We recently connected with Lorelei Darling L. and have shared our conversation below.

Lorelei, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Write what you know. That’s how the saying goes. It’s true, I suppose! Though my book is fiction, I pulled inspiration from many aspects of my real life.

When I began writing, I was heavily volunteering at a nonprofit that benefited foster youth. I met so many kids who were in the foster system, aging out of the system, or facing homelessness, and they all had a huge influence on me and my writing. I give all of them a lot of credit for helping inspire some of the fictional characters I created for the book.

Outside of volunteering, I also pulled inspiration from other details in my life. I built my characters piece by piece, pulling from different people I knew, whether I had just met them, or knew them my whole life. I pulled from recurring dreams I had, places I visited, and more. I wasn’t too worried about whether the book would “succeed” or not. I was too inspired to worry about that! I just had a strong urge to write, and there wasn’t going to be any stopping me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Lorelei Darling L. and I’m a 19-year-old indie author! I’ve always loved writing since I was a little girl. I was constantly jotting down stories in countless amounts of journals, creating characters in my head, and dreaming of one day becoming a published author. Well… That day has finally come!

I’m proud to say that despite many roadblocks, my debut young adult fiction novel, Somewhere Will Find You, is now available on Amazon.com as of May 2024! Writing and publishing this book was a beautiful and rewarding process, and believe me when I tell you that it was anything but easy.

After beginning the project back in 2020 when I was only 15, I decided that it was time I took charge, and went after my passions! It was when I was just a 15-year-old teenager that I decided I was going to get this book published! Because if not now, then when?

Four years, eight drafts, and many late-night writing sessions later, the book was finished! I poured my heart and soul into the story and was ready to share it with the world. But how? I was only a 19-year-old girl with no previous work in the writing field. I had no idea how to get a literary agent or a publishing deal, and the more I researched it, the more difficult it seemed to be. It appeared as though agents weren’t interested in debut authors. They wanted books they already knew would sell and to avoid taking risks with newbies such as myself.

This did not stop me! I decided that if no one would bet on me, I would bet on myself! I researched how to self-publish my book. I learned everything I could. I stayed up all night googling marketing strategies, watching YouTube tutorials, and reaching out to past creative writing teachers!

This brings me to the here and now. I’m so excited to say that my book, Somewhere Will Find You, is officially OUT NOW! I’m beyond proud of myself for going after my dreams and taking charge of my life, and I hope that my story will inspire others to also go after their passions! I just know there are little kids out there who are just the same as I was–dreaming of creating something, and just need a push of motivation and a boost of confidence to do it! I hope to give others that confidence–I want to make people believe in themselves and their dreams.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I subscribe to an ideology that my mother introduced to me at a young age, which is that if you can read, you can teach yourself anything. Reading is the best, and most important aspect of education. So I read! I read my whole life, from childhood into early adulthood, and so many of the books I’ve read impacted me, my entrepreneurial thought process, my creative ideas, and more. When I was a little kid I often found myself reading books such as Matilda by Roald Dahl, Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I was drawn to books which starred smart, creative, fierce female leads. To this day I believe that those books heavily impacted who I am today as a creative person, and they helped give me the confidence to lead the unique life I wanted.

Years later, I still find myself loving books that inspire me to continue to be strong and outrageously creative and artistic. I adore Florence Given and all of her work. I’m also a big fan of Holly Jackson, as I love her mysteries, and how she writes very “imperfect” and intriguing characters. Another all-time favorite inspiration of mine is Margaret Atwood, for her work The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, and Alias Grace. I find all of those novels absolutely brilliant. I also love supporting other young authors such as Lancalil. I loved her novel, I Fell In Love With Hope, and I’m so inspired by how far she’s come as such a young writer.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal has always been to enjoy my life, as I’m afraid many people do not. I feel like we live in a very toxic society that promotes working yourself sick. I know way too many workaholics. I do not support that, and I most certainly don’t want to fall victim to that mentality myself. This is not to be confused with laziness, as I do not believe in laziness either. I believe in a good work ethic, and I believe in fun. I want to work hard for the things that I enjoy and matter to me. My goals are to be able to financially support myself from my creative work. I hope to love my career for as much of my life as possible as it’s something I care about greatly. I want to be able to balance my work and fun, as there is nothing better than living an exciting and happy life that I can enjoy with my friends and family. I hope to live a life full of books, art, and adventuring around the world whenever possible, as traveling is pure joy, and creatively inspiring to me as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @LoreleiDarling_
• Other: TikTok: @LoreleiDarling_

Image Credits

Claire Andrew Photography