Several years ago, I took
a writing class with Jonathan Maberry, an excellent teacher and a multiple
winner of the Bram Stoker award. One of the other students in that class was the
delightful Lesley Grigg. We read our work aloud to the class, and Lesley said that she liked my reading voice so much that I should register as voice talent at the ad agency where she worked. I did, and got some paid work out of it.
We didn't stay in touch and I lost track of her when she switched jobs. But a few years later I met her again when she joined
the Brandywine Valley Writers Group.
About Lesley Grigg: She has a degree in elementary education, and a background spanning
the entertainment industry in and around Philadelphia. Lesley has been active
in the classroom and on and off the stage, screen, and writing desk.
As an actress, she's performed in theater, film, and television before moving behind the scenes to work in casting, catering, talent representation, and more. Watching peers achieve their goals in the arts has inspired Lesley to write, produce, and direct an independent film and play. By following her passions, no matter how many there are, she hopes to inspire others to reach their goals as well.
Lesley published her first
novel, Remember, in 2013. Her new novel is Aunty Says, Get aLife. Here's my interview with her:
Welcome, Lesley. Before we talk about your books, I
want to ask about the book trailers you’ve done to promote your books. They’re
nicely done, and look very professional. However, there’s a lot of controversy among
authors as to whether or not book trailers are worth the effort. Your thoughts
on that?
Thank you! Well, since I
enjoyed making these trailers, they weren’t so much of an effort. I think video
is just another way to entice an audience. I’m very visual, so even though
these trailers are basically moving words with some sound to stir the
imagination, it adds another element to book marketing, and they were fun and
easy to make!
You now
have two novels out. Is all your writing long form, or do you write short
stories as well?
No short stories yet, but they may be on the
horizon. I started with blogging, which is like an informative short story. I still blog about travel and writing on my website, and I freelance for other
various clients. I’m also a full-time creative copywriter, so writing short
sell copy to tell a product story is my day job.
In your
bio, you mention that you enjoy travel. Has travel informed or enriched your
writing?
Absolutely! Traveling has opened my mind to other
cultures and experiences, both of which I write about in blogs and has inspired
many of the scenes in my newest novel, Aunty Says, Get a Life.
For years,
I’ve kept a file titled “Character Names,” which I use to name the characters
in my stories. But I use that file just so each character has a distinctive
name, so the reader doesn’t get them confused. You also pick interesting,
offbeat names for your characters: Neviah, Pelia, Carys. Do these names have
any hidden meaning?
Thanks! Yes! I love naming characters, and I’m a
big believer in name meanings, so I search the baby naming sites and choose
names that match a character’s personality. A little inside info, some names
even give spoilers! For instance, Neviah means “Prophetess, seer into the
future” in Hebrew, which goes along with the paranormal aspects of her story.
In one of the chapters, she also mentions why her mother chooses Hebrew
names. Pelia means “miracle of God” in Hebrew. Carys is Welsh for “to love” and
“beloved friend,” which is both beautiful and speaks to her personality.
Tell us
about you new book, Aunty Says, Get a Life.
Aunty Says is like a fictionalized quarter-life
crisis memoir, in a way. It’s inspired by some tough love advice from my aunt,
and a lot of my travel experiences. I changed the names to protect the innocent—and
not so innocent.
Readers ride shotgun with Carys, who goes through a
near death experience and has to find a way to reclaim her life.
Your first novel, Remember, is written in the first person Point
of View. How do you decide on what Point of View you use in your books?
It’s not so much of a conscious decision. It’s more
of how the characters speak to me. I was in a lot of character heads while
writing Remember, and they all had such a distinct voice, so first person was
the easiest route to take.
What’s
next? Do you have a children’s book on the horizon?
I do, and this project is actually what got me
started writing books. This idea of a series of picture books about travel has
stuck with me since before any novel was considered. It’s gone through agent
and publisher offices and across a few illustrator desks, but hopefully I’ll
have something to show the world early next year.
Let’s
finish up with a process question. Are you a morning writer, an evening writer
or a weekend writer?
Oh man, I’m probably not the one to ask about
process, because I don’t have a regular one. I find it easier to write in the
beginning and at the end of a project, when the ideas are flowing and the story
is finally coming together. The middle is a struggle. I’m sure many writers can
relate.
As a copywriter, I’m writing every weekday, 9-5, so
most of my personal writing happens at night or on the weekend – I’m not a
morning person at all. I rely a lot on the power of inspiration. Sometimes it
comes in the form of a great movie I just watched, book I read, or song I heard
– this gets the process moving along more smoothly.
Lesley, thank you for your time.
You can follow Lesley Grigg on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. She also has pages on Amazon and Goodreads.
Lesley Grigg will be
signing copies of her books on Sunday 19 November, 2017, from 1 to 3 pm at the
West Chester Book Outlet, 967 Paoli Pike (in the West Goshen Shopping
Center), West Chester, PA. Phone: (610) 430-2184
