Back in September, I posted my first interview with the First Place Grand Prize winner of our worldbuilding short fiction contest. Since then, fellow Fictionate.Me staff writer Heather and I have been interviewing the authors of the winning entries in the Grand Prize, Young Author Grand Prize, and People’s Choice categories.
And what a terrific ride it has been! It’s absolutely fascinating getting a peek behind the scenes into these accomplished writers’ habits and processes. I’m sad to say that today’s interview is our last one for this contest, though I look forward to doing more in the future.
Our interview today is with Lore Nicole, who tied for Third Place in the People’s Choice category. Her story “With Eyes Wide Open” does a magnificent job of bringing science fiction and fantasy together and features a strong female protagonist.
Lore has strived to reach her dream of being an author through several personal battles, and her story is truly inspiring. But before we get to the interview, here’s more info on Lore’s brilliant story and Lore herself.
With Eyes Wide Open
Fenria was used to the humdrum of her life and set to follow her preordained future. That is, until she meets a girl in the woods who tells her something surprising about herself. Will she follow the path she was told to take or will she decide to blaze her own? It only takes one domino for the rest to fall…
Fenria is a compelling protagonist and provides a relatable voice to lead us through Lore’s intriguing and well-developed world. The contrast between the suffocation of the glass world and the freedom of the forest draws you in and doesn’t let go, leaving you hoping for more to read.
Author Biography
Lore Nicole lives on a family dairy farm with her husband and three children in Wisconsin. Books were always her escape in childhood and she hopes to provide that escape for others through her writing.
Author Interview
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What served as the inspiration for your story “With Eyes Wide Open”, apart from our picture prompt?
I had read the Divergent series when they first came out, along with the Uglies series. When I saw the prompt, I created this world of glass and technology using inspiration from those books. Those series are both dystopian sci-fi and I normally write PNR [aka paranormal romance] so I, of course, had to add my own spin to it.
How did you first get into writing?
I grew up in a family of alcoholics and neglect. Books were my escape. I would get several books from the library but, when I would run out, I used my imagination to create my own worlds and stories. Reading and writing were my way of staying sane and on the right path in life.
I always wanted to be an author but my parents would tell me I wouldn’t succeed, so I should get a business degree instead. I developed fibromyalgia, among other issues, and can no longer work a “normal” job. Depression hit hard and, along with it, the feeling of being worthless.
Then my son was diagnosed with brain tumor cancer at twenty months old. Surgery and radiation saved him, but the scare showed our family just how short life could be. That realization struck me and I became more driven to write and turned to self-publishing. I tell my kids they can achieve their dreams and I am finally achieving my own, no longer being a hypocrite.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have so many! I admired Tamora Pierce and loved all of her books when I was younger. My current reads tend to have more spice in them, like J.R. Ward and Lynsay Sands.
You managed to create such a fascinating, suffocating glass world in a fairly short word count. Do you have any worldbuilding tips for writers?
I think my main tip is to visualize your world as if it were on a movie screen. What would get noticed as the cameras pan? What subtle clues can be caught that hint at the larger picture? I know if I can visualize my world, and put it into the right words, then my readers can too. They don’t need every detail as they can imagine the mundane based on their own life knowledge.
Heck, if you read my story, you may have noticed that I never mentioned my characters’ physical details. I wanted the reader to be able to fill those in with their own so they can see themselves in the story. I purposefully left my characters ambiguous.
In your story, you combine science fiction and fantasy exquisitely well. What draws you to writing these genres, and are there any others you enjoy/hope to dabble in?
I primarily read and write PNR and YA Fantasy. I haven’t written too much science fiction, so this was a creative exercise to stretch my abilities. After this, I may keep writing similar short stories and put together a collection. A break in between my usual genres to keep the creative juices flowing.
You tied for Third Place in the People’s Choice category, which shows you must have a sizable group of engaged followers online. How did you grow your community of fans? Do you have any advice for other writers who are trying to attract more readers?
I take part in social media celebrations besides having a reader group on Facebook. Many writers have group takeover events when they have a new release, like an online birthday party. If I have a contest I’m participating in, a new release or preorder, or any new serial stories, I will post about them during these events. I also mention my newsletter that is mixed genre for subscribers and, when I send out a newsletter, I mention those things in there too. I currently have over three thousand subscribers, and I’m still a new author who is attempting to grow a backlist.
Even if you are new, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Grow your reader base now so that when you do have a release they are already, rather than starting at zero that day.
What advice do you have for writers who are just starting out?
Even if you don’t have a story out, create your social media pages and grow that audience! You can offer sneak previews, updates, memes related to your story, and things that are relevant to you as an author.
Take advice from others, but don’t be afraid to make it your own. Everyone has to find their own way that works because being an author is not a one-size-fits-all as far as readers and marketing.
Thirdly, join reader groups in the genres you write so you can see what your audience is looking for, plus some let you promote your books when you do release them out into the world.
What is the biggest dream/ultimate goal you hope to achieve as an author?
I have three dreams/goals. One is to show my children that I am going after my dreams. The second is that my writing might help someone feel less alone or have the knowledge to seek answers. I use my own life experiences in my stories, such as my endometriosis journey in my book Moon Contract. My last goal is a bit selfish. It’s to bring in enough income so my husband doesn’t have to work as hard.
Your story features a strong female protagonist. What strong female protagonists in books/shows/movies/etc. inspire you as a writer?
I mentioned before that Tamora Pierce is my favorite author from my childhood and her character Alanna in Song of the Lioness helped me to find myself as a young teen. Lara Croft in Tomb Raider inspires some of my strong female adventurers. It also may seem silly, but Hermione in the Harry Potter series is an inspiration for me as a fellow bookworm. She showed me that I can be strong and stand up for my beliefs, even if I was a “nerd” and self-conscious.
Your other two Fictionate.Me stories—paranormal Defending His Cub and young adult fantasy Fire: An Emlyn’s Revelations story—are also fantastic and achieved great popularity on the site. What advice do you have for authors on how to be both prolific and keep their writing standards high?
I always remember to write for myself and what I expect as a reader as far as standards go. I do my research and take advice to work at getting stronger every time I write. Lastly, you can only edit what you write, so try to write every day whether it is five words or five thousand.
Both Defending His Cub and Fire: An Emlyn’s Revelations story are made up of several short episodes. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to start writing and publishing serials?
The major tip is just to start! You can edit later, but you have to actually start writing to get to that point. Get your main ideas down before you forget what you wanted to write. During editing, you can go back and add, or minus, things like hooks at the end of episodes so the reader wants to read the next one for answers.
Let’s end on a fun one. What are your favorite:
Books: The Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands.
Movies: These vary between The Lord of the Rings movies and ones like The Da Vinci Code. High Fantasy vs Urban Fantasy. I also love the Disney movie Brave and watch similar movies with my three children.
Shows: It may sound odd coming from a fantasy and PNR writer but I enjoy all the Gordon Ramsay food competition shows, and often binge them as background noise while I write. On the opposite side, I also binge crime fiction shows like the different CSI’s and Criminal Minds.
Thanks so much to Lore for sharing the personal trials she has gone through and a ton of great writerly advice. It’s always so great to see writers persevere through tough times and keep striving for their goals.
If you’re feeling bummed that you won’t have any more author interviews to read for a while, you can always read (or reread) the previous interviews in this series:
Author Interview: Tracy Pitts, Winner of the Worldbuilding Short Fiction Contest
Author Interview: Stargazing with Hannah Greer
Author Interview: Worldbuilding with J.P. Raison
Author Interview: Kate Seger, Prolific Multi-Award Winner
Out of the Shadows: Interview with Shadonovic, Young Author Grand Prize Winner
Heart of Ashes: Interview with 2nd Place Young Author Grand Prize Winner Sabrina Li
Author Interview: Katie Jordan, Queen of Conciseness
A Kingdom of Imagination: Interview with Young Author Winner, Vrisan Shah
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these interviews as much as I’ve enjoyed doing them. How cool is it to be able to ask these fantastic writers all about their writing routines and what makes them tick? Tune in next week for our usual book and writing-related blog posts, and keep an eye out on Fictionate’s social media accounts for news about our upcoming anthology!
Soak Yourself in Fiction
Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Discord