Local author, Lauren Stinton, was asked the following questions. Her replies may help aspiring authors pursue their passion for writing.
How long have you been a writer?
I have enjoyed writing since I was a child. My mother actually remembers a time when I was three years old, and I was telling my younger brother a story from my car seat. It was about Bigfoot, but I clearly did not understand the concept of Bigfoot at the time because I said, “It was Bigfoot—with a really big sock and a really big shoe.” It seems I was quite literal as a child! The first little story I put to paper was called “Barbie Gets Married,” and you can imagine what happened in that one.
What genre do you normally write in?
I like to write fantasy. I think that fantasy allows you to understand the world around you better, and you can also communicate certain things to your audience that, in my opinion, would be more difficult to communicate in other genres. Fantasy is a good way of understanding the spiritual realm and how certain things might operate there. For instance, I am working on a series of books about a healer who can do impossible things. One of his key strengths is that he looks at the world around him with incredible hope. He goes into situations that are full of pain and anguish and he changes them, so they are filled with life and wonder instead. Because this character can do all these things, the books can help readers have a more hopeful perspective.
What are your favorite themes to write about?
One of my favorite themes to write about is fatherhood. I think fatherhood is very important in the world today, and I love to tell stories where there is a child who is lost and alone—but someone is willing to step in and parent that child. That’s one of my favorite things. I love story lines about redemption and hope, too. So I often end up with stories that involve fathers, redemption, hope—and monsters, because of the fantasy thing. Fatherhood and monsters. There you go.
Which of your books is your favorite?
My favorite book tends to be whatever I am working on at the moment! Right now, I am really excited about the Hamal Books. That’s the series I’m writing about the healer. That character has a unique way of thinking and looking at the world, and it is fun for me to get into his head and look at the world in the same way.
Lauren Stinton is a local writer and editor with a degree in journalism. Fond of coffee, friendships, and reading, she’s the author of the Hamal Books and the House of Elah series, and as an editor, she loves to help other writers with their books.
Websites:
www.laurenstinton.com
www.thehamalbooks.com