Susanne Lambdin shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Susanne, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about your customers?
One of the most surprising things about readers is that they tend to bond with secondary characters, rather than the hero or heroine. In my “Dead Hearts” series, a character called Whisper, a 16-year-old boy who seldom speaks due to past trauma and is an excellent marksman, essential in a zombie apocalypse, was the favorite of my readers. Whisper hardly spoke. All he did was kill zombies, smoke, and remain silent, and he was loved more than the main characters in the series.
People bond with characters who have flaws, whose backstories resonate with their own life experiences, regardless of who the author thinks their readers should love or hate. Readers see more than the author writes about. As an author, it’s vital to connect with your readers on a personal level. Never discount the importance of the most silent person in the room. More can be said through actions than words.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
In 1990, I wrote a Star Trek: The Next Generation teleplay that was turned into Season 4, Eps. 76 “Family,” and nothing has ever been the same in my life. That screen credit has opened more doors than I can count. However, writing for Hollywood is exhausting unless you have contacts and can navigate the industry’s shark-infested waters. I’m a writer, I don’t do power lunches and rub elbows. I am publishing my thirtieth novel. My zombie apocalypse series, ‘Dead Hearts,’ has attracted national attention. I have attended comic cons as a guest, alongside actors from Star Trek and The Walking Dead, and sat on panels with them. For a while, I was known as ‘The Zombie Lady.’ I also write a dark fantasy series called ‘The Realm of Magic,’ a military sci-fi series called ‘Acropolis 3000,’ and Gothic horror, such as ‘The Lady of Shadows,’ among others. You can find me on Facebook under Author Susanne Lambdin or go to https://www.susannelambdin.com
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My brother, Sterling, was my idol. When we were young, he read everything, knew everything, and though eight years older, played knights with me and told me all about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I annoyed him. When I was eight, he was writing his first novel and told me to either leave his room or sit down and write a story. So, I wrote a 250-page book. My brother knew then that I was destined to become a writer. If he hadn’t taught me about Lancelot, Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, spaceships, dinosaurs, and Musketeers, I don’t think I’d be a writer. He flooded my mind with possibilities through imagination. I never lost my imagination as I grew into an adult. It’s as active as it ever was, and I will always write swashbuckling tales of romance and anger.
But I’ll never forget this: When I left home to move to Los Angeles to specifically write for Star Trek, he told me, “You’ll never be as famous as Stephen Spielberg, but you will be successful. You can always come home if you need. There is no shame. We are proud of you.”
I lived in Los Angeles for eight years, and now I’m back home. Sterling might be gone, but he’ll always be alive in my imagination and appear in every story I write.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Rejection and ridicule can kill the spirit of a writer faster than anything else. I wrote fanfiction in the 70s before it was popular. Then I wrote my first novel. I contacted agents from ‘The Market Place,’ a book that lists every agent in every genre, along with guidance on writing a query letter, outlining, and where to send the book. You always heard that J.K. Rowling was rejected 30 times before she published ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone.’ Oh, boo hoo. I have a cabinet full of rejection letters from agents, who would say, “I’m sorry, I don’t feel sanguine about this story, Susanne, to represent you.” Or “You have too many characters that you can’t handle.” Or “Your heroine is like a Crocodile Dundee in a bikini.” I even sent my first 1,000-page novel, yes, to Daw Books, and received a letter from the top dog’s wife, who had read the story and provided advice. However, the book didn’t sell – and I cried, feeling like a failure.
I went through four literary agents, found them all useless for one reason or another, and finally discovered that the trick to being a successful writer is to hire a professional editor who understands you as a writer and can help make your story into the best it can be. A writer is only as good as their editor. I didn’t use an editor when I sent out my first novel, and every rejection felt like a broadside and hurt.
Without support, without kind words, without someone to believe in you, a writer shrivels and dies. A writer needs emotional armor. A writer turns their pen into a sword. Success and skill come with time. Use criticism, good or bad, to improve your work. Don’t cry about someone not liking your story. Start over and write something better. And remember, the only person you have to impress is yourself.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Ha! I’m an extrovert. I have an ego. I can talk on stage as an author for hours. The other day, I was talking in a public area to my nephew about writers who depend on AI and how AI is ruining how writers learn how to write. I had examples. I am loud. The man walked over and asked if a college professor. I told him I’ll be reading one of my horror stories at a local library for Halloween, and he’s coming to hear me. Great. As Susanne Lambdin, the author, I am fearless when discussing my craft. I wanted to be an actor. I suffer from stage fright because I know that you know I am not the character I am playing, that it’s just me, and that makes it impossible for me to become anything other than who I am. This means I also hate reading my stories to an audience. Yet, I can speak to 500 people about how to write a book and never cringe inside. But ask me to perform and it’s awful. Because I fear rejection as an entertainer, not as Susanne. The public version of me is my ideal self. My last romance turned out horrible because the man saw me as the author and not the woman. I want to be loved for myself, as a woman, as a writer, and as someone who feels they were born to share experiences with other people through writing, and for a short moment, help them forget that the world can be a harsh and ugly place.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
A photographer from Colorado approached me at a comic con. He told me that he had read one of my novels, and for a brief moment, he was transported to another time and place, where he could forget his own problems. He told me he was abused as a child, that it was hard for him to read, and that when he found a story that struck an emotional chord, he was able to escape from his past. He told me never to stop writing because, for someone like him, who needs a safe place, he found it in the pages of my book. His comment meant more to me than money ever could. I don’t write to be rich and famous. I write because I love writing, and I love taking people with me on adventures.
Most authors want to be rich and famous. Yes, most are introverts, and they have sharp teeth. I was told in college by a couple who hired me to write a screenplay about doctors, that they wanted to produce it, that “You have to kill a horse to be a horse.” I thought this was odd. I wondered what he meant. When I went to LA, I discovered that killing a horse means to bully your way to the top. I had scripts and stories stolen. I had doors open and then slam in my face. I was abused. It pissed me off. And I learned that my pleasure in writing lies in the process, the journey, and my satisfaction comes from a reader giving me feedback. Hearing someone say, “My life is awful, but for a few hours while reading your story, I was happy,” means the world to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.susannelambdin.com
- Instagram: Susannellambdin or lambdinsusanne
- Linkedin: Susanne Lambdin
- Twitter: Nope
- Facebook: Author Susanne Lambdin
- Other: Just google my name and lots of things pop up.
