Introduce yourself
Hello! My name is Fran, though I go by the pen-name Leonor Bass. I live in South America, in a little city called Curicó with my mother and my brother.
What initially got you into writing?
I first started writing fanfiction, around 15. It was my first introduction into writing and after that I just couldn’t stop! Fanfiction helped me improve my writing skills and it was what pushed me into writing my original stories and creating my own characters. I haven’t stopped ever since.
Who are your biggest influences and why?
My biggest influences are Linda Fairstein and William Bernhardt. They both write crime thrillers and mystery. I remember the first crime book my dad gave me was “Silent Justice” by William Bernhardt and I loved it so much that I always thought about writing crime stories. His characters and the way he narrates became my inspiration.
Are you traditionally published or self-published?
I’m a self-published author. I made the decision after I got rejected once and I didn’t take it very well (got depressed and thought my book was not good enough) and I was told to never give up in what I wanted. So I decided to publish my first book on my own and to be completely honest, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Even though the process is long and sometimes exhausting, everything changes when you see the final outcome.
How important is writing as an art form in the world, today?
I think, with everything going on around us, a book could be the perfect type of escape. A book is always good in any given time, but now people need distraction and focusing on something entirely different.
Do you have a set process when starting a new project?
When I first started writing (fanfictions) I didn’t have any process, I just started typing and basically went with the flow. Now the process is entirely different; I started outlining, which has worked perfectly for me for my two last novels and other projects. I don’t like word counts though, but lately I’ve been focusing a bit on it because I don’t want to make my novels or short stories excessively long and tedious.
When it comes to inspiration it usually comes out of the blue. With my first book “The Secrets of Amber” the idea came from a dream, it was one vivid scene that I couldn’t erase from my mind, I took notes and then everything worked!
What has been your favourite book to write and why?
My second book "Midnight Vigilante" became my favorite for two reasons. One of them is a bit personal but I'm gonna tell you about it, obviously. When I first came up with this idea, a long while ago, I never actually thought I was going to write it. I always saw it like those many ideas that go down the toilet afterwards, but somehow I kept thinking about it and I knew I HAD to write it. I took notes about the characters, the names, the plot etc until I started writing it.
When that time came I had gone through a very difficult time in my life. I had lost someone very dear to me and I was going through a very complicated depression that almost made me give up, everything. So at some point I decided I couldn't quit. I had to find my inspiration and a way to get back on my feet. That's when "Midnight Vigilante" came back to me again. In the end this book, basically, saved my life.
Also, I always dreamed about writing an action book with a woman as a main character. One that could kick ass and do cool things.
Which genre do you enjoy writing in?
I love crime. I know it's sounds weird when I say it like that but I absolutely love crime. Writing crime, obviously. I love a good puzzle, I love making readers try to figure out who the bad guy is and who the killer is. I think I was always meant to be writing in this genre, maybe because I always wanted to be a detective?
Is writing your primary source of income?
At the moment it is. Two years ago, it wasn't. I had a job that was time consuming and left me no time to write, I always wrote on weekends but sometimes I was too tired to do so. Now, since I'm unemployed, I take writing as my only source of income though I haven't sold as many books as I wanted to.
What advice can you give our readers, should they wish to pursue writing?
DON'T GIVE UP! I know it sounds cliche, but many writers do give up when they believe the story is not good enough. It had happened to me before. But! If you believe and you trust your gut that the story you're creating is good, then go for it. DON'T let it go, THE STORY CAME TO YOU FOR A REASON, BECAUSE IT WAS MEANT FOR YOU.
What does success mean to you?
Success means readers liking my book. That's it. I don't need to be a bestseller, I don't need thousands of dollars, I need readers liking what I write and possibly love my characters as much as I do.
What projects are you currently working on?
I'm working on a "very secret project" I can't talk about right now, but it sounds promising. I know I'm not supposed to be saying it because I'm the writer BUT I hope everyone likes it.
I don't have any links or photos to show you, since it's a work in progress, therefore is not finished yet. When time comes, I'll scream it to the world!
What are your hopes for the future?
Keep writing! Keep the ideas coming and hopefully be healthy enough to make stories happen.
Lastly where can people find you?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamelotLady
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorleonorbass
Website: www.leonor-bass.com
You can contact me whenever you want, talk to me about whatever you like. I’m a good listener and SOMETIMES a good adviser.
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