Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:43
#AuthorInterview | Talking spice, sass, and everything romance with author Lana Ferguson
Lana Ferguson is my kind of writer. Meaning? Not only does she write contemporary romance novels, but she also doesn't shy away from spice and sass. It also helps that she loves cats, calories and making idiots fall in love per her website. How could you not want to go out and read her latest book, the Nanny, which came out just this month, and preorder her forthcoming book, The Fake Mate, which will be out in December?
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:16
I'd love to start out by asking you to read a little bit from the Nanny, whether it's a few sentences or a paragraph, to give listeners a sense of your writing style and what they can expect from the novel
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:38
I feel like everyone I know, whether they're a reader or writer of romance, has kind of a romance origin story, whether it was a particular novel or movie that just got them hooked. Where does your writing journey or story begin when it comes with romance? Was there a particular novel or movie that made you fall in love with the genre? And how did you get started writing in the contemporary romance world?
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:40
So I'm curious if you have any advice out there, especially for writers who are maybe just considering writing a book for the first time, or in the middle of it, or maybe just to first draft any advice that you received from other writers or mentors over the years or have learned through your own experience in writing your book so far that you think might be meaningful for them
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:35
I have a series here on Swell, and I write a newsletter called Ask a Failure. I love talking with writers, especially about failure, because I feel like in some way it's usually a part of the process at some point, or their story. So I'm curious how failure or rejection has at all shaped your path or your story as a writer, and if you have anything interesting or funny or just anything in relation to failure that you would love to share or reflect on
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:52
And at this moment, I would love to open up the conversation to anyone who maybe wants to throw in a question for you. And I welcome you all to comment and join in once Lana responds too. Lana, thank you so much. I'm so looking forward to this conversation. And congratulations on this wonderful book being out in the world old. I'm so happy to be celebrating it with
Lana Ferguson
@LanaFerguson · 2:15
It. So yes, my origin story, I assume might be very similar to other authors origin stories in that it started with a book. Picture me, mid teens, spending a lot of time at my grandmother's house and she had an entire shelf of romance novels, historical romances, actually. There was Joanna Lindsay, Katherine Coulter, Kathleen Littlewis, all the ones from like the late 90s, early 90s even
Lana Ferguson
@LanaFerguson · 2:22
I so I think there's a common misconception amongst new writers that you have to have a perfect first draft. I think just based on conversations I've had, that it's a very common notion that we share. And what I've learned, what the biggest thing that I've learned actually in this entire process is that's simply not true
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:57
Thank you so much for these amazing replies. I love that you mentioned your grandmother along with reading, because I have such fond memories of spending so many summers quietly reading alongside my grandma and I think it really contributed to how much I still find so much peace and comfort in those kinds of afternoons now all. And also everything you said about the first draft not needing to be perfect, I think that's really useful advice
Lana Ferguson
@LanaFerguson · 4:06
Because rejection is one of the harshest things that we can experience. And if after having experienced it, you still feel that drive and that passion to do whatever it is that you're attempting to do, then I feel like that's how you know it's real. Because speaking from personal experience again, I have given up many hobbies in my lifetime after showing no promise with them
Lana Ferguson
@LanaFerguson · 2:27
I cannot elaborate on that other than just to urge you to go listen to their song alkaline and I think it will make sense. They are just captivating to watch and I'm actually going to see them later in the year and I'm so excited. So I hope I'm still as obsessed with them then as I am now because I've already listened to their entire discography about 100 times at this point
Bowie Rowan
@bowie · 0:45
I absolutely love your perspective on failure and what you had to say about how wonderful it is in helping you sort of solidify what it is you really care about and want to do, because you persist through failure, even when you're getting rejected and working through that, because that's how much you love doing whatever that thing is