Episode 23: Lauren Wagner Interview

R
Hello cinnabar moth, so any kind of moth you’d like to be welcome to the writers triangle cinnabar moth podcast spot all things publishing and books, say here with Oren Wagner, author of awaken Lauren, how’re you doing today?

L
Great, thank you. How are you?

R
I’m doing great. Thanks for being on. And thanks for asking. I want to ask you, are you feeling excited about the release of awaken from yell on March 1 2022?

L
I am excited. I’m a little bit terrified. This is my first book being published. So I’m nervous about a lot of things that go along with out there. But definitely excited is one of the feelings. Well,

R
I’m, I’m glad to hear that you’re excited. We’re excited as well. And I wanted to ask you, how long have you been writing awake? And when did you start? And how long did it take for you?

L
So I actually started a good 10 years ago, it was it was a little habit that I had formed, that I would just go to, occasionally, I would do some writing for a few weeks. And then I would step aside and work. The difference. The book itself has been finished for about two years now. We’re all process. I didn’t really start writing with the intent. So it did take me a good technique to actually finish writing the store.

R
Okay, so that’s quite a lengthy process. Oh, what was that process? Like for you? How did it feel as you’re going through?

L
Well, I have the tendency to work on a few different projects at the same time. So I’ll start with one story. And I’ll move on to another story. I think I had crews going at the same time as awaken. So going back and forth, I think I may challenge Speaking for myself, because after I walk away, I have to reread every written before to kind of reconnect with those characters and the plot and everything that’s going on in the story. So it is my stress relief, though. So when things get hard world becomes overwhelming. Writing is where I go to find that escapes. You know, even though I make it stressful, it is still my outlet.

R
Okay, so even with it being a more lengthy process, as taking quite a bit of time. With that, like coming back and forth. There was some difficulty with that. But would you say that the process was still comfortable? Because you were using as an escape, or perhaps just overall as a fairly comfortable and enjoyable experience?

L
Yeah, I think I really liked her, I think, you know, as an escape from the real world, I guess you could say it does. So there’ll be times where I write obsessively for a few weeks, and then be a few weeks where I don’t write any at all. So I think because of how I use my writing skills, it’s been a kind of a calm process. For me,

R
that’s nice, knowing that you’re able to enjoy the process and go through it is. First, I think one of the great things about being raised to be able to enjoy the the writing process as well. And when asked you with the writing process that you finished it two years ago with awaken, and you mentioned that you weren’t initially planning on publishing, Was that correct?

L
Yeah, I started writing to kind of just get it out of my head. It was something that was stuck there that I felt like her. And then I felt like it needed finishing. And then I felt like it needed more. And then once it was finished, like, you know, this and see where it goes from there. And, you know, I had just started finishing up another story as well. And that’s what it became. And I’m going to go for it. I’m going to try my best, you know, worst case scenario is I have to finish stories. Otherwise, you know, there’s no harm in trying to get it out of the world.

R
It’s very true. That is Dolly authors out there who are wondering, yeah, put it out there. worst to happen is nothing really changes. Right? You’ve written the story anyway. Yeah. And

L
that, to me was something that I was proud of, even without it being published. Now finishing an entire story, I think is still a huge accomplishment.

R
Early on,

L
although the publishing does, you know, create for like a dream comes true. Without that being said.

R
And so speaking of publishing, and with you, just saying, hey, let’s try it. How did you discover cinnabar moth publishing.

L
So this kind of goes into me deciding to pose as when I entered the very trenches. It was a champ and it very hard to get somebody to read your. And at the time, I had no social media presence, introvert. So putting myself out there is not something that happens now. So the first time I attempted Twitter, it was kind of another fail. I was just watching and listening. And so I, you know, had to pull out of motivational, internal speaking, if you will to start tweeting out and my ideas and my thoughts out there. And it was really scary for me. And cinnabar was actually one of the first people who started following me back. So I started this whole new stress relief, because it was no longer a terrifying thing. It’s been on Twitter, because cinnabar welcomed me and made me totally comfortable. And that’s when I realized, you know, what, maybe, maybe this is it. So I went ahead, and here we are today.

R
Urine with you soon to be published, which is very exciting. And so would you say that the interaction with us on Twitter and discovering us that way? Or is how you ended up also deciding to publish with us is the interaction from Twitter?

Absolutely. Because cinnabar has been so welcoming, no opening from the very beginning, before I even sent my manuscript to I think that once, you know, I had the opportunity, there was absolutely nothing to think about, it was the right decision for me to move ahead with publishing with cinnabar.

R
That’s awesome to hear that you were in with us from the get go with just those interactions, I guess just isn’t the right way to express it the comfort and like you felt welcomed by us, because that’s one of the goals with us. cinnabar moth is to make everybody feel like that part of writing and publication family.

Yeah, I definitely felt welcomed from right away. And I think that made me feel comfortable sending my manuscript. As you know, it is a scary process, it is sometimes a heartbreaking process. And even with cinnabar, it was it was a you know, what, if if they think no, it’s okay, because, you know, I think they the respect, the what’s the word, I’m looking for the transparency of cinema, it’s so welcoming, that no matter the outcome, it’s a, it’s a relationship, I think.

R
I’m glad to hear that you felt welcomed, and that the process hasn’t been fraught with you with us. And I want to ask you, with working with us and going to the publication process, what would you say has been the most surprising thing in the publication experience?

Um, cinema has made it so easy. I feel like I am taking care what? You answer my questions before I even have them. So it is a very easy process, and I’m grateful for it.

R
Or glad that we’re able to make you feel like it’s a smooth process. That’s great. And with the segwaying, a little bit from publication in general, but more specifically, for publishing awakened, what would you say has been the most experience surprising experience with the effort of publishing it?

L
Can you ask that one more time? A little bit?

R
Oh, sorry. What would you say has been the most segwaying from the publication with us and, and more strictly with awaken? What would you say has been the most surprising thing about publishing awaken?

Um, I, um, because it’s my first book, this is the first thing actually putting out to the world. I think there’s an aspect that opens me up to the world, which has been a little bit new to me. Writing was my I wouldn’t say secret habit, but it was a habit I didn’t talk about a lot in my daily life. So you know, the people close to me knew I was writing but you know, you know, family or, you know, regular day people I see everyday didn’t necessarily I was writing. So once I got a publication date, I screamed it from the rooftops. And the support the world around me has been incredible. So I think is something that was new and unexpected to me because I didn’t talk about my work. And now there are so many people who are excited For me and excited to read it, and I’m grateful.

R
I’m glad that you’ve had such a positive feedback and reaction to people hearing about your writing. And would you say that the with when you first started writing and you went into image that you didn’t really tell people about it? Is that just a matter of if it was super private for you? Or were you perhaps worried about telling people? What was the, if you don’t mind sharing? What was the reason for, you know, not sharing that with a lot of people?

Yeah, I think, um, I guess there’s probably a few reasons. One is, if I think about writing as kind of like, my internal thoughts, even though it wasn’t me, you know, saying, you know, do your very my day, it was still private to me, it was still the story that I’ve been that wasn’t finished that I hoped I would finish one day, but at the time, I, I had no urgency to it. So I didn’t want to talk about something. If I push it, I didn’t want to talk about something if it didn’t go anywhere. And then once I had looking into publishing, I realized how hard it was, and I didn’t, or if it didn’t grab anyone’s attention. So you know, it was, it was more internal pride, I guess you could say, who I wasn’t sharing all my writing. But now that it’s out there, you know, I have people asking me about what else I’m writing. And that’s exciting in itself tick.

R
That’s, that’s very interesting the night you want to keep it to yourself until you felt confident that it was ready, so to speak.

Yeah, it was kind of it was it was mine. was purely mine. And, you know, whenever it was, it was a nervous feeling for sure. Because I, you know, had this story locked in my head and wanted to give it to the world. It’s an amazing story. But at the same time, it’s unlocking a piece of myself, which is kind of terrifying.

R
I understand that. As well as my way of fixing the mess. I had a very similar feeling of, I’m revealing my thoughts to the world. Yeah. And it’s it’s honestly, like, personal like philosophies or anything of the sort. But it still has that openness. It’s, it’s, it’s yours. Yeah, there for people to see.

L
It’s something else.

R
And so you mentioned it’s, it’s been a very private process for you, would you Have you talked with your family about your writing before? Or is this new for them as well? In? Are they excited about the release of awaken?

Oh, my gosh, yeah, they’re very excited. So my husband and my kids see me writing all the time. And they’ve, they’re. So the fact that it’s getting published, I think brings a whole new level experience my house, my husband is not a reader, and he read it. That definitely a lot to me. But all aspects of my family are excited. And people keep asking, you know, when is it coming out? When is it? So I feel a little bit of pride in regards to that. It’s

R
well, I’m, I’m glad that your family is excited. And I’m sure that you have more than just your family who people who are also excited for this book and potentially future releases, but no spoilers about what about that necessarily. And with awaken coming out, and with the excitement about awaken, how do you feel about having your book listed in the US Library of Congress’s list of books?

This is absolutely amazing. To me. I feel like having an in the US Library of Congress. I feel like it makes history it will be there. And that I think makes the whole entire thing real to me.

R
So it gives it a feeling of Semmen like it cements the experience for you. Absolutely. Absolutely. That’s awesome. I can understand that. Like it’s going to be there for forever. Forever. I really thought of it that way.

L
Even when I’m gone it’ll be there. That Oh, it’s something that’s definitely cool. The thing about

R
this school think about and think about it being there for the future. How many generations from now it’ll be read. And speaking of the future, what do you hope happens next

L
Well, I definitely want to keep writing. Um, I would love to have down the road. So I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed for that. Go from this.

R
Are you in? Are you looking to have writing become your career? Or is this something that you do as a continual thing throughout your life? Kind of on the side? What are your visions for your writing?

L
Yeah, so I don’t think I’m the expiration to make it my career is necessarily there because I like writing so much right now. And I think that if I were to put a schedule or to it, I think there’s a whole new experience that comes with it, there’s, I would worry that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. So you know, keeping it as my little background how, Povey and you know, the way for me to deal with things that come and go. I’m keeping things the way they are.

R
Okay, so you’re just planning on keeping on with what you’re doing? And you’ll see what comes? Yes, absolutely. Okay. Speaking of seeing what comes if awakened, becomes a best seller. Does that change anything?

I might change my name. No, I’m kidding. I’m, I’m nervous about myself out there in the world. So we’ll have to hit that with or if it ever happens, but no, I don’t think it would. Okay,

R
so you’re not you don’t think it will say you’re not worried about it? But if it does, you can have to do a lot of thinking.

L
Yes, definitely.

R
Following up on that, go ahead.

L
That would be very unexpected. That is first.

R
Speak. Yeah, following up on that unexpected, it’s become a bestseller. And continuing down that line of thinking, if awakened word to get an offer to become a movie or TV series? Would you want to do that?

L
Ah, I think you know, I’m always open to the idea of something like that happening, I would add a whole new level of terror for me, making it even more real. Oh. But that would be super exciting. Absolutely.

R
If that were to happen, do you have any people that you think you’d want to cast into the movie or TV series or any thoughts about that?

L
Yeah, I think this is where it becomes a challenge for me. The main character and weekend is based off of someone in existed in history, where I see her face in my mind. And I wanted to create the story to kind of honor this girl that lived a few 100 years ago. So I kind of take you back a bit I watched this show on one of the most well preserved human remains hounds in the mountains of Argentina. And they called her the Maiden and it was a girl who had been sacrificed. Her body was perfectly preserved and pulled out mountain. Wow, I watched it and my mind couldn’t wrap itself around the idea that this girl had gone up to the mountain willingly. And she had stayed willing. And so I felt like I needed to capture her store. And I, I definitely created it, more of my and what her life probably resembled at the time. But because of that, I think the idea, who would I want to play her is hard for me because I think of her as a real. And I’m not sure that that can be replaced very easily.

R
It does sound like quite a challenge because you already have this vision in mind. But it’s someone who doesn’t exist in the modern times.

You know, I think my my pickiness might probably get in the way of that because just because that’s who I based the character off of doesn’t necessarily mean that the reader is going to have those insights, they might have different insights based off of who the character might be.

R
That’s That’s true readers often will come to different conclusions than what we necessarily planned or expect them to. Its itself is interesting, and pull up on the idea of things being different than what you’d necessarily envision, if awaken was to become a movie or a TV show. What level of creative control would you want over that? When it comes to the for example, the writing narration or the cast that type of thing.

I’m not sure about that, because I think I feel like that’s a whole nother area of expertise, where I have the story written, I have, you know, the points about it, like, and the points that I envisioned my head and about how the characters are based. But I think from there, you know, we talk all the time about how movies are so sore, the books were better, or no, the movie was better. I think, in order with it, I would have to hand it over. And I would have to let someone else go for it. I mean, you know, maybe obsess too much for the fine details about how I envisioned it in my head.

R
So you think that in order to just avoid any hassle with no wind yet just perfect give you like, Okay, I can’t touch this app to trust somebody else to handle this. As I’m, I’m, I want too much control over my baby, I’ve got to let him go.

L
Absolutely. Time to grow up.

R
I can understand that. I, I definitely do think, from my experience with writing, that I can get stuck even when writing a story with wanting particular details to exist. And then later having to struggle with myself. Like that doesn’t fit here. But it’s what it should what belongs but

L
Yeah, certainly a challenge. I absolutely agree. And I think that would be changing the book to a movie. I can’t imagine how many of those scenarios would come into play.

R
Yeah, oh, geez. That reminds me of some of the movies or books that I’ve like, watched and read. And just always want you always wondering, why did they leave that part? I liked out.

Yeah. Yeah. Or, you know, when they change the ending, or when a character is just the opposite from what you anticipate. I think I would just have to let somebody else handle that.

R
That would be totally understandable. I think, if I think that makes sense. I would probably do the same. Maybe it’s just a writer thing. We want things to be just so but we can’t actually have it be just

L
perfectionism.

R
Yeah. So if awakened, became a movie or TV show, and you’d gone through this entire process handed off, handed your baby off to somebody else, they raised it and took care of it made into this TV show or this movie? Would you want to go to the premiere? And

at that point, when you think of a movie premiere? Oh, I think it would be okay. Because at a premiere, the focus is on the actor, actresses. I don’t think the writers are necessarily the ones that come to my for mine. So I think standing in the shadows at that point I’d be perfectly content with.

R
As long as you’re not out there in the lights, you’re fine. Yes. So if you did go with Do you have anyone in mind who you would take with you? Oh, my

L
husband, for sure. He was he’s my number one supporter. So no questions asked.

R
That makes total sense to me. And with the going to the premiere about not wanting to be you’ve mentioned several times, now you’re kind of worried about being known. I, I imagine that you don’t want to ever become super famous, like, for example, Stephen King Grantha sort and prefer to kind of keep your anonymity as much as possible.

Yeah, I am perfectly fine being anonymous and work. Although I’m very proud to have a book out there with my name. I think me walking in the street, and people not recognizing me, is perfectly fine.

R
Okay, so you don’t want to be recognized on the street. But what level of things is comfortable for you? For example, if people know your name, would that bother you?

No, I don’t think so. I think I think that would I think it would be very cool. As long as it you know, it doesn’t change the aspect of your life as I know it. Okay.

R
So it’d be something where you’d see people like reading your book at a coffee shop or something like that, or at people talking about your work, you’d be like, Oh, that makes me feel good. As long as I turn around.

I take a picture of it. Oh my gosh, okay, coffee shop. But I’d also like to be in that coffee shop with them where they continue to read the book and stare at me saying are you or learner? mistaken?

R
Okay, so you want just The right amount of fame. That makes sense. And so with that, I think that I’ve gotten to know your fame levels and interest when it comes to the actual with that fame and everything Do you mentioned earlier, you might consider change your name. So I was wondering if you see yourself becoming more famous, are you thinking of changing your name, in order to keep the enemy or maybe taking on a pen name?

I’ve thought about that a lot. And, you know, eventually I did not have a name. I think that once I get my book out there, I felt like it had to be me. Because I think that’s what is going to sell it at first is people who people who, you know, are excited about things that I have accomplished. From there, it becomes a different aspect of publication. I think that when I decided I wanted to publish, I wanted it to be me publishing.

R
You wanted to own your work and have it be solidly your work that people are coming to see and come to read? Yes. Okay. That makes a lot of sense. I think the that type of connection can be very useful for ourselves to feel good about what we’ve done as well. Right.

And I think that’s important. Absolutely. For sure.

R
So, I’d like to thank you, Lauren, for talking with us today. And for being on the writers triangle. And I’d like to thank all of our beautiful miles for listening. Be sure to buy, awaken or preorder it, if you want to get it early. My early. It’s coming out on March 1, next month, in 2022. And one, how about you tell us where we can find you on social media? Any other websites, author website, for example?

L
Yeah, I’m at Lola WAGs on Twitter. And thank you so much for having

R
such joy. It’s been a pleasure talking with you. And for all of our listeners, be sure to visit cinnabar moth.com, where you can find the transcripts and where we will have the link to Lauren’s Twitter. Thank you for coming on today. Lauren.

L
Thank you so much. It’s been nice talking to you. And a pleasure

R
talking to you. Bye bye