Patti Larsen - Listening to Character Voices

Patti Larsen is one of those authors who listens to her characters and let them tell their stories through her pen. Sydlynn Hayles came to her one night, urging her to write Family Magic - Larsen had no idea that Syd would still be with her twenty books later. As our Author of the Day, Larsen reveals her secret skills, talks about the importance of family and chats about her work schedule.

Please give us a short introduction to what Family Magic is about.

Sydlynn Hayle's mom is a powerful witch, her dad is a demon and she just wants to be ordinary. But when an insidious evil tries to infiltrate her coven, Syd has to choose to be normal or embrace her power and save her family's magic.

What inspired you to write about a girl who has a mom who is a witch and a demon father?

I'm sure you've heard this from other writers before, but I hear voices. Or, you haven't and now I sound crazy! But, it's true--and Syd was no exception. I'd just finished reading Harry Potter, which I loved and adored and felt incredibly inspired by. So when Syd came to me in the middle of the night, badgering me to get up, get out of bed, and write down her story, I leaped at the chance. And she and I have been working on her life's saga ever since. 

Family is an important theme in your book. Why?

I come from a tightly-knit family, with a strong willed mother and a father who told us we could do anything. Both of my sisters are entrepreneurs and extremely inspirational. To me, family is the support system that gives us the courage and strength to put ourselves out there in the world, knowing there are those who love us unconditionally. And, to me, family is anyone who loves me. Syd learns, as I have learned, that blood isn't important. Love and loyalty is.

You create characters readers care deeply about. How do you pull it off?

The voices. I feel like I'm fingers on a keyboard, that the characters themselves are as real to me as the people I call family and friends. I love them with the same kind of depth of emotion, have this vast sense of honor they've chosen me to tell their stories. I do my very best to make them proud of what I share with the world on their behalf. And it seems I'm doing the job I set out to, so that makes me very happy.

Does your book contain an underlying message? What do you hope your readers will take away from it?

I don't like to write with a message in mind, because I feel sometimes that can influence the story. And considering I don't get much say, it's hard for me to even nudge the voices in other directions, let alone dictate to them what their life is about. But certain themes do seem to emerge. Like the importance of standing up for your own self worth, not letting the bullies win, being loyal and faithful and having courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds while keeping a firm grasp on your sense of humor.

Did you know right from the start you were going to make this into a series?

I didn't, but it evolved that way very quickly. And initially there were only five books, not the twenty that came out of the first series. Nor did I have any idea there would be 42 in this universe (and counting) or that Syd herself would play such a huge role in my writing life. Zero complaints here.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I teach improv theater to amazing women, ride a fantastic prince of a Gypsy Vanner gelding named Fynn, sculpt wands and monster journals out of glass and clay and read Tarot (I'm told I'm scary accurate).

What was your greatest challenge when writing this book?

Going to work every day and not staying home to write it. I was still running my business full time at that point. It was agony to have to leave Syd and her family and Wilding Springs to emerge into the real world and deal with a career that no longer made me happy. Every waking moment I had from the instant Syd came to me until Family Magic's first draft was written was spent writing.

Do you consider yourself a disciplined writer? Do you have a schedule that you stick to, or is it more in the moment?

Yes, I'm a major control freak when it comes to my work schedule. I'm prolific and if I don't track my time and my future projects I can either over do it and wear myself out or end up on the couch watching Netflix for a week. That being said, I'm not so rigid I can't flex inside that schedule. In fact, I'm working on a project right now that's about a week behind because I wanted to work on other things. But I work pretty much every day in some capacity and on one project or another, but only if I'm loving it.

Name a book or a story you wish you'd written.

The Belgariad (beginning with Pawn of Prophecy) by David Eddings. It has been and remains my most favorite series of all time. Old school heroic fantasy with an unlikely hero and monsters and gods and all kinds of magic, with humor and family and the kind of poignant emotional connection I strive to write. I love it so much.

Do reviews and reader feedback shape your work? Or do you feel like it's better to avoid the feedback—both positive and negative—so that it won't interfere with your vision?

While I appreciate all reviews, I do my best to keep them outside my work. When I'm writing, I'm a creator and slave to the voices. They tell me what to do. But when I'm not, I'm a businesswoman and I have to make decisions based on marketing and genres and what will earn me enough to keep going. It's a balancing act that can be thrown off by eager readers, absolutely. Being prolific has its downfalls--my readers are as impatient as I am for the next book. And while there have been a few times I've stumbled into a bit of a conundrum--what to write next, what will they want? What if they don't want it?--ultimately it's my decision and I always love what I create.

If you could transport yourself into one of your series or stand-alone books, which one would you choose and why? What would your story be?

This is so easy. I'd be sitting at Syd's kitchen table right now, sharing a coffee and talking about life. Forever and ever, Wilding Springs will be my second home.

What are you working on right now?

I'm writing book three of my new series, the Fiona Fleming Cozy mysteries. I'm having a blast writing a new genre, one without paranormal aspects for once. And murder, well. How fun is that?

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

You can find me everywhere!

On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patti-Larsen/e/B005H8I3KO

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/patti+larsen?_requestid=580251

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/search?query=Patti%20Larsen&fcsearchfield=Author

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/pattilarsen

Pronoun: https://books.pronoun.com/pattilarsen/

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Patti+Larsen

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/author/patti-larsen/id450241203?mt=11

And my social media

Website: http://pattilarsen.com

My new blog: http://magicmayhemmurder.blogspot.ca

Facebook: http://facebook.com/pattilarsenauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PattiLarsen @PattiLarsen