Loraine Conn

Posted On October 10, 2019

• What lead you to write?

My earliest memory of enjoying writing was at the age of eight during a grammar test for English. I wrote a story about a hermit crab, which I didn’t finish because I ran out of time. The comments that came back from my teacher after marking were very encouraging and it sort of grew from there. But it was only as a hobby, I never thought that what I was scribbling down could be good enough to publish. It was only after my ordeal with breast cancer that my hobby became something else. It was when I started the series which is currently being published, was born.

• Was there a particular person that influenced you to pursue writing?

There were three people who greatly influenced me to pursue my writing. The first is my father. He has always been very supportive in whatever myself and my brothers are doing and has always encouraged us to pursue our dreams.

The second is my best friend. After Jodie read the first rough write, she initially encouraged the story along—as she always does—with questions of what happens next. The questions soon turned to pestering to get the stories out there for others to read.

The third is my Aunt. She really enjoyed the books as I was writing them, plus all the others I have stashed away. Every time we would talk, she would ask the same question, “have you sent your stories to a publisher yet?”

• What is your preferred genre to write?

I don’t really have a preferred genre to write in. The series is fantasy, which is a genre I enjoy reading and at one point was the only genre I read. But my tastes have changed as I have gotten older and now enjoy a greater variety. I have a couple of thrillers completed along with a few Women’s Fiction as well.

• What is your favorite genre to read?

I still love reading fantasy, but now that is interspersed with action and adventure, along with Woman’s Fiction and a few paranormal as well. But I am not a fan of horror.

• What are your favorite activities or hobbies outside of work/writing?

I have many pursuits that I enjoy outside of writing and I think it is important to have them, as they give my mind a chance to rest and relax. I enjoy needlework in the form of cross stitch, and I am currently working on a very large crocheted blanket. Lastly, I love to drive, especially long distance.

• Who is your favorite author and what do you enjoy about their writing style?

I have many favourite authors, so pinning only one down is hard. As far as fantasy is concerned, I have always been a fan of David & Leigh Eddings. It was the Belgariad Series which gave me my first introduction into the genre. I love the story how it flows and draws you in with very likable characters.

Another author is Barbara Erskine. Her way of portraying the female main characters with their flaws and idiosyncrasies, makes the reader really care for them and where the story is leading them. Ghost and historic stories have always fascinated me, and I love how she weaves history into her books. They were a great influence in developing the first two books in my own series.

• What is one major struggle you have with writing?

Getting time to write. When I first started the series, it was easy to find time, my husband was a FIFO worker (fly in, fly out), and my children were still at school. But as they have grown and my husband’s job changed, I found my days were interrupted a great deal more.

Another struggle I have is with procrastination. I need to get all my jobs out of the way first before sitting down to write. If I don’t then they become an excuse to interrupt my flow of writing.

• Out of all of your stories, which one did you most enjoy writing?

In The One True Child Series, I would have to say it was Stones. Because I decided to write under multiple points of view, I managed to develop the characters a lot more and I hope it gave them more depth. Also, I touched on a few back stories which came out of left field. Stones was also the one I had the most angst over. There is one part of the story I was worried about portraying, but I have since had those anxieties soothed with very positive feedback.

• What projects are you currently working on?

I have three current works in progress. The first is a dragon story which I am going through for the third time, editing as I go. The second started out as a more romantic piece, but it seems to have developed into a rather nasty thriller. While the third is turning out to be a comical fairy tale, which I am really enjoying doing the character analysis and world building on.

• What has been one of your strongest inspirations for a story?

Dreams. I tend to have very vivid and lucid dreams that stay with me when I wake. I keep a dream journal and write those down. Some have been left as they are and other have been fleshed out more to fully formed stories. My series was inspired by one such dream.

• Do you place any of your life experiences into your stories?

I think all authors place a little of their own experiences into their work in some way or another. In some of my other work I deal with the loss of a parent, usually a mother, which I think has helped with my own feelings and pain of losing my own mother. I also draw on people I know and their characteristics for some my characters but try not to make them a carbon copy.

• If your story could be made into a play or movie, what actor/actress do you think would be the perfect fit to play your mc?

If The One True Child was ever to come to a screen in someway the lead would have to be played by the same person and I have no ideal who could play Carling/Claire. I think I would prefer an unknown to portray her

• If you had enough money to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I am currently saving for my dream trip, and hopefully the sales of my books will get me there one day. I have a plan with my daughter to travel around Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. Hopefully within the next few years.

• What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Just keep writing. The simplest and best advice I have ever received. A story cannot be told if it isn’t written down and the best way to develop the skill is to just do it, even if it is just a little bit each day.

• What is your dream car?

My dream car is a 1954 MG TF 1250. But as that is proving a little hard to come by with in my meager budget, I also love the Shelby Cobra (replica). It is a lot of fun to drive.

• What part of your writing is the most complimented?

The why I can make people cry. I love getting feedback and one of my most favoured was being told off for killing one of my reader’s favourite characters and making her cry. If I can make a reader cry, it means I have done my job properly.

• What part of your writing, do you feel, needs strengthening?

Showing and not telling. This is something I am getting better at and have had a lot of help with, but still need a lot of work on.

• What is your favorite mixed drink?

Interesting question. It is one that I had made for me in Savu Savu, Fiji. It is one part Bacardi, one part gin, then half and half of orange juice and lemonade. Lovely with lots of ice on a hot summer’s day. It’s called a Savu Savu Poison.

• What is one of your most cherished items in your writing space?

I don’t have any one thing in my writing space that I cherish over the others. I have some soft toys that belonged to my kids that I rescued from the throw out pile, one of my own from when I was a baby and few other little things that have been given to me over the years.

• What is one thing in anything you’ve read that stood out to you? (Could be meaning or even just sentence structure.)

A few quotes from F Scott Fitzgerald have stood out and stayed with me:

“Writers aren’t exactly people… they’re a whole bunch of people trying to be one person”

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say”

• What advice would you give to someone trying to start building their platform and market their work?

Keep at it. Look around and see what others are doing and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be too shy to self-promote. Take every opportunity to make your work known.

• What is your favorite food?

I am the primary cook in our household so any food that I don’t have to cook. I’m not a fussy eater.

• What is your favorite show/movie?

I have a few shows that I love, usually British murder mysteries. I love Game of Thrones and was even satisfied with the ending. One movie that I have watched repeatedly, and Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a viewing, is Die Hard.

Website:              https://lcconnwriter.wordpress.com/

Facebook:            https://www.facebook.com/LCConn

Twitter:                https://twitter.com/ConnLoraine

Instagram:           https://www.instagram.com/l.c.conn

BookBub:            https://www.bookbub.com/profile/l-c-conn

Amazon Page:     https://www.amazon.com/L-C-Conn/e/B01MTEH3UN