We caught up with the brilliant and insightful L.E. Harper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

L.E., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

By far the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my new novel, Kill Your Darlings. I’ve struggled with my mental health for years, and during that time, I believed it was best to hide how I was suffering. I didn’t want to be a burden to my friends and family, so I isolated myself. I thought there was no reason or excuse for my depression, anxiety, and PTSD, so I never spoke of it—but of course, hiding one’s mental illness often exacerbates one’s symptoms.

I started writing Kill Your Darlings as a way of working through the feelings I’d bottled up for so long. It began as a love letter to myself, but I believe it’s become something that may help others who struggle with depression. Though it touches on dark themes, its message is one of hope: it tells the story of why, in my darkest moment, I chose to stay alive. I’ve met so many wonderful readers who connected to this story and its message. Writing, sharing, and publishing this story has given me the courage to own my scars—and while the book itself is very dear to me, the most meaningful experience I’ve had from this endeavor is connecting with others and realizing the story might help them, too. If it helps just one other person, then I believe my journey will have been worthwhile.

L.E., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been a storyteller all my life—in fact, I wrote my first “novel” when I was just five years old. (It was about a girl and a dragon going on a quest together, so it’s nice to know that not much has changed in the last two decades.) In my teen years, I began a series of YA Fantasy novels. That story and those characters helped me through some terrible life experiences, which inspired me in part to write Kill Your Darlings.

Although my original books were imperfect, they’ll always hold a special place in my heart. They helped me grow as a writer; they helped me grow as a human; and they helped keep me alive. Now that both Kill Your Darlings and my main YA series are complete, I’m looking forward to the next big writing project. I worked in the film industry for a time, and have recently started working with a couple production companies to write screenplays. Although I’m enjoying that immensely, my heart will always be with my novels—and if Kill Your Darlings ends up finding some success, I have plans to expand it into a trilogy!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is connecting with other people. This is particularly true in the case of Kill Your Darlings. I’ve met and worked with many amazing people who believed in the book, and their support gave me the strength to publish it. The fact that they identified with the story and the struggle of mental illness meant we had something deep and meaningful in common—and from those connections, wonderful friendships have blossomed. I will forever be grateful to everyone who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It’s because of them that this book is being shared with the world!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t try! I used to think that if someone didn’t like something about my work, it meant there was something wrong and I should change it. But this isn’t true! Everyone has different tastes; there are as many different ways of interpreting a book as there are readers of that book. The things that one person hates about my work might be the same things someone else loves about it.

The best thing you can do is stay true to your vision and let criticisms go. Of course, this is easier said than done, especially if your work is deeply personal. All art is part of its creator, and it will never be easy to hear someone didn’t like something you put your heart and soul (and possibly years of your life) into. However, if you attempt to please everyone, not only will you fail, you’ll create something you’re not happy with. And if you’re not happy with the art you make, what’s the point of being an artist in the first place?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/dragonspleen
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlizardharper/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dragonspleen
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@selfpubdragon

Image Credits
L.E. Harper