A Lifetime Of Fantasy Stories…

Writing almost always starts with a love for stories, and that was certainly true for me.

I began writing at a young age, often drawing pictures to accompany my stories (more about that below!). This lead to finishing my first novel when I was 12 (a superhero story I still have, but think is as terrifyingly amateur as it is sparkling diamond-in-the-rough).

From there, I went on to write more and more, eventually self-publishing my first book when I was 19. I self-published for quite a few years, penning a fan-favorite Christmas series (starring Jack Frost!) as well as many other projects under the pen-name Alexandra Lanc. Eventually I decided to move on and pursue traditional publishing.

This lead to a long, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding span of almost 10 years, in which I wrote and rewrote, as well as refined the world-building for an expansive Fantasy series (you can hear all about that in the first episode of my YouTube series, Creator’s Cut). This taught me so much about my writing, about myself, about what types of stories I really want to tell, and how I can continue to work to fulfill my goal of sharing Jesus in a unique way. I was also able to expand my writing skills as I learned screenwriting, which I had always intended to be part of my series’ plan.

I am currently working on getting this book and series to an agent and publisher (prayers, please!), as well as refining a screenplay. I am extremely excited for the day I will be able to share this series with readers and viewers!

Inspirations ~

I’ve always loved the Fantasy genre, and enjoy both Eastern and Western stories, with their different cultural components and methods of storytelling. I am a particularly big fan of manga, anime, and light novels, which have had a huge impact on my storytelling style. Some readers have even said my work “reads like an anime” (thanks!).

As mentioned above, I’ve always created artwork to go with my stories, and it’s pretty much always had a manga-style flare. I particularly love designing characters and swords. I think a book is always better with illustrations! Watching anime has also given me dreams of seeing my own work presented in that medium (with beautiful art, naturally!).

I’ve also had the opportunity to spend time in different theme parks, seeing how stories are brought to life in reality. This, too, has had a big impact on how I write and tell stories, and always gets me thinking about how my own stories would look if brought into a real-life space.

For more about my writing past, present, and future, check out my Creator’s Cut series on YouTube!