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Archived Articles 12/2004 Don Hurst UKOO ~ Hurt's Dream Come True 08/2004 Nikki Leigh Leigh Reaches Her Dream in Misty Cove 06/2004 Betty Kreier-Lubinski A Glimpse into Other People's Lives 04/2004 Pat Dennis Mirth, Mystery and Moxie |
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INTERVIEWS
an interview with Lea Schizas
by Donna Sundblad
Talking to author Lea Schizas is like riding on a runaway train spilling over with a load of creativity. Her get-up-and-go and love of the craft of writing fuel her ability to juggle multiple projects. When she learned that the May issue of Writer's Digest announced their 101 Best Writing Sites of 2005, and both, Apollo's Lyre and the MuseItUp Club were named, she said, "Now I can say I've officially accomplished more than what I had originally outlined in my five year plan."
Until recently Lea owned and operated a beauty salon fulltime and wrote in her free time. Today, she proudly wears the hat of fulltime writer with the support of her husband and five children who range between the ages of 12-27. "After a 23-year self-induced coma of taking care of the family, I finally woke up in 2000 to pursue my writing once again," Schizas explains. "I had a five-year goal, […] to get published, create an extensive contact list, and […] a reputable name for myself as a writer."
Surpassed Goals
Lea met this ambition head on with determination and surpassed her goals. "In 2002, I met and bonded with Bret Wright and Patricia Ferguson who later became my fellow co-founders for the Preditors and Editors award-winning zine Apollo's Lyre. In 2004, I became publicist for the small print on demand publishing house Star Publish; [the] same year I founded The Museitup Club, a writing critique community and got the job as Senior Editor for the print Coffee Cramp Magazine. And to round my writing career, as soon as I made the decision to close my salon, I founded L.S. Literary Agency."
Lea's high energy reflects in her writing and related ventures. "No question. I'm one of those writers who can't write just one thing at a time. […] This is how I avoid writer's block." Her upbeat attitude helps bypass the emotions most often tied to those negative responses known as rejection letters. Instead of pulling her down, rejections spark determination to submit elsewhere. "I call them […] motivational letters. […] A writer needs to get over rejection letters otherwise they'll consume their creative juices, drying out their ink."
Lea follows a disciplined schedule to meet her horde of commitments and responsibilities. "I have a 'to do' list that probably reaches the height of the Eiffel Tower. […] It's the passion in writing that gets me through my items to complete. My main goal is and will always be to establish and maintain my good name […] in the writing community." This plan hasn't failed her yet, and she believes it will help her down the line as a writer. "I have a strong array of fellow writers out there who never shy away from a 'distress' email from me [asking] for some help."
Realizing a Dream
"I've belonged to a few critique communities in the past but none catered to writers who wrote in more than one genre." Schizas founded The MuseItUp Club, an online critique community. The purpose behind the Muse is to help members find publication venues and get published. "We have several genre groups of no more than five members in each group who critique each other's work. Each member has a scheduled date to submit and the rest of the members critique to the max." Lea beams with pride when she brags about the Muse's benefits to others. "Several members have been published in direct result of the crits they have received."
Writers from Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Flash Fiction, NonFiction, Children, and Adult genre groups participate. "Besides the critiques each member receives, I host weeklong guest stints with award-winning authors, editors, reviewers, and agents. This gives Muse members the opportunity to learn various sides of the writing world."
Muse members affectionately call Schizas 'Mother Hen'. "I […] watch over them with my 'whip' as they call it, prodding them to fulfill […] New Year's Resolutions they each had to hand in to me […]." Lea checks Muse members' progress by asking how their work is progressing, and where they have submitted. "Basically, [I'm] a person to lean on and someone to gently push them to continue when spirits are low."
The First Muse Project
"Since many members are nonpublished writers, I came up with an annual Muse Writing Book […]." The current member-written book is in the works right now. "I've already secured a publishing house, Double Dragon Publishing." The first Muse Project happens to be a writing book. "There will be chapters in there not found anywhere else, such as: using psychology and illnesses within your writing, incorporating other cultures, mythical and known, into your stories, breaking writer's block, sprucing up conflict in your story, and so much more."
Rock of Realm
Lea's latest YA book, Rock of Realm, provides something she'd found lacking in the hundreds of children's books, picture books and YA books lining the shelves in her home. "What I found missing was a different outlook on what a villain is. In the Rock of Realm, I have tried to implement various teaching elements without a child realizing they are being preached to."
"For instance: discovery--my main character, Alexandra Stone discovers she is a Princess to another realm, something her mother was desperately trying to hide from her; friendship and bravery--with the help of her friends, Alex's will will be strengthened when they venture through Dread's Forest, a place inhabited by skeletal beings called The Braks and Dread's henchmen hunting them; but the biggest lesson children will learn will be 'that nothing is as it appears to be'. This is where my villain, Dread, comes into play. But you'll have to read the story to find out how he differs."
Lea's short story Cassiopeia appeared in the anthology, Behind the Doorbell published by Purple Pen. In it, Schizas weaves a plot involving young Sarah, the constellation Cassiopeia, and something her grandfather promised her long before he passed away.
"Doorman's Creek, a thriller/police screenplay […]. It's about one teenaged boy and his two friends who discover a hidden cave in Doorman's Creek. The boys discover a skeleton within and that's where the mystery begins. Kyle Anderson, my main character, begins to foresee future and past murders that puts his family in danger. When one of them gets murdered, it's up to Kyle to solve the mystery of these visions before the killer strikes again. There are a lot of twists and turns and it's in the very end the actual murderer is revealed. I've been waiting to build a bio before I submitted this to Hollywood. Now that I have, Hollywood watch out."
Benefits of Self-Publishing
"I was offered a contract with a traditional publisher from England." The 5-7% royalty made the final decision for her. "I figured, if I was going to do all the legwork in marketing and promoting my book anyway, why get such a low percentage when I could be getting 100% royalty minus the shipping and handling?" Lea's practical experience of stretching a dollar for her family paid off, self-publishing works for her. "Yes, traditional publishers get your book on the bookshelves, but realistically, they have a lifespan of anywhere between 6 months to a year. By going this route, it's up to me how long my book survives."
Lea chose Star Publishing after it was recommended by Carolyn Howard Johnson. "I emailed Kristie Maguire several times, and […] her quick replies to my queries […] made my decision to go with her publishing house easier for me. Star Publishing comes the closest in every sense of the word [to] resembling a traditional house than any other nontrad house out there for me. All writers get personal attention and keep getting personal attention even after they've signed a contract […]."
Follow Your Heart
Lea suggests writers follow their heart. "Don't listen to outsiders (family and friends) and be discouraged. Everyone starts at some place, which is the beginning. By practicing your craft, you will get better. Stay focused and commit to a daily writing routine. And please, submit your work. Take rejections with a smile, edit per your critiques or editor's suggestions, and resubmit. Your work does no good sitting in a drawer, unless you like the title of 'wanna-be' writer."
When asked if she would change anything if she had the opportunity to do it over she said, "Most definitely. I would make sure not to go through my 23-year self-induced coma! Even though I'm 47 right now, it would have been nice to have accomplished this waaaaay back when my skin was a bit younger. However, they do say that with age comes intelligence so perhaps this was meant to be for me and I'll take it."