I’m a huge fan of trying to feature authors from all over the various social media platforms. It’s interesting to me how we’ll have some authors who get a FB following or IG or Twitter or Tik Tok and readers find them there, but they are not on one or more of the other platforms and some readers don’t find them. So, it was a goal to try and cast as wide of a net as I could when inviting folks to do these 3Q’s. Case in point – today’s guest is someone who I connected with on FB and on Tik Tok, before finding her on IG. Love these odd paths we take to meeting up!

Please do welcome the awesome Lucy Leitner!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

LL: Hah! Sometimes my “writing time” is thinking through a scene as I’m on the verge of sleep. That’s usually when I get my best ideas. After a couple weeks of thinking, I’ll start scribbling in my notebook. Or typing phrases and ideas into the Notes app on my laptop while I’m working. Or typing phrases and ideas into the Notes app on my phone while I’m walking. After the initial draft is complete, I’ll usually edit earlier in the evening or during the day when I need a break from other work obligations.

And as for a word count, no. Sometimes I’ll have a burst of creativity and write pages and pages. Sometimes it’s just a sentence. Forcing myself to hit some arbitrary word count so I can feel productive puts unnecessary pressure on myself and ruins what should be a fun activity.

If I’m not in the mood to write and the words aren’t flowing, what I write will be drivel. And I’ll have to rewrite it anyway, which will take me longer than just having done it right the first time. I’m a writer by profession, so I apply the same strategy to my other work. If I’m not in the mood to write a video script, say, I’ll do an Instagram post instead. That way, I always get something done.

So, yes, to me, word counts are counterproductive. I work by getting into a flow state and maximizing productivity when I’m in such a zone. 

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

LL: I would share it with my friends and family first. Then with the world. Also, in this fantasy it is a long-lost John Kennedy Toole novel about the continuing adventures of Ignatius J. Reilly and his valve.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

LL: My latest release, Bad Vibrations, is a 140-page, fast-paced horror thriller about a retreat at a wellness cult compound in the middle of unfriendly territory in rural Pennsylvania. Valerie arrives for what she thinks will be a weekend of detoxifying raw vegetables, screaming trampoline hula hoop yoga, and sharing shots of blood to achieve the highest vibrational energy. But, things don’t go as planned.

One thing you should know about me as a writer is I don’t take myself too seriously. I don’t try to take this insane premise and make it dour and bleak. Sure, I have a lot of elements of the darkness of the world in this book, but it’s not dwelled on. I like to find the humor in these situations. The premise of a wellness cult is funny. Many of the characters are funny. This book, like everything else I write is, above all, fun. I want readers to enjoy their time with this short book.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

LL: I’m not sure about my superpower, but it would be acquired during some sort of baking accident. A leavening gone awry.

Haha, that’s great! Thank you again for doing this! To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lucy-Leitner/author/B08WJC5FLK

Website: LucyLeitner.com

Instagram: @lucy.leitner

TikTok: @lucy.leitner