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LLP: Introduce yourself to your fans.
SB: Hey fans! I’m Shonell Bacon, a born/raised Baltimorean who currently lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I’m the author of both academic and creative works. I’m an editor for small presses and individual clients. I’m an English Specialist and mass communication visiting lecturer at the local university here. It may sound hokey, but words are my life, and with just about everything I do, words play a main character.
LLP: Who/what inspired you to write?
SB: Life inspires me to write. What I fear inspires me to write. What I don’t know inspires me to write.
LLP: What other works have you published?
SB: In 2001, Strebor Books published my co-authored novel Luv Alwayz: The Opposite Sex & Relationships (with co-author JDaniels), and in 2003, our novel Draw Me with Your Love was published through Strebor. In 2004, my short story “1-800-Hot-Talk” was published in the popular anthology Chocolate Flava by Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. I spent 2004-2007 with editing and contributing to three academic textbooks, and in 2008, I finally came back creatively with three stories published through LLP: “Connections,” “Got Til It’s Gone,” and “Under the Mistletoe”.
LLP:How long have you been writing?
SB: A long time, LOL I started seriously pushing my work to agents and editors back in 1994. It’s been a long, hard journey.
LLP: What are your goals as a writer?
SB: My ultimate goal – as I’m sure many writers would say – is to be paid to write full-time. Other goals include branching out from novel/short story writing to scriptwriting and playwriting.
LLP: What can fans expect to find when they read one of your stories?
SB: They can almost always expect to find a flawed woman as the main character – to me, that’s real. No one’s perfect, and neither are my main characters. They are flawed, but they are good people, trying to achieve goals and make it through the day in one piece. They want to be understood and loved, flaws and all.
LLP: What do you hope fans take away after reading one of your stories?
SB : That they are not alone. I hope to write about life in a way that readers find themselves within the pages of my stories and can nod and say, “That’s me.” I want to entertain readers – all day, every day – but more than that, I want to reach, to connect, to make my readers feel.
LLP: How do you come up with your characters?
SB: Pieces of my characters come from me. Typically, something happens in my world or the world of someone I love that sticks with me, that picks with me, and I have to write that situation out. When that happens, I take pieces of me that are connected with that situation and start the process of developing the main character. From there, I branch out and develop those characters that are necessary to get through that story. Many times, pieces of loved ones (and not so loved ones) are used to develop these characters.
LLP: Are the characters based on real life situations?
SB: Sometimes, yes. I’ve never written a 100% real story; however, many of my characters are composites of people I know, and many of the situations are snatches from real life situations.
LLP: What excites you most about being a writer?
SB: The spinning of a new story. When I get a new idea, nothing excites me more. I can barely sleep, and my biggest concern is outlining the story so that I can jump in and play with my characters.
LLP: What challenges have you faced as a writer?
SB: Publication! More specifically, staying published. I’ve gone from having my big toe within the publishing world as a co-author to banging on the door, wanting desperately to be let in as a solo author. Slowly, I’m regaining entrance, but it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance.
LLP: What do you consider your greatest achievement as a writer?
SB: The short-lived self-publishing of Luv Alwayz. JDaniels and I originally self published the novel in 2000. We had no money, but we knew we had a good story. When we received our books and I held one in my hands, I felt like I had truly accomplished something. That accomplished grew even more when Zane published the novel through Strebor Books.
LLP: How do you balance writing with your personal/professional life?
SB: Writing is a part of everything I do. I teach freshman composition and mass communication courses (writing-related classes) at a local university. I edit manuscripts for small presses and individual clients. The WORD is truly my first love, and I work hard to incorporate that love in everything I do.
LLP: Who/what has been your biggest supporter?
SB: There have been many, but I’ll limit myself to two: my mother and my best friend Tonya Howard. My mother has always encouraged me to realize my dream and strive to achieve it. If it wasn’t for her and her belief in me, I probably would have given up writing a long time ago. Tonya has read, literally, everything I’ve ever written. She’s my editor, giving me advice and encouragement and friendship – and being that little voice in my ear that says “You can do it” when I become discouraged.
LLP: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
SB: Three pieces of advice: 1) study the writing craft, 2) read everything, and 3) write even when you don’t want to.
LLP: What can we expect from you next?
SB: Actually, I don’t know. I’m currently working on screenplays and hope to start submitting them soon. I don’t have anything lined up for publication right now, but when I do, people will know by checking out my site: http://shonbacon.com.
LLP: How can fans get in contact with you?
SB: At my website, http://shonbacon.com, fans can learn about my writing, my literary goings on, and connect with me via social networking sites I play on. Fans can also e-mail me at shon@shonbacon.com!
LLP spends a moment with with one of the busiest women in the literary business: Shonell Bacon
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"Leading In Expressing The Word"
