L.J.: Ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved telling stories. My mom would say that I was always lost in “Lydia Land” where my imagination ran wild. Everything I did was an opportunity to create a story, from my most mundane chores to the treasured moments I spent staying up late, whispering stories to myself so my parents wouldn’t catch me. But, for years, my stories remained in my mind, until I took a Creative Writing elective in 7th grade. For the first time ever, I poured out a story from my mind onto a page, and my world was forever changed. Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop, and the first short story I wrote would later drive me to complete my first full novel by eleventh grade. I’d go on to work with literary magazines and participate in storytelling workshops for years. Then, a few years ago, I read my friend Vanessa’s novel and offered to try my hand at helping her edit it. Vanessa agreed, and after a few rounds of edits together, she landed a contract for the book, which she would later polish and perfect into the amazing novel Heartmender (which I highly recommend!). Seeing the joy from Vanessa’s success gave me a new goal and passion: editing. As I edited, I discovered just how much I love working behind the scenes. How wonderful it felt to help an author perfect their story to achieve their ultimate vision for their work. So, I started an internship with Monster Ivy Publishing, and I’ve been editing ever since.

A.G.: That’s so cool! I love how your passion for stories started when you were younger and turned into your profession.

T.C.: Yes, that’s certainly an amazing journey! At least when you were younger, it seems like you found lots of ideas for stories. Now, where do you find inspiration for your writing?

L.J.: My inspiration for writing comes from a variety of places including television, novels, artwork, etc. But what truly inspires me is more abstract. I get hit with ideas as I go about my day, without warning, and find myself having to quickly take notes so I don’t forget those details later. My mind is always running with possibilities, and when I’m in the “zone” it’s hard to stop writing. Writing and editing are like breathing to me—they feel natural. And, when I do find the right inspiration, I tend to research and focus on a specific Work In Progress for days or weeks even. Do I get a bit overzealous sometimes? Perhaps, but I believe this passion is something that is a gift from God, and it’s a gift I hope to use for His glory.

A.G.: Oh I totally relate to the sudden fleeting inspiration- it’s amazing how every day actions cause inspiration for a book. What do you hope your readers get out of your writing?

L.J.: I want my readers to have a blast while reading my writing, without feeling guilty or like they need to worry about the content from a faith-based perspective. For me, stories are a fun escape that can take you on a roller coaster of emotions, and I want to take my readers on a thrilling ride while keeping the story clean. And, this comes from my own personal preference. I honestly prefer books that are both clean and exciting. And I think that the publishing industry could benefit from providing more clean fiction for the readers who are looking for something that isn’t jam-packed with graphic content.

T.C.: Yes, I also hope more clean fiction books are published in the future! Authors often learn quite a bit from reading other people’s writing, do you have authors you look up to?

L.J.: Brian Jacques, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I admire each of these men in different ways, but their books have all had a different positive impact on my own storytelling craft.

A.G.: Those are all amazing and extremely talented authors. The authors you listed all have plenty of books, but writing was their main profession. How do you balance your job as an editor with your writing?

L.J.: Honestly, for me, editing and writing are one in the same, so whether I’m writing for myself, or editing for someone else, it’s always a victory worth celebrating. Even when I write my own works, I write with the intention to edit my own writing later. For example, when I write a first draft, I frequently use the most basic sentences and information possible, then later I’ll go back over the chapter to edit it and bring it closer to my vision. But, in terms of balance, as I work from project to project, I’ll switch back and forth between finishing one manuscript for an author, to returning to my own manuscript for another editing pass. It’s all about finding the pace and rhythm that works best for you. Both writing and editing bring me equal amounts of joy, so even if I don’t get any of my own writing done, I still feel like I’ve accomplished something great if I am able to complete an editing project.

T.C.: That’s great! As a Christian writer, some may find your writing controversial, how do you cover those topics?

L.J.: If it’s controversial, so be it. Christ is greater to me than any opinion of man. After years of being ostracized by others for my faith, Christ was the One constant in my life, and He’s the One I ultimately want to please and glorify. Even if I’m never successful in the publishing industry, as long as I bring delight to my Savior, I’m completely satisfied. As I write, I do try to incorporate aspects of faith, righteousness, love, and holiness in an allegorical way, because to me, allegory is one of the most effective tools in creative writing for incorporating pieces of truth into a story. But there is another reason why I prefer allegory. Allegory is a way to delve into faith, without putting any fictional words into the mouth of God or the mouth of Christ, because to me, that would be me placing something profane into the mouth of the One who is holy. Ultimately, my goal is to keep my writing true to Christ. In the past, I spent a lot of time trying to please everyone, only to find I couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. That’s why, to me, pleasing God is far more precious and valuable.

A.G.: I love your idea of using allegories. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

L.J.: A writer, zookeeper, or veterinarian. Then I grew up, wrote a book, started editing, and adopted a wide variety of animals. So, in a way, I’m living out all of my childhood dreams, and I’m very grateful and humbled for these blessings.

A.G.: Hahaha, that sounds like the dream life. Unfortunately, we have reached our last question, do you have advice for young authors?

L.J.: Don’t be afraid of criticism. Even the harshest critiques given in love can still have a benefit for helping you grow as a writer. Humility is key in writing if you want to write something for a greater audience to enjoy. This was so hard for me to learn because for the longest time I dug in my heels and refused to change my story when people who loved me had honestly given me some great advice. But when I humbled myself, learned from the advice given, and used it in a new and grander way, then I learned how to truly write in a way that could speak. That could sing. Next, I’d recommend finding your own rhythm to writing. Find what makes you excited. Keep your passion alive as you write, because passion is powerful. And finally, don’t give up. After I self-published my first book, I had a series of harsh critiques, many of which were true (especially since I didn’t have anyone to professionally edit my own work). But, in the aftermath of those critiques, I shut down. I was terrified that nothing I wrote would ever be good enough. But that’s the thing about writing: it’s subjective. A story that doesn’t connect with one publisher or reader might be the best thing ever to someone else. And, the only way to have that connection and impact, is to keep writing. Keep perfecting. And keep reaching out to share it. Because you never know what God might do with your story, or who He’ll impact through it. So, keep writing. Don’t give up. You never know what the Lord has in store for you, until you try. And, I hope you have an absolutely blessed day!

T.C.: I love that advice! Having humility and passion as an author is the perfect combination.

A.G.: Thank you so much for the advice- I’m sure this will be extremely helpful for our Readers. That was our last question, and we are sad to see this time come to an end. Thank you so much for joining us, and see you on the author side!