What:
I’ve just released my debut YA fantasy novel A Dragonbird in the Fern. I’m usually inspired to write by “What If” questions: in this case, what if a princess had to marry someone and they didn’t share a common language? And then because my children were struggling with dyslexia while growing up bilingually, what if this princess who was thrust into investigating a murder while learning a new language also had dyslexia?
In this case specifically, Jiara’s portrayal drew heavily on my children, both of whom were diagnosed with dyslexia after hearing for years from the school that they just needed to work harder/longer at practicing reading and writing. That can really impact a person’s feelings of self-worth. We live in Germany, and once we had the diagnosis, some people (not experts) tried to convince me to stop speaking English to them, thinking concentrating on only one language would make reading and writing easier. I did research and found that plenty of dyslexic people are multilingual, and I wanted to depict that. I didn’t set out to write an issue book though. Jiara’s main problem isn’t dyslexia. It’s her violent ghost of a sister, a killer on the loose, and a new husband who doesn’t speak her language. One more note about Dragonbird: many dyslexic people who love to read, but my kids don’t, so Jiara doesn’t either.
But back to inspiration in general. For me, anything can spark a new idea—whether it’s a new scientific development, something I saw on the news, a book or a TV show—as long as I have enough brain space open for it. I’ve learned to give myself leeway when work and private life are too busy and not to expect miracles from myself then.
Why:
I write fiction—usually young adult sci-fi and fantasy (something has to be weird!) with teens learning to have faith in themselves. I think deep inside, I’m still a girl working on my own self-confidence. One of my kids is transgender, and I have many LGBTQ friends, so LGBTQ+ rights are important to me. My stories tend to reflect a world where people can be their true selves and love whoever they want. Also, since I’m an American expat living in Germany and have traveled a lot, communication is a frequent theme in my writing.
How:
Between my day job and my family, I squeeze writing in where it fits. When life gets really busy, or when the publishing world feels impossible, I sometimes consider stopping. But somehow I never do.
What I’ve learned is that no one way of writing works for everyone. Some people say you must write every day, but I write in spurts. I found I need to have a rough outline in order to start. Drafting can be hard for me–I really have to force myself to get through it–but I absolutely adore revising. Breaks are important to me too, but then I jump back in when an idea won’t let me go.
Bio:
Laura Rueckert is a card-carrying bookworm who manages projects by day. At night, fueled by European chocolate, she transforms into a writer of young adult science fiction and fantasy novels. Laura grew up in Michigan, USA, but a whirlwind romance after college brought her to Europe. Today, she lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, and one fluffy dog.
A Dragonbird in the Fern
When an assassin kills Princess Jiara’s older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scilla’s betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sister’s place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries.
Marrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. She’s terrified of life in a foreign land where she’ll be unable to communicate.
Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister’s assassin comes from the king’s own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla’s ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sister’s killer . . . before he murders her too.
Links:
To buy A Dragonbird in the Fern:
Schuler Books
Bookshop.org
Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
Amazon
To find Laura:
Website
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Linktree
Thank you for visiting Linda’s blog.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security
