Pump Up Your Book Chats with L Blankenship

ABOUT L BLANKENSHIP

L. Blankenship is the alternate identity of a mild-mannered graphic designer. She started writing animal stories as a kid and it’s just gotten completely out of hand since then. Now she’s setting out to publish her gritty fantasy and hard science fiction adventures. L grew up in New Hampshire but currently lives near Washington, DC.

Visit L on the web at http://discipleofthefount.blogspot.com

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

I remember asking my parents if I could use the typewriter… sitting down with a sheet of paper loaded onto the roller… the crickety hum when I switched it on… and I typed a little animal story. Less than a hundred words. I’m not entirely sure when that was, though. Before I was ten, certainly, but I must’ve been at least six.

It was animal stories, and then an imaginary travelogue, and then my first attempts at fantasy. By then, I was twelve or thirteen. My first genuine novel — at least so far as word count — came when I was fourteen. It was a mess, of course. But it was a start.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

Habits are powerful things. If you can set a habit of writing on a daily or weekly basis — however small a block of time you can squeeze into your schedule — it will serve you well over the long term. Protect that habit and don’t let life steal that writing time away. Your brain will settle into a pattern of preparing for that writing time, and then even if you don’t have a project on tap your brain will fall into that same creative pattern at that same time of the day/week and throw out ideas for new projects.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

I have a desk in the spare room with my computer, a few choice reference books, and my stereo system on it. The stereo is very important — I need music, when I’m writing. Plus, once the receiver warms up the cats like to sleep on it.

Q: What do you do to get away from it all?

Why, I write of course! I spend most of my time “away from it all,” to be honest.

Q: What is the most frustrating part of being an author?

Getting noticed. There are a lot of writers out there. Everyone likes to complain about all the dreck that gets published “these days,” but the truth is that there’s a lot of good stuff getting published too. Catching a reader’s eye is very difficult.

Q: What is the most rewarding?

Readers who get excited about my stories. There’s nothing like that rush of knowing I entertained somebody, that they enjoyed it and they want more.

Q: How do you think book publishing has changed over the years?

The arrival of e-readers is having a huge impact on publishing. It has removed the difficulties of printing, warehousing, and distributing physical books — which were a huge investment of time and money for publishers. Particularly self-publishers. I know that I never would have self-published if I had to go through all of that headache. This is an exciting time to be a writer!

Q: Besides books, what else do you write? Do you write for publications?

I started a writing blog in early 2011 and I’ve been a regular blogger since then. It’s been challenging at times, but the discipline of posting on a schedule has been very good. I’ve met a lot of wonderful writers, too. I also have a blog for news about Disciple’s progress.

Q: Are you familiar with the social networks and do you actively participate?

My best social networking happens in the blogosphere. I do tweet daily — I post my nightly writing word count — and I announce new blog posts there. I have a Facebook page for myself and for Disciple. But blogging is what I do best.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview. Do you have any final words?

Disciple, Part II, will be available by April 1, 2013. Parts III through VI will follow. Keep an eye on my book blog for news and updates!

Disciple ABOUT DISCIPLE, PART 1

The saints favor her, else-wise a peasant girl like Kate Carpenter would never be apprenticed to the kingdom’s master healer. But her patron saint also marks her ready for the duty of tending to a mission that must cross the ice-bound mountains. Their little kingdom faces invasion by a vast empire and desperately needs allies; across the snow-filled pass, through the deathly thin air, is a country that’s held off the empire and may be willing to lend an army.

Kate knows about frostbite and the everyday injuries of wilderness travel. She can heal those.

She’s not ready for the attentions of a ne’er-do-well knight and the kingdom’s only prince, though.

And she isn’t ready for the monsters that harry them night and day, picking off their archers first, wearing the party to exhaustion, pushing Kate beyond the limits her healing abilities.

She must keep them alive, or her blood will be on the snow too.


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