Devotion & Consistency: An Interview with Leelah Renn
Recovering from the terror of creation, I peek into the creative process of one of the most persistent writers I know
Good morning, friends. I say this coming out of what I hope has been a period of dormancy (vs. a period of giving up), having not written to you since April. Hello again. Hi. I’m back.
I remind myself: Periods of dormancy are necessary for creative work. The act of creation is intense. It is a birth, an awakening, a sharp rise and precipitous moment of realization. It is especially terrifying when you care, and while I will take that terror any day over numb detachment, it is depleting to live there perpetually. Fallow periods of rest, recovery, wintering, are important and necessary. I only wish I could get better at predicting them.
I’ll tell you a couple of realizations I had in my most recent fallow period:
Writing above all else is too sharp a turn for me. I am not set up to be able to consistently prioritize my writing life. I fit the words in where there are cracks, where I most need them, where there is room for them to seep, fester, grow, swell and harden. Sometimes I have to put the book down, pay attention to what’s around me. That will have to do for now.
I am consistent, but only with the most important things. I’ve been hard on myself in the past for not finishing my projects. But I have learned that one of my strengths is constant prioritization. Picture in my brain a ticker tape, with new tasks bumping old ones as seconds go by and new info comes in, always the most important thing at the top. I have learned to trust this mechanism.
My writing goals this year have existed in a vacuum, and they were only important to me. It doesn’t make them unimportant, but it does seem the wrong time to charge myself with neglect of my writing discipline, while reality dictates that there are other things that need my care. So I resist apology.
In March, I had my appendectomy, and life suddenly felt short. Would I have time to do what I want in this life? The feeling melted away as I got back to work. Then in September I turned 40, and life feels short again. But also long. I am choosing to interpret the slack-tautness of my creative life, which feels so familiar to me by now, as not an act of undoing but of rather a weaving together, tighter, thicker, stronger, of all my many learnings. It has always been like this for me and may always be: my curious, wandering mind pulling me to new places rather than staying in old ones. And isn’t that a wonderful adventure.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Interview with Leelah Renn, author of Reverse Harem/Why Choose Romantic Thrillers
I so admire people who are consistent. I am their biggest fans! And so I wanted to celebrate in long-overdue fashion a friend of mine who is one of the most consistent and determined writers I know: Leelah Renn. Leelah and I met in a writers group where she has been our most consistent sharer and has hugely motivated me to take my own writing more seriously.
Back in April, I asked Leelah some questions about a new book she had coming out called Finding Aria (which she has of course now finished and released, check it out here!). I’m so excited for you to read about her process, her characters, and her plans for what’s next. Did I mention, Leelah writes in the broader romance genre? It has humbly surprised me with how much I’ve enjoyed her writing, since I don’t read or write in this genre at all. I think she may surprise you too.
Who is Leelah Renn? Leelah Renn has been around… literally. Well traveled and curious, she draws from her adventures to write sensual, escapist, Why Choose/Reverse Harem Romantic Thrillers. With a tinge of humor and heavy-handed with harrowing predicaments, Ms. Renn makes her leading lady and her men earn their Happily Ever After. Leelah Renn can be found here: https://linktr.ee/LeelahRenn
Cassie McDaniel: Tell me about your writing history. How long have you been writing, and what has encouraged you to keep going?
Leelah Renn: I’ve been writing since I was a child, raiding our family photo album and gluing the stolen pics into a scrapbook. I’d make up wild (and entirely untrue) stories to accompany the pictures. I was a quiet, shy child, yet lived an exciting life in my head. Nothing has changed really, except I’m better (I hope) at telling stories and hiding my introverted ways. I use every spare minute devouring craft books, listening to podcasts, attending workshops, as well as reading across many genres.
In university, my writing skills started to garner attention and praise from my professors. I wasn’t making up stories then, but I could argue and support my hypotheses like nobody’s business. I think that’s why today I’m attracted to contemporary stories set in the real world. I enjoy doing the research to make my situations and predicaments believable, despite the genre I write in.
Cassie: I don’t think my audience will be familiar with your genre (I know I wasn't before meeting you in our writers group!). What should people know about Reverse Harem/Why Choose? What's something that surprised you about writing in this genre?
Leelah Renn: I discovered Why Choose/Reverse Harem as a natural progression from two-person romance and ménage à trois. Reverse Harem is a newly created genre borne from Japanese manga anime, with author C.L. Stone launching today’s Reverse Harem genre in 2012. The defining tropes of the genre must include a minimum of three love interests (usually male) devoted to a single female. She never has to choose between them and the harem must learn to share her. The genre continues to morph, becoming more inclusive with poly-relationships.
We live in a world where one half of the population has fewer rights than the other, so it’s not surprising that this genre has become so popular!
Within the Reverse Harem/Why Choose genre, I can write about a woman exploring different relationships, including her sexuality, and not have her be punished or vilified for it. Women are celebrated and supported in Reverse Harem/Why Choose, not controlled or restricted (unlike real life).
Surprisingly, the stories are more centered around how the relationships grow, rather than the obvious assumptions about it being smutty. Many Reverse Harem/Why Choose books have no sex at all!
Cassie: Yes, it’s surprised me how relatable your writing struggles have been in our writers group despite all of us writing in completely different genres (whether character consistency, plot, or pacing). For instance, I know we also all have difficulty finding time to sit down and write. What does your writing routine look like now?
Leelah Renn: During the lockdown phase of the pandemic, I discovered I write best first thing in the morning and then get progressively worse as the day goes on. I’m also a pantser (someone who doesn’t outline their plot before writing). I can’t outline a grocery list, never mind a three-book series! To compensate, I write 5-7 days a week to keep the story arc fresh in my mind.
I may not outline my books, but I’ll spend time meditating on my characters, visualizing upcoming scenes before I write them. Other times, I live by my motto: I sits, I writes.
I’m a true discovery writer and often surprise myself where the story ends up going. The only time I take notes is during our Saturday morning writer’s group meeting. Thank goodness those sessions help bump my story back into line when needed.
During the pandemic, I would average 2,000 words a day. Now that I’m back to paid employment, my word count is much less, being forced to write before and/or after work, using my weekends to catch up on my word count. Being an indie author, I must also handle the business side of things: blurbs, social media promo, ad copy, book cover designers, editors, beta readers, sending out newsletters, etc. There are never enough hours in a day to do all things I need to for my author career.
Cassie: It’s true, yet I admire how devoted you are to your characters. You’re such a good reader, and when you read you adapt to your characters' voices and personalities so well. Because your characters are so strong, I’m curious if you can pinpoint a favorite scene in the book that you are writing now (no spoilers please!)?
Leelah Renn: Asking me to pick my favorite scene is like asking my leading lady to choose her favorite harem member: It changes daily! Thank you for the generous compliment, Cassie. For an introvert, I surprisingly love reading my prose aloud, if only to hear the movie in my head come to life.
My series is a romantic crime thriller with lots of twists and turns, but at its core, it’s a love story. My current favorite scene from Finding Aria, the last in a three-part series, is the first love scene after Aria is reunited with her men. I won’t say who Aria is with, but it’s fiery and passionate, filled with tears, confessions, and forgiveness. I bet you can guess which Vox Tenor guy I’m alluding to, Cassie!
Cassie: I can, and I’m excited to read it from end-to-end! Now that you’ve completed your Vox Tenor series, it must be hard to leave these characters behind. What's next for you? What has you excited for what's to come?
Leelah Renn: It is sad to leave behind this huge world I’ve created. I’ve been living and breathing these characters for three years—I’m going to miss them. The final scene in the final book has most of the characters over the entire series together for a celebration. It’s definitely me bidding adieu to all of them.
As for what’s next, more and more my writing is leading me away from romance to explore psychological thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. Reviews for Finding Aria mention how twisty and intense the plot is wrapping up the series. It’s obvious I love to keep my readers guessing. I’m excited to segue into a new genre, as well as learn more about the business side of being an author. I’m tireless when it comes to putting in the work since I enjoy it so much.
Cassie: I'm so happy we met through our writers' group, which I've been a part of on and off again over ten years. Why did you join the group? Why do you keep coming?
Leelah Renn: Our writer’s group has been life-changing for me. I recall walking by a Toronto Library billboard five years ago, seeing a poster advertising a writer’s group meeting. Every Saturday morning I’d pass by that sign on my way to Pilates class and every week, I’d talk myself out of attending, thinking I wasn’t a “real” writer and would only embarrass myself. One morning, I skipped Pilates class and showed up with a travel blog post I wrote. I never went back to Pilates class after that. Hearing everyone’s prose, poems, scripts, and song lyrics, I was thrilled to find support and encouragement from like-minded peers.
I won’t lie, early on, it was difficult to hear critiques of my work and I wasted a lot of time defending my choices instead of learning from them. Once I came to accept that everyone was trying to help me, it changed my writing for the better.
Our Saturday morning meetings are the highlight of my week and I continue to faithfully show up despite the ever-present imposter’s syndrome that likes to torpedo my self-esteem. I’m still that shy introvert living in her head, but our writer’s group allows me a safe place to share my inner world.
Cassie: It’s a pleasure to be part of your inner world, Leelah. Where can readers find your completed series?
Leelah Renn: Thank you for asking, Cassie! My series is exclusive to Amazon and if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can read them for free! If you haven’t started the Vox Tenor series yet, you can find all the books here.
The full-length prequel to the Vox Tenor series, Giselle is my gift to my VIP Access newsletter subscribers. Sign up for free and start reading Giselle right away.
Thank you for sharing your story with us today, Leelah! I hope people get to know and love your characters as I have. <3
News & Updates
In news from me, while I stopped submitting around March my accepted pieces have been rolling out throughout the year. Sixpence Society published two poems that you can now read, “Her to Her” and “Refusal”. Read the whole beautiful “Reflect” issue.
Fulminare Review has also since released their second issue “Citrus” where my poem “The Last of the Tangerines” is of course nestled in with other beautiful pieces on the theme of rot/rotting. Enjoy!
In a week, Sweet Tooth will have one of my poems in their super edgy “Body Politic” issue I can’t wait to read, which you can pre-order now.
What are you reading? What are you writing? What’s going on in your lives, let me know and inspire me, I’d be thrilled to hear about your own meandering adventures!
xo,
cassie.