Our featured author this month is the wonderful poet Lauren Eden, writer of the book Of Yesteryear. She has a wonderful way with words and is passionate about her craft and connecting with her readers. Her Instagram account has amassed an incredible 138k followers, and it is here where you can find photographs showcasing her writing.
About the author:
Lauren Eden is an author and professional people-watcher from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. She published her first poetry collection Of Yesteryear in 2016 and posts regularly on her popular Instagram account @ofyesteryear.
—
Describe your ideal writing atmosphere.
Stretched out on a window seat in a small log cabin in the woods. Coffee brewing. Candles lit, and the sound of birds or an acoustic guitar inspiring some rhythmic thoughts.
How long have you been writing and what inspired you to start?
I started writing at 14 after catching an episode of Oprah my mum was watching featuring a selection of authors. One said she would write a story even if the story meant her grandma would never speak to her again. She had this glint in her eye that I wanted. I wanted to be that passionate about something. Turns out, we shared the same passion.
Describe your writing style.
I write poetry and short prose. I feel like I tend to extremes, from delicate and soft to sexy and sharp. I like to shock sometimes, but more than anything I just want people to feel. I like to sum up huge emotions with simply a line or two. It makes me feel in control.
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” – Toni Morrison
What kind of story that hasn’t been written yet do you want to read?
Oh that’s a hard one. It never ceases to amaze me the breadth of stories that are being written each day. I like to read stories with strong female characters. I’m interested in secret lives. Perhaps something that makes me question if I really know anyone at all.
Name any authors or books that have had an impact on your writing.
Firehead by Venero Armanno. What a sexy, slick book this is. I read the first few lines and immediately knew I’d found one of my favourite books. It taught me that words were not simply to be written but to be soaked into the deepest oceans of feeling and dripped onto the page.
Describe the moment you truly felt like an author.
The first time I saw my book on someone’s bedside table. That is a coveted spot. That moment was truly special.
What book by another author do you wish you’d written?
I will always be utterly fascinated by The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It is tantalising and haunting and downright brave for its time. It challenges you and it never leaves you, that book.
What is the best thing about writing/being a writer?
I find the act of writing to be therapeutic for me. My mind can be a chaotic place to live in so I find it meditative to try to organise my thoughts into a behaved line. Writing is mostly a selfish act for me as I do it mostly to connect with myself, but when I see the ripple effect from readers who’ve been able to connect with my own connection with myself, it is beautiful to see that we are all one thing.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t be afraid to write without a purpose in mind. Write about what excites you first and let the form come later. Also, investigate self-publishing options. We live in an age where it is so much easier to be seen. Utilise social media.
Tell the story behind your latest book, why did you write it?
Of Yesteryear is a collection of poetry that is mostly about love and the ultimate battle between head and heart. I wrote it because I couldn’t not. It was a friend that suggested self-publishing and I felt it was a book that many people could relate and find comfort in.
Most inspiring quote?
“Find what you love and let it kill you” by Charles Bukowski. No one is getting out of here alive. Be consumed by your desires (and meditate in between).
Which author (living or dead) would you like to have dinner with?
Oscar Wilde. He would be a lot of fun and I think he’d have me snorting my wine through my nose.
If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would you choose?
Estella from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. She reminds me of a young me. Complex. Charming. Aloof. Perhaps I just feel a maternal instinct toward her. I want to put her under my wing and tell her she will warm up again.
How do you beat writers block?
I’m a big believer that you get out what you put in. I believe when we feel we’re running on empty it’s because we are. That’s when I re-fuel on new books, music or flip open the dictionary to discover a new word or two.
Give yourself some writing advice.
Write the book that lights your soul; what turns it to shadow. Write that one.
What are your plans for the future? What writing projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on poetry book #2. This one will be more narrative than the first. This one scares me. That’s how I know it must be written.
Synopsis:
Of Yesteryear is a collection of poetry that effortlessly transcribes the chaos of the never ending battle between head and heart. In her debut, Lauren Eden’s succinct and beautiful observations of human nature and its gains and losses will lead readers to understand their own journey in love and self discovery – now, and of yesteryear.
Buy Of Yesteryear:
Paperback
Kindle
Connect with the author:
Instagram: @ofyesteryear
Facebook: @laurenedenwriting
Jade's Bookshelf 