You have
a BFA in Theatre Performance. What drew you away from acting to writing a
book/series for middle-graders?
As
a theatre actor, I rarely did back to back shows, so I often had a
lot of down time in NYC where I was just doing the 'hustle'...working my day
job and auditioning. It was during one of those times that I really felt the
need to do something creative, even though I wasn't in a show.
I
discovered that I really enjoyed writing, and my work as an actor gave me
the ability to spin a good yarn, and before I knew it, I had a book written!
Basically, I became a writer out of desperation when nobody would hire me
as an actor!
Your bio
also states that you were a Writer in Residence with Aspen Words. How did that come about?
The
writing residency through Aspen Words and the Catto Shaw Foundation gave me
a month alone in a cabin outside of Woody Creek, CO, where I had nothing
but time to write and wander the woods for inspiration.
During my
residency, I wrote the second book in my cryptid duology, The Cryptid
Keeper. I had attended a summer writing conference through Aspen
Words a few years prior, and truly felt like what I learned in that week helped
my first book get published.
After I
received my book deal, I applied for the residency and was fortunate
enough to be offered one, and hope to someday be granted another one as it was
so valuable to me. There's one that takes place in a medieval Scottish
castle that I dream of being accepted for!
What drew
you to writing an MG book about a child on a quest to find mythical creatures?
I
happened to read an article about a hunting party that went out to find the
Otterman in Alaska. I had never heard of the Otterman and after researching it
discovered this whole world of cryptozoology or the study of 'hidden animals,'
animals that might be real even though we lack scientific evidence. Like
Bigfoot.
I first
wrote the story as an adult novel and I got an agent based on that book,
which was about a Delta Force soldier hunting down these cryptids. He
encouraged me to re-write it as a Young Adult novel. That version was terrible,
it was about a boy looking for dragons while wishing he had a girlfriend.
So,
my agent suggested I re-write it again as a middle-grade novel, and that seemed
to fit my storytelling voice the best. I didn't know I was an MG writer, I kind
of stumbled my way there!
The whole
process of writing three different versions of the same book took about a year
and a half, and my agent was the only person helping me with the editing.
Are you
active with any writing critique groups?
I'm not
at the moment. I have a couple of friends who read my work and give me great
notes, but in general, I just throw stuff at my agent and he guides me. He gets
my voice so well and always steers me in the right direction.
How did
you go about finding an agent/publisher? Did you go to conferences? Send out
queries?
I got my
agent by querying. It is possible to be found through the slush pile!
What is
the hardest part of writing for you? Starting?
Probably
the hardest thing for me is finding the 'heart' of a book. I
love action and snappy dialogue and funny characters, but none of that
means anything if readers don't care about the characters. I'm always
ready to storm the castle but discovering why that's important to the people
involved is always the tough part for me.
What does
your editor remind you to do most often?
My agent
reminds me to keep doing what I do best, writing funny adventure stories. My
editor reminds me to keep it grounded in reality, which is hard when I'm
writing about Bigfoot and UFO's!
What’s
the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Honestly,
the first literary agent who read my work told me NOT to join a
writing group. He said to trust and hone my natural voice, and he was
worried that
if I spent too much time being told what was wrong with my writing it would
discourage me.
So, for
the first few years I just wrote for myself, had fun with it, and never
had anybody tell me my work wasn't any good, because I didn't show it to
anybody! It was actually a really nice way to gain confidence in my
writing.
We have
all experienced rejection. Give me an example of how you learned to write past it.
I'd
experienced so much rejection as an actor that by the time I began writing, the
rejection didn't bother me much. I knew I enjoyed writing, I knew I had a tiny
bit of ability to do it well, and I was just grateful to have the chance to be
creative. I queried probably 100 agents, and only one responded, but
my stories make him giggle the way they make me giggle so he's able to
guide me to write my best work. Listen to those who say you're amazing, and
close your ears to the others. Life is much more fun that way!
What has
surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing?
In
publishing, there's no manual for 'what comes next,' so things can
often seem like a mystery, especially after you're published! My editor
would send me things like 'first pass pages' and I'd have no idea what they
were or what I was supposed to do with them. Talking with fellow writers
who had been through the process became invaluable.
What is
the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The
advice I would give is to write the story that makes you happy, that makes you
giggle or cry or want to read yourself, the story you love, and then find your
champions who feel the same way you do about your work.
Are there
any other points about writing you would like to add?
You WILL
be rejected, so find a way to love your work even when others don't. It's
criminal to let someone's else's opinion of your stories crush your
ability to tell them best.
What is
the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
The
Cryptid Keeper
comes out August 20th! In it, Clivo and the Myth Blasters are back on the
trail of the immortal cryptid, all while keeping Aunt Pearl in the dark
about their dangerous adventures!
How many
more “Cryptid” books do you think there will be in the series?
If it
were up to me, so many more! Right now, the book series wraps with book 2, but
I'm hoping it turns into at least a trilogy. But that all depends on how much
love readers give it!
Sounds
like a fun read for kids. If you’d like to learn more about Lija’s writing, here
are some ways to get you started.
Website:
LijaFisher.com
Twitter:
@lijafisher
Instagram:
@cryptidcatcher
Youtube
(for Bigfoot videos!): Youtube.com/lijafisher
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