Friday's 5 with Lily Luchesi

Lily Luchesi is a young author/poet born in Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle by the time she was twelve, and, as her family has always been what they now call “Gothic”, she doesn’t believe she shall ever change. She is also a hopeless romantic and avid music-lover, and will always associate vampires with love, blood and rock and roll. Her interest in poetry came around the same time as when she was given a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete work. She then realized that she had been writing her own poetry since she could hold a pen, and just had not known the correct terms. She finished her first manuscript at the age of fourteen, and now, at twenty-one, has two contributing credits in anthologies and a debut novel, Stake-Out,

1.) When did you first get serious about writing?

A.) I have always, since birth, made up stories in my head. It started with Sailor Moon fan fiction, actually. But in second grade, I had this amazing teacher and she really encouraged me to write down my ideas, even when I hated writing and cried because my hand cramped easily. Because of her making me enjoy writing, and my mother encouraging me, I started working on books at eight-years-old. I actually wrote a novel at twelve. I will never not be serious about writing. It is my passion, my first love and my lifeline.

2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?

A.) When I know in my head how I want it to come out, but it is nothing like I envisioned on paper. It's frustrating. I found a post online that said, "I'd rather read the story I'm writing than actually write it." It's true. Writing is a selfish act, and we all write the books we want to read. My mind just moves faster than my laptop keyboard, and they always seem to have communication issues haha.

Amazon

3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

A.) My first publications were in anthologies, The Struggle (the poem "Aftermath") and Wishful Thinking (the short story "Kill 'Em With Kindness"), from Fireside Press. It was pretty surreal when I received Wishful Thinking in the mail, because I was actually holding a piece of my work in my hands. The day I received that book, I was contacted by Vamptasy Publishing, telling me that they had accepted my submission for my paranormal novel. Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Book One). It will be published on May 19th, 2015, and it will be my first REAL publication, ever. I am in shock, and I am not ashamed to say I cried when I found out they were publishing my novel. Being an author has always been my dream, and now it's coming true. I'm so blessed!

4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?

A.) They go hand in hand, really. They depend on each other. You could write a great story, but if the characters are one-dimensional, no one will like it. On the other hand, you could have kick-ass characters, but a dull plot. When I write, I usually have neither story nor characters fully formed. It usually starts with a scene, or an unformed idea. With Stake-Out, I was watching a crime show on TV and said, "What would happen if a cop's perp turned out to be a vampire?" And the story came as I typed, and characters introduced themselves to me. It's almost like I didn't do any work at all.

5.) What is a typical day like in your world?

A.) Well, I live an unconventional life. I'm only twenty-one, unmarried, and deal with crippling anxiety and PTSD. Going to a grocery store makes me physically ill. So I never have a schedule for real life or writing. I keep my laptop and tablet nearby at all times, but usually I don't write till late at night. I come alive in the moonlight, and my mind seems to clear once the sun sets. I usually try to write two thousand words a day, but don't always make it. But I always, ALWAYS, make sure I do promotion and something creative daily. My mind is my treasure, and I treat it as such. When not writing, I'm reading or watching Supernatural.

Links
Purchase the Wishful Thinking anthology, featuring my short horror/sci-fi story, "Kill 'Em With Kindness": http://www.amazon.com/Wishful-Thinking-Wishes-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P0L0JCI/ref=asap_B00GBFAE0E_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417128797&sr=1-1

I'm a published poet in the anthology The Struggle with my poem "Aftermath": http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G95Y0A6

Read my FREE debut short story "The Ghost's Guitar" on: http://peoplewritethings.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/the-ghosts-guitar/

Links:

www.twitter.com/LilyLuchesi

www.facebook.com/LilyLuchesi (page)

www.facebook.com/lilyluchesibooks (friend)

www.instagram.com/lilyluchesi