Writing Advice with Stacy Leicht
What is your favorite writing craft book?
Page Turner by Barbara Kyle is a great book that teaches you how to craft a well-written suspense book. It also tells you what publishers and agents look for in a manuscript.
Which do you think is the most underrated writing craft book? Why?
I like The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb. Nancy teaches you how to format books as well as write content and she uses well known children’s books as examples.
What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers conference?
I love the Speak Up Conference in Grand Rapids, MI. It is an excellent conference that has classes for writers and speakers. It also gives authors an opportunity to meet people in the publishing business such as publishers, agents, podcasters, and bloggers.
What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?
I enjoy listening to podcasts, but truthfully reading other books is my favorite source of information. I love reading different books because different authors have wonderful styles and use their voices in unique ways.
Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?
Lynette Eason is my favorite Christian Suspense writer. She is able to come up with such unique characters and plots, but all of them are believable and relatable. I also met her at a Christian writers conference and she is lovely!
What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
The best writing advice I received was don’t edit while you write. In other words, do all of your writing, then go back and edit and revise.
What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?
The best tip is to get involved in writing conferences and writing groups. It is wonderful to have other authors to support you as well as critique your work. It is also fun and rewarding to do the same thing for others.
What is your best self-editing tip or advice?
For me, it was worth the money to buy an editing tool for my computer.
Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.
Just keep writing and reading. Even if you get rejections at first (which most of us do), you will find that your writing will continue to improve if you don’t give up. If you continue to read, read, read, you will learn how good authors use craft to draw in their reader.
Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.
My next release is called, Dear Teacher, I’m Watching You. It is a Christian Suspense book. It is fiction, but based on actual events I went through as a teacher when I had a stalker.
Stacy Leicht was born and raised in Michigan, but her extended family is from Mississippi, so she likes to say, she was raised in the north with a southern frame of mind. As an educator, Stacy taught many grades, but most recently taught at the university level supervising future teachers.
Stacy enjoys teaching water aerobics, snorkeling, and anything pertaining to beach life. She is an avid reader and enjoys writing both children’s books and adult suspense novels.
Stacy and her husband Rick live near the North Carolina coast and love spending time with their grown children and two grandchildren.