Dragon Soul Press sat down with Author Sofi Laporte for an interview.

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What gives you inspiration for your books?

I write across genres, but mainly YA, paranormal and romance. My stories usually have “a sprinkle of magic”, a touch of magic realism. I basically collect story ideas from every day-life, from the mundane, and sprinkle some magic on top.

What inspired Loreley, my story in Sea of Secrets Anthology, was a childhood memory. Specifically: the German song Loreley that my grandmother used to sing to me on her mandoline. When I thought about what to write for this anthology, the melody suddenly came to me. I actually heard the music. I knew then that I had to write about the Loreley legend.

Chestnut Woman was inspired by a real person, a neighbor in Vienna. She had a gossipy nature, a strident voice and knew everything about everyone. It was unbelievable what she knew. What if, it occurred to me, underneath this garish façade she is someone entirely different? Maybe someone magical? This is how Mrs Schmidt was born.

To sum up, what inspires me: music, real people, places I’ve lived and visited, childhood memories. Somehow it all magically comes together to form a story. This is why I love writing!

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

Arthrapax. The precocious cat who is in reality a dragon. And not just any dragon: Morgana’s side-kick, her pet dragon! He’s modeled on my own cat, who has the same sassiness.  Arthrapax is a side character in Chestnut Woman in Sea of Secrets Anthology, but he really deserves his own book.

What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?

All this marketing! I never thought I’d have to take a crash course on marketing just because I wanted to write stories and share them with other people.

Any website or resources that have been helpful to you as a writer?

So many! 10 minute novelist Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/10MinNovelists/, 365 writing challenge group which is a sub-group of 10 minute novelists and which taught me to put butt-in-chair and write every day: https://www.facebook.com/groups/365writingchallenge/; Helping writers become authors blog and books by K.M Weiland: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com. Special shout-out to Inkslinger’s Den, a Facebook group by Brenda Littau with the best how-to videos on everything a writer needs to know:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/INKSLINGERSDEN/. My favorite books: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I also read a ton in my genres; mainly YA, romance and paranormal.

Have you thought about joining with another author to write a book?

Yes, it sounds like fun! I might like to try that one day. Some of my favorite books were co-authored, like Holly Black and Cassandra Clare’s Magisterium series; or the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

But first I would like to focus on my own books.

What do you think about the ebook revolution?

I’m pro-technology so I support that. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy this: click and voilà, there’s your book! Instant gratification! In my “other” life I work as a librarian and a teacher, so I speak from experience that e-readers help dyslexic children with their reading comprehension. Also reluctant readers can be enticed to reading via e-reading programs. There are some truly great reading programs and Apps out there. Additionally, ebooks are a blessing for elderly people, because they can enlarge the font with a click. I know some people prefer ebooks over paperbacks because the printed font is simply too small. Yet we need not fear that traditional books will become extinct because of ebooks. A few days ago there was an article in our local newspaper saying that the printed book has “outlived its own death” – referring to the ebook revolution and the fear that, as a consequence, paperbacks will become obsolete. They won’t. Independent bookshops are on the rise again. As for myself, when it comes down to choosing between reading an e-book or paperback: it really depends on how impatient I am to read the book. If I have to wait a long time for the book to arrive, I will just read the e-book. Otherwise I usually prefer the paperback over the ebook. I do love paper, the touch and smell of it. And I adore bookshops! I have wonderful memories of standing in line early in the morning at a bookshop in Västerlanggatan in Stockholm to get my hands on the newest Harry Potter book. You don’t get to have those wonderful memories with the instant gratification of e-books.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Ahem. There might be a whole drawer full of manuscripts somewhere …

What tactics do you have when writing?

I do both, really, though I lean toward pantsing. I outline only to discover that my characters have totally different ideas, and suddenly I find myself happily pantsing away. When I start out pantsing a story, however, I inevitably get stuck sooner or later, and then I need to retrace my story and outline. Too detailed an outline doesn’t work for me, however. I find that restrictive.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

“This is boring” – at school, response by a classmate. Ouch. The positive side of this experience is that it now motivates me to learn the craft of good writing: it made me aware that we tell stories to our readers, not only to ourselves. And readers want to be entertained, gripped and drawn into the story. Learning to write like this is what I am currently obsessing about.

Where can we find you online? 

Please visit me at my website www.sofilaporte.com where I blog about reading, writing and exploring castle ruins (my particular hobby) – with a sprinkle of magic! Also on Instagram and Twitter.