The Writings of
Lex Krowley
The Truth of Fiction
Interview
Author Leyla Kirschner has been devoted to writing since 7th grade English at Headwaters Academy. She composed 60,000 words into her first novel, Shadow before her fourteenth birthday. Once she figure out that she could develop write and finish a lengthy novel, she became quite prolific. Since then she has written more complex novels, short essays, poetry and theatre scenes. She even has a developed idea for a web series screen play that she hopes to get to when she finds time.
Fantasy Fiction is her preferred genre. She recently finished Shattered Ether, the first novel in a planned trilogy, under the nom de plume, Lex Krawley. She has been working with writing coach, Anika Hanisch at Spiritus Creative LLC to learn the rules of the publishing world and to develop her writing style and voice.
When asked who her greatest influences are, she starts with her English and Writing teachers and Headwaters Academy and Bozeman High School. Local author Mary Patterson Thornburg mentored Leyla during the writing of Shadow. Janet Fox was a great help during the early stage of writing Shattered Aether.
Ariana down at the Country Bookshelf always has a great list of magazines and potential publication places.
Her parents have been a tremendous help. Her father, a criminal investigator for the National Park Service, has an sharp eye for grammar and helps with editing. Her mom is a landscape architect and planner, also for the National Park Service and is a great sounding board for character relationships and story development.
Leyla graduated last year as one of 6 National Merritt Scholar finalists from Bozeman High. She has been using the last year to continue writing and polishing manuscripts with a goal of finding a book agent and publisher before she attends Evergreen College in Washington State this coming Fall.
She has been very active in theatre for several years and is also acting and volunteering with the Verge Theatre, as well as volunteering at the Bozeman Public Library.
Taekwondo is huge part of Leyla’s life. Aside from her daily workout, marshal arts has helped her learn discipline to set goals and work at them until they are achieved, and then to set higher ones. She shot above her initial goal of attaining a black-belt to a triple black belt. Just last year, she was asked to choreograph and perform a public demonstration representing Bozeman’s own Cunninghamm’s ATA Marshal Arts School in front of the Grand Master.
Perhaps most importantly, Taekwondo has helped her maintain confidence and the ability to get back up when knocked down. A skill very useful in dealing with rejection letters and criticism from the publishing world.
She says rejection “is not a testament to how good you are usually. It’s a testament to how much better you can become. And to whether or not you’re submitting in the right place.” Rejection and criticism are probably the hardest part of writing, but it is how it works.
Leyla’s advise, “READ READ READ and WRITE WRITE WRITE!” She says there is no other way than to write. Reading is the best way to find your style and voice, to find what you like as a reader and what you would change as an author. One of the best pieces of advice that she received was to learn the rules of the writing industry so that she could learn how to break them effectively and memorably into a successful story. “And lastly, no matter how many times you get rejected, keep improving and keep submitting. It’s the only way to get there.”