Lizzy Bequin Author Interview
Gina: Why did you become an author?
Lizzy: I’ve always
loved telling stories ever since I was very young. One of the things I remember
most clearly is making up funny ghost stories at a sleepover. But it’s only
been recently that I decided to take the plunge and start publishing. I think
it was just a matter of finally getting enough confidence to put my stories out
there.
Gina: What genre of books do you
like to write?
Lizzy: I write science fiction romance. My current series Primal
Alphas is an omegaverse story, but it’s a slightly different twist on that
genre. For my next series, I’m going to delve into alien warrior romance with a
slightly dark edge to it. I’m super excited to get started on that series.
Gina: What is your inspiration for
the current book or series you are writing?
Lizzy: Oh, this is funny! So, the first two books in this series
take place concurrently. For the third book I knew that I wanted to do
something that took place years later. And I also knew that I wanted it to
involve a young woman whose origins have been hidden from her by her parents,
and all of that past comes to light when she encounters an alpha male. But when
I first started writing the story, it was going in a totally different
direction from how the finished book turned out.
At first, for some reason the story
wasn’t quite clicking. Then one night, I had this very frightening dream that I
was being chased by these men in suits who were assassins. It was scary, but
after I woke up, it was also kind of exciting. It was one of those dreams that
just sticks with you very clearly after you wake up. And so after that, I
backed way up, started the story again with the gruff and aggressive but also
oddly protective alpha male as a kidnapper, and the story just flowed from
there.
Gina: Are you a plotter or a
pantser?
Lizzy: My natural tendency is to plot, but recently I’ve been
trying to write by the seat of my pants. Obviously a lot of writers are very
successful as plotters, but personally I think it sometimes held me back. Often
I would outline a story but then struggle to muster the interest to write the
darn thing. For me, it feels like whenever I put something into writing on the
page, whether it’s notes, outlining, or the actual story itself, it becomes
calcified, and I get locked into one way of thinking about the story. So I like
the flexibility and also the excitement that pantsing allows me. It’s
frightening but also exciting not knowing exactly what’s coming around the
bend.
Gina: Do you have any quirks or
habits when you’re writing?
Lizzy: Well, I don’t know if it’s a quirk, but I’ve got to have my
can of La Croix sparkling water to sip on while I write. By the end of the day
I always have a nice little pyramid of empty cans going. Tangerine is my fave,
but I like to mix it up.
Gina: Have you had any setbacks
becoming an author yourself?
Lizzy: You know, I haven’t really had any external setbacks. All of
my setbacks have come from myself. The author Dean Wesley Smith talks a lot
about that critical voice inside every writer’s head that tries to stop you
from writing. I listened to that voice too much, and it either kept me from
writing or it kept me from publishing what I had written.
Gina: What advice would you give to
someone who would like to become a writer?
Lizzy: To me, the biggest thing is silencing that critical voice we
were just talking about. These days I picture my critical voice as a creepy
little Gollum creature--seriously, I literally do this--and whenever it starts
creeping into my mind, telling me that my book is dumb, that people are going
to hate it, that I’m not as good a writer as so-and-so, that’s when I take out
my imaginary barbed-wire baseball bat like Negan from The Walking Dead and beat
that stupid critical voice into submission until it slinks away again. (Please
don’t tell my therapist about any of that!). Seriously though, I think that’s
the number one thing when it comes to any creative endeavor that involves
putting yourself out there and putting your ego at risk. You have to be
absolutely brutal when it comes to fighting that critical voice, otherwise it
will silence you. Don’t let that happen.
Gina: What is some of the best
advice or inspiration you have received from another author?
Lizzy: So I heard this from many different authors, but it took me
a long time to finally listen. The advice was to go to bed early, wake up
early, and start writing first thing in the morning. My natural inclination is
to be a night owl, and left to my own devices, I would stay up until the sun
comes up with my nose in my Kindle. But now I force myself to go to bed at nine
and get up at five. As hard as it is sometimes, my brain loves me for it. So my
advice to all the night owl writers out there: just consider giving it a try
for a few weeks.
Gina: What goals have you set for
yourself in the future?
Lizzy: Well, writing is still a part-time gig for me--or maybe it’s
better to say that it’s my second full-time gig! I still have a day job with an
education technology company. I like my day job, but I love writing, so my goal
is to be able to do it truly full time within the near future.
Gina: How do you want readers to see
your work?
Lizzy: Well, personally I read novels to feel something, you know?
I guess that’s why people do just about everything, whether it’s drinking or
playing sports or listening to music or whatever. I love to read all kinds of
books, not just romance but also horror, thrillers, all kinds of stuff. So
ultimately I want to make my readers feel intense emotions. I want them to feel
excited, nervous, scared, and happy along with the characters. And I hope my
books make my readers feel just a teensy bit uncomfortable, (but in a good
way).
Gina: What should a reader expect to
see from your next novel?
Lizzy: For this third book, Primal Needs, I took everything from
the first two books--lots and lots of steam and lots of action and
adventure--and just turned it up to eleven. This book is quite a bit longer
than the first two, a little bit darker, and it’s got even more twists and
turns along the way as the main characters go from a very antagonistic
relationship to finally falling in love and becoming mates.
Gina: Is there anything you would
like to share with your readers?
Lizzy: A great big thank you! Without readers, there would be no
reason to write, you know? I’ve gotten a lot of awesome feedback from readers,
and it’s just really gratifying. I love to hear from my readers too, so don’t
be afraid to shoot me an email at lizzybequinauthor@gmail.com.
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