Lindsey Fairleigh
Lindsey Pogue
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
LF: For me, I’d have to say that because my parents encouraged me to be a bookworm, I gained a passion for fiction early on. It started with Matilda and The Witches. Then, my mom suggested I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and I read all seven books at least a dozen times. That was my springboard into all of the amazing worlds that can be found in fantasy and science fiction books. Because of that, I eat, sleep, breathe—and write—within those genres.
LP: While reading is a pastime I’ve only embraced in the last five years or so, I’ve always been passionate about writing. Whether it’s a story idea, journal entry, a research piece for the newspaper, or my master’s thesis, I have always had something to write. My family has always encouraged me to do what makes me happy and has supported me in all that I do, allowing me to find what it is that makes me truly happy.
How long have you been writing?
LP: All my life.
LF: I’ve been keeping journals since elementary school, but I’ve only been writing fiction for about six years.
When did you first know you could be a writer?
LP: Honestly, I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but never felt it was possible until I met LF. We sort of clicked and started brainstorming and one thing led to another. It’s really exciting and encouraging to have someone who feels the way I do about writing–who has the passion and the drive. I don’t know if I would’ve ever gotten this far if we hadn’t met.
LF: Awww…thanks friend! I feel the same way. As for when I first knew I could be a writer…it was a conversation I had with one of my professors when I was an undergrad at the University of Washington. For some reason, I had been under the impression that I wasn’t a very good writer, and his was one of the courses that would earn me a writing credit without actually being a dedicated “writing” class. He called me in for a meeting to discuss one of my papers and ended up convincing me that I really could write. Several years later, I started working on my first manuscript.
What inspired you to write your first book?
LP: Aside from my partnership with LF spurring forward my passion for writing, I have to give the credit to my grandfather. All my life I’ve escaped to The Ranch, spending my summer having some new adventure, writing about it and hovering over my notebook or my computer. My grandpa would always asked me if I was finished yet and when he could read it. He passed away last year right when LF and I started this project. I wish he was here so that I could show him that I finally finished something and that it’s an actual book.
LF: Family is really the thing that inspired me as well, though sort of in an inverse way. I was dealing with some personal and family issues when I started my first manuscript, and writing was the only thing that made me feel any better. It was like therapy…except free. And once I started, I couldn’t stop.
Who or what influenced your writing over the years?
LP: Throughout my life, I’ve journaled everything that’s happened to me–dreams, heartbreaks, family drama–but, I’ve always been horrible with grammar and it detoured me from enjoying writing anything for other people to read. I had red lines through my essay papers in high school and was struggling to keep good grades in my English classes. When I entered my Junior year, a very passionate, wonderful teacher showed me the power of writing and the fun of reading, and I’ve been writing stories and taking creative writing classes ever since.
LF: For me, I’d say there are two things that have always influenced my writing–my super vivid dreams and the thousands of science fiction and fantasy books I’ve read.
What made you want to be a writer?
LP: I just love it. It feels right.
LF: Same for me. Once I started writing, I felt like I’d finally realized who I really was. Everything else felt forced, but like LP said, writing just feels right.
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
LP: I find it difficult to control my impatience. When I’m brainstorming, I get too many ideas that I consider “good stuff” and then I can’t stick with one story. I have so many unfinished stories it’s sort of embarrassing. I think, other than After The Ending, I’ve only ever completed one draft of an entire story. There are always too many ideas floating around in my head, and I become impatient to get to the “good stuff” down. That makes it difficult to stick with one project at a time. I like working on The Ending series with LF because it holds me accountable and I stay focused. I need deadlines.
LF: It’s so funny, because this is probably where we differ the most. I focus on one project so intently that I want to keep revising and reworking…pretty much endlessly. I have to force myself to take a step back and work on something else. But then, the process starts all over again with the new manuscript…
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Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – R
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