best way for aspiring authors to start out. They’re less complicated to get published and easier to get recognition for. And the only other advice I would give is to never give up on trying to get published, though it can be long, tedious, frustrating road. It was for me. But a dream is something never to abandon, no matter how long it takes to come true.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I probably would’ve chosen self-publishing, except that it’s time-consuming and expensive; neither of which I could afford working a 40-hour work week.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It seems that ebooks making printed books obsolete, and that makes me sad. Ebooks are much more convenient in many ways, but I still prefer printed books—books you can hold in your hands, admire their covers and workmanship, and keep collections of.
What genres do you write?: fantasy, horror, adventure, science fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook
