Today we are delighted to introduce one of our new writing interns here at Kingdom Pen! We had the honor of interviewing L.E. Williams, and we are presenting the interview here for you today.
Thank you L.E. Williams for taking the time to share a bit about yourself!
Enjoy!
Kingdom Pen: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are three interesting facts?
L.E. Williams: Hello dear KeePers! My name’s L.E. Williams, but everyone calls me Elizabeth. I’m so excited to be one of the writing interns here at the marvelous Kingdom of Pen! Here are a few fun facts:
1) I have three brothers (who are all also writers), and we were/are homeschooled all the way through high school. And yes, I’m the oldest.
2) When I’m not writing, I like cooking (I love spices, and that is occasionally my Achilles’ heel) talking about character dynamics and the philosophy of cartoons (Gravity Falls, anyone?), petting my cat (the most excellent Theophilus), laughing at my brothers’ antics, knitting, playing video games/watching my husband play video games, and in general just being a nerd about stories. I also like to act sometimes--I had the starring role in a short film once, and another time I got to use three different water guns on stage.
3) I can play approximately five(ish?) instruments. I’ve played the violin the longest (about fourteen years), which paid off because I met my husband in my college’s orchestra. Talk to your classmates, kids.
Kingdom Pen: What are your goals as a writer?
L.E. Williams: My most immediate goal is to finish my current novel (which will most likely be a duology, honestly speaking), and a longer-term goal is to publish said novel and write more (hopefully many more) other works. Through all of it, I want to bring a little light and joy into the life of whoever reads my words.
Kingdom Pen: What is your favorite thing to write - poetry, short stories, novels, screenplays, etc?
L.E. Williams: Novels, though the times I’ve given screenplays/stageplays a shot, I’ve really enjoyed writing them. I actually had a one-act play I wrote produced at my college! (Yes, my husband directed it and I acted in it. It was amazing.)
Kingdom Pen: What genre of writing are you particularly drawn to?
L.E. Williams: Fantasy, all the way. Researching historical events is a daunting task to me, so I circumvent this difficulty by simply making them up.
Kingdom Pen: Who is your biggest inspiration as a writer?
L.E. Williams: I know, I know. Everybody and their second cousin cites Tolkien as their biggest writerly inspiration, but nevertheless he is. He’s so resolutely hopeful in his work and chooses to describe the beauty in the ordinary, which I think is astounding given that he lived through not one but two world wars. Also, I wrote my junior thesis about The Lord of the Rings (and when I was a sophomore in high school, I read the books so often that I accidentally memorized part of The Two Towers), so it’s inevitable that I admire the man.
Kingdom Pen: What’s your favorite thing about Kingdom Pen?
L.E. Williams: I love how supportive and encouraging the community is, and the focus on getting one’s words out there over perfecting them. Plus, it’s not every day that you find such a huge wealth of writerly articles to read.
Kingdom Pen: If you could have any vocation, and money was no object, what would it be?
L.E. Williams: Honestly? What I’m already doing: being a writer, a wife, and someday a mom. Though being an earthbender would also be cool.
Kingdom Pen: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment? (It’s okay to brag a little on this one!)
L.E. Williams: I’ve worked on my current novel in one way or another since 2013 (it has been through many an iteration since then, believe me) and it’s finally coming together in a way that I like.
Kingdom Pen: Do you have something to say to the KeePers of Pen? Sage pieces of advice? Words of encouragement? Random tidbit?
L.E. Williams: Dear KeePers, your stories are important, and so are you. Your writing means so much, even if it feels like no one cares. God loves you. It’s okay.
Kingdom Pen: What’s the premise of the story you're currently working on?
L.E. Williams: Oh goodness, I wrestled with this one for a while, but here goes: After the royal family gets assassinated, a would-be puppetmaster, a missing prince, a terrified new queen, and an indentured servant with two months missing from his memory all have a year to save Rumir from being annexed by their powerful neighbors.
Kingdom Pen: What is your favorite thing about writing?
L.E. Williams: I love how my characters come alive and start to feel like real people. It’s such a magical feeling transferring their conversations, experiences, hopes, and fears from my brain onto paper (or, more accurately, my mess of Scrivener documents). Also, I just love words. You can evoke a completely different emotion in your reader simply by reworking a phrase or two! It’s amazing.
Kingdom Pen: What is your biggest struggle as a writer? Biggest fear?
L.E. Williams: Perfectionism, and the fear of not being “good enough.” I stopped writing for about three years because of it, but lately God’s helped me let a lot of that go. I still wrestle with it from time to time, but I have the feeling that it’s a burden that many creatives have to bear. But hey, that’s why a supportive community like Kingdom Pen is so cool! When you have a crowd of writerly friends cheering you on, it’s a lot less easy to feel discouraged.
Kingdom Pen: When do you get your most creative ideas?
L.E. Williams: I’ve given up on pinpointing when my inspiration strikes. However, lately my ideas seem to come the oftenest when my mind is at rest or occupied with something else (like when I’m sitting in class or doing dishes), or when I’m very crunched for time (a common happenstance in college). I also usually end up with a plot twist or two when I’m talking about my novel to my husband--being married to a storyteller helps with the whole creativity thing.
Kingdom Pen: What is one mistake you see most young writers make?
L.E. Williams: Not letting their first drafts be bad. It’s okay if it sucks, guys. It’s supposed to. A bad book (or, if we’re being honest, an alright book--rarely are our stories as bad as we think they are) is so much better than no book at all.
Kingdom Pen: If you could travel to any country, which one would it be and why?
L.E. Williams: It’s a toss-up between Scotland and Greece. I went to Greece for a few days on a college trip, and it’s so hauntingly quiet and beautiful. Plus I love Greek food (specifically pita bread and hummus) with a passion, so it’s really a win-win.
L.E. Williams
L.E. Williams delights in confusing her friends and professors by going by her middle name (Elizabeth).
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, photography, violin, acting, and playing video games with her husband Taylor (who serves as her biggest supporter, an incredible filmmaker, and her absolute favorite person).
Her favorite band is Stella Stagecoach, a group so hipster that even Google has barely heard of them, and she loves macaroni and cheese with a passion matched only by her fondness for her cat (Theophilus) and her ever-growing collection of plants.
She currently resides in East Tennessee, where she is pursuing a B.A. in English at Milligan University. You can visit her website at www.lewilliamsauthor.com to read dramatic accounts of her everyday adventurings.
Become an Unstoppable Writer!
I have to say, I love that your cat is named “the most excellent Theophilus.” That has to be one of the most perfect pet names ever. XD One of our cats is named Simon Peter. It’s not uncommon to hear someone yelling, “Simon Peter, stop chewing on those plastic bags! Simon Peter, stop sharpening your claws on the couch!” XD
YES! First drafts are supposed to be disasters! I love to say that, but I forget it when I’m working on my own writing. XD *eyes current WIP which resembles a warzone*