An Interview with Lynn Flewelling

Lynn Flewelling is a fantasy writer who is known internationally. Her most popular works are the NightRunner series and The Tamir Triad. When Lynn Flewelling isn't writing she's an instructor for writing workshops.

How did you get into writing? At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've enjoyed telling stories and making up things in my head for as long as I can remember. I had the first inklings of becoming an actual writer in junior high, when I discovered Ray Bradbury and had a teacher who taught creative writing. It was a potent mix. I didn't really believe it would happen for many years, though I did keep writing.

What was your first book or story that you completed? Did you ever get it published?

I have no idea. I wrote dozens from a young age. And I'm sure it was awful! Early works are, but they're part of the process. However, the first novel I ever wrote turned out to be Luck in the Shadows and Stalking Darkness, so I had better luck there.

How did you finally get published? When were you able to write on a full time basis? Please explain your success story?

The first step is to finish your first novel. Generally speaking, agents and editors won't look at an incomplete first novel. You have to prove that you have the chops to finish something. Once I had a finished book, I shopped it around to agents for a few months, got an agent, and she sold the book to Bantam within a month or two. I've been writing full time ever since, but that doesn't mean I was self supporting at first. I had a 'patron' in the form of a very supportive husband. We had small children at the time, so I had my hands full between them and the writing and keeping everything going at home. It was a challenge, and we made some financial sacrifices, but neither of us has any regrets. But getting published doesn't mean instant wealth and fame.

How do you stay motivated to finish a novel? How do you stay focused?

Contractual obligations. It's very focusing to know that you have a date upon which you are expected to hand over a finished project. But there's more to it than that, of course. I like what I do, most days, and that keeps me going.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you write in the mornings, evenings, and for how long?

I'm not terribly disciplined. I try to write a minimum of 1000 words a day, five days a week. At the beginning of a project I have a hard time doing that, as it takes a while for the story to gel up in my mind. But the more I get into a book, the easier it gets. Toward the end of a project I can churn out 3000 to 4000 words.

How do you get your ideas? What is your method for remembering them?

Getting ideas. That's a big question. They hit me under all sorts of different situations. Sometimes it's a more active process. I have the kernel of an idea, so I sit and ponder a while until other ideas begin to take shape around it. At the beginning of each project I buy a new notebook, and in it I keep every idea, inspiration, random thought, etc that comes to me. I do a little outlining, make lists of characters, do stream of consciousness brainstorming and that sort of thing, but all in that one place so I don't lose things. Because I do tend to lose things.

Ideas are also sparked by things I read, or see, dreams, travel, and just generally being alert to life. I do a lot of research and that really helps, too. I base a lot of my world and it's details on things in the real world and real history.

If you get writer’s block, how do you get over it?

I do get it now and then, and I've found that it's often a sign that I've written myself into a corner, gone down a blind alley creatively. Often I'm trying to make the characters do something that really doesn't fit the flow of the story. Once I figure that out, the damn bursts and I get back to work.

What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a writer? What is a good starting point for them?

Just do it. Don't worry about whether you're good or not. Chances are, you're not. Writing is a process, an art that you have to work hard at to hone your skills. If you don't write the early bad stuff you'll never develop into a good writer. So write. Classes can help, as can workshops, conventions, and writer's groups, if they are good ones, but none of that will help you if you're not willing to do the work.

If you'll allow me a quick plug, I'm teaching a writing workshop aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean this spring. For more details, see my website. It should be a fun and informative time!

To find out more about Lynn Flewelling and her work, check out the Lynn Flewelling website. Or to read more interviews, go to the main writer interviews page.