Speaker Spotlight: Jessica Lewis
BookOrators asks Ms. Jessica Lewis, author of the book ‘Bad Witch Burning’, some questions. Read on if you want to hear her advice to aspiring writers!
1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and elaborate on your background… such as what attracted you to becoming an author, or the career/education path you took?
I’m a Black author from Alabama! I went to college for veterinary medicine but decided pretty late in the game that wasn’t for me. So I double majored in English Literature as well as Animal Science. Now I work as a receptionist by day and an author by night!
2. What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always loved writing, and in middle school, I started writing fanfiction for my friends. I continued to write through high school, but I didn’t finish a book until late high school and didn’t pursue publication seriously until my senior year of college.
3. Did you receive any guidance along the way? Are there any mentors or people that you sought advice from or looked up to?
Bad Witch Burning, then called Wildfire, was selected for Pitch Wars by my mentor Brittney Morris! I learned a lot from her as we worked on BWB together!
4. Where/when do you write? What’s your ideal writing environment? Is there a process that you prefer (like physically writing down parts of the book on paper)
I write wherever I can! I draft on my phone and edit on my computer, so when I’m in drafting mode, I’m writing all the time and everywhere—on my lunch break, in between patients, in the car, in line at the grocery store, etc. Editing is trickier because I can’t take my computer to work with me, so I have a set editing time. I write on my couch (with my feet propped up on the coffee table, sorry Grandma), but my ultimate writing dream is to have a desk one day. I’m sure my back would thank me!!
5. For your latest book, Bad Witch Burning, how did you formulate your ideas? Especially for characters like Katrell and building her world? Are there any particular sources of inspiration?
BWB was heavily based on my own life (minus the necromancy of course lol) but the letter-writing was directly inspired by the anime Violet Evergarden! I was so moved by how powerful handwritten letters could be, both to those who wrote them and the recipients. I added some supernatural elements and the book was born!
6. We are also really excited to hear about your second book coming out next year - Monster. How do you plan out your writing and storyline, as well as making sure you stick to staying on schedule and avoiding bouts of writer’s block? Especially for such a big project?
I am a faithful plotter. That means I spend a lot of time before I start writing to iron out character arcs, twists, and worldbuilding before I ever start my first draft. This helps me stay organized and have a goal to write towards. As a result, I hardly ever get writer’s block!
7. Could you describe your typical day?
I wake up at 7:00 am for work. Then I work from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm as a receptionist. After work, I come home, eat dinner, and then write until 10:30 or 11:00 pm. Then I go to bed and do it all over again!
8. What advice would you give to aspiring student writers?
Practice, practice, practice! The only way to get better at writing is to write A LOT. And reading in your favorite genre helps too, but reading anything will level your skill up just a tiny bit more.
9. The mission of our speaker series is targeted towards high school students and reaches a global audience. Could you name the titles of any three books you would recommend to the viewers?
'The Dead of The Dark’ by Courtney Gould
‘Not My Problem’ by Ciara Smyth
‘The Scapegracers’ by Hannah Abigail Clarke
