Young adult author Lesley Livingston had a chance to promote her books and give aspiring authors some tips on getting into the industry last weekend.
She spoke about becoming published Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Ponoka Jubilee Library and about her new book, Transcendent, which is the final installment in a trilogy called the Starling Saga, which brings the fantasy to the modern day.
“It’s heavily steeped in Norse and Greek mythology and takes place in New York City,” said Livingston.
Her books are generally geared towards young adult girls and her writing has become quite popular; one of her series has become optioned for a television series.
Livingston’s story is a little different than most authors’. A publisher signed her up before she had even completed her first book in 2009. That book was the first in a trilogy called the Wondrous Strange Series, in which a 17-year-old girl starts as an understudy in a play in New York City.
Signing with a publisher is not usually that easy, she explained. “There’s a lot of work ahead of you.”
Livingston recommends aspiring writers have a thick skin and be prepared for rejection. However, hard work pays off, and if an author gets signed, it is a gratifying experience.
“It’s most fulfilling when you get to meet your readership,” said Livingston.
While getting published is a task unto itself, staying published is equally tough. Livingston says she has had to battle writer’s block and completing books to meet strict deadlines. Any time she found herself wishing to procrastinate, Livingston would look at her contract and she joked that the word, “deadline,” and more specifically the word “dead,” helped keep her inspired.
Becoming published is where any writer wants to be, but Livingston suggests an author’s drive should be creating a story for themselves.
“It has to start off as a labour of love,” explained Livingston.
Books for middle readers
Livingston has also co-authored a new series with a writer called Jonathan Lyr. The new series is called The Wiggins Weird and is geared towards children in grades 9 to 12. This series follows 12-year-old girls Cheryl and Tweed through some mysterious adventures.
A fun feature to these stories is the use of movie scripts and storyboards in the books to help tell the girls’ tale.
Attendees could see Livingston enjoy speaking about the characters in all her books. She laughed when explaining the hijinks that Cheryl and Tweed get into.
For Livingston, the love of writing and finding a way to market her stories have helped her have 11 books published in the last five years. She recommends aspiring authors work closely with editors and be willing to compromise with their stories.
Transcendent is expected to be released in December. For more information visit www.lesleylivingston.com.