The Writing Journey with Leslie Rasmussan {ep. 113}

Alexa's Publishing Chat

In this podcast episode with Leslie A. Rasmussen, we discuss:

1. Transition from Television to Novels: Leslie's shift from writing for TV shows like "The Wild Thornberrys" and "Sweet Valley High" to novel writing highlights the fluidity and adaptability in a writer's career.
2. The Art of Writing Dialogue: Emphasizing her love for writing dialogue, Leslie underlines its importance in bringing characters to life, a skill honed from her TV writing days.
3. Journey of Self-Discovery: Leslie's novel isn’t just about romance but also about the protagonist’s journey to self-love and empowerment, a theme she passionately advocates.
4. Challenges of Writing a Novel: Leslie candidly shares the challenges she faced while writing her first novel, especially in constructing a cohesive middle section. Her experience underlines the importance of planning and structuring a novel.
5. Learning from Mistakes: Her first novel took 4.5 years due to a learning curve, emphasizing the value of learning from mistakes and the iterative nature of writing.
6. Role of a Developmental Editor: Leslie stresses the importance of working with a developmental editor from the early stages of writing to streamline the process.
7. Multi-Perspective Storytelling: She discusses experimenting with different narrative perspectives, providing readers with a more rounded understanding of the characters.
8. Embracing the First Draft: Leslie encourages embracing the “crappy first draft” as a necessary step in the writing process.
9. Community and Networking: She underscores the importance of building a community, networking with other authors, and leveraging social media for marketing and getting feedback.
10. Marketing and Publishing Insights: Leslie gives practical advice on marketing and finding a publisher, highlighting the necessity of investing in marketing, even when working with traditional publishers.

Leslie A. Rasmussen is the award-winning author of the novel, After Happily Ever After. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA. She went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. After leaving the business to raise her boys, she attained a master's degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years. Recently, she’s written over twenty essays for Huffington Post, and MariaShriver, and spoken on panels discussing empowering women in midlife. Leslie is a member of The Writers Guild of America, as well as Women In Film and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. In her free time, Leslie loves to read, exercise, and hang out with friends. She lives in Los Angeles and is married and has two sons.
Learn more here:
Website: https://www.lesliearasmussen.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslierauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliearasmussenauthor