Author Q&A With Lux Raven
Lux Raven is a paranormal romance author. Her viral series, Siren’s Mark, gained over 3.5 million reads online and is now available in print. Meet Lux:
Did you always want to be an author? I actually dreamed of being an author as a kid, but I didn’t know what I wanted to write or how to really get there. I ended up studying journalism in college and worked for a big magazine after graduation. I did that for about 5 years, but I was feeling increasingly unfulfilled. When I eventually started writing online as a hobby, everything clicked into place for me. I suddenly had all these supportive readers and was doing what I loved. It was wonderful—like this dream that I had given up on had suddenly been revived.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?
My two-book paranormal romance, Siren’s Mark, came out in October. It follows a siren, Zane, who falls in love with a chronically ill human woman, Ava, as a supernatural plot unfolds around them. When I wrote it, I was dealing with symptoms of an undiagnosed chronic illness and really struggling. The romance books I was reading at the time featured these healthy, fully physically capable heroines with perfect bodies, which I couldn’t relate to at all. I just wanted to write something that other chronically ill women could relate to.
How do you hope your book will uplift readers? More than anything, I wrote Siren’s Mark to be fun. I want readers to both relate to the characters and escape the complications of real life, just enjoying themselves. I hope that readers who have their own health struggles will feel especially seen, and that the book will be a reminder that you don’t have to be healthy to be sexy and lovable.
What are you most excited about with this book? Writing this book was such a labor of love, and now that it’s out in the world, I’m just so excited to hear how it’s making people’s days brighter. Siren’s Mark is not one of those books that takes itself too seriously—there’s a lot of playfulness and spice and humor in there. And that, for me, is what makes it great. I love hearing that readers were laughing out loud or squealing along at 2 am, waking their partner. Having fun is the whole point, and I love that it’s filling that role for readers.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism? I see every critique as a question rather than a command. If someone says, “I don’t like this character,” I’ll try to ask myself: “Is this character likable? Do I want them to be?” Sometimes, the criticism is totally valid and shows me something that I can fix. Other times, I take a very firm stance and feel confident in the choices I make. That tells me that the criticism can be dismissed. But I try to look at all of it as helpful, because it gets me asking questions about my work and really thinking it through.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I got my start writing on Wattpad, a reading app that lets amateur writers share their stories. I started out posting weekly, before anyone was reading my books. For me, it wasn’t about who was or wasn’t watching—it was for me. I firmly believe that you can’t make great art if you expect other people to provide your motivation. I love my fans, and I’m fortunate now to have a massive audience of readers that will jump on a new chapter the moment I post it, but I would still stick to my schedule if they weren’t there, because I want to write these books for me. If you write for yourself, that audience will come.
How do you structure your day and make time for writing? Dealing with unpredictable health issues means that I can’t really commit to a set schedule. Rather than give myself a specific time or daily routine, I aim for writing about a chapter a week. It gives me the flexibility to handle bad days while still keeping a consistent goal. The great thing about writing is that you can do it almost anywhere, which means that I can also fit in writing time on my phone when I’m waiting in a doctor’s office or soaking in the bath. For my unpredictable life, it’s all about finding time where and when I can.
What book uplifts you? Michele Lent Hirsch wrote this phenomenal book called Invisible about the experience of being chronically ill as a young woman. The book features a collection of health experiences from the real women who have lived them. I went through all the emotions while reading it, but I came out the other side feeling seen and empowered. It was beautifully done, and I felt so validated after reading it.
You can connect with Lux and follow her story via her website.
