When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.  I started with the first two books my mother gave me which was an Anthology of Shakespeare and Big Bird’s Day at the Farm.  I used to copy the lines from Shakespeare and then I would slowly start replacing parts of the story with my own ideas; mostly influenced from Big Bird’s Day at the Farm.  It started to become a game for me and I would challenge myself to make up longer stories and better versions.  Eventually I the stories just began to come to me when I wasn’t trying and I’ve been trying to get them all down on paper ever since.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer and how does that affect your writing?

I’m currently a part-time writer; hopefully, I can become a full-time writer soon. Writing part-time definitely has varying impacts on production and even sometimes on content.  I think it feels a lot like binge watching shows on Netflix; there are times when I’m driving to work and I take voice notes or make quick notes on my phone, which become bigger ideas. The most work gets done in binges, though; sometimes I get a few hours together and completely immerse myself in what I’m writing.  I don’t take breaks or second-guess what I’ve completed, I just write.  I find that sometimes I’m able to develop my characters and interactions more vividly once I really get a chance to tap in for that binge session.

Do you have a special time to write, or how is your day structured to accommodate your writing?

On a daily basis, I don’t have time set aside or structured, I just take advantage of the time I can steal in between work and other tasks.  I also bide my time until I get inspired or my ideas begin to overflow.  I’ve taken to letting things come to me organically, then being reactive in regards to finding the time to write.  I’m not sure if there is a wrong way or a right way, I think I’ll try setting aside time for myself soon as well.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’ve most certainly evolved with my approach towards creating visually engaging stories.  For a long time, my approach was to make sure the technical capabilities of my writing was the factor that would dazzle readers.  Most writers I speak with point to an author or a book that inspired them.  I was actually inspired by the movie Inception to focus on the visual aspects of what I was creating.  Leaving the reader clinging to what I had written instead of just being impressed by how I wrote it evolved my works into something for greater.

Do you work to an outline or plot sketch, or do you prefer to let a general idea guide your writing?

I start with a general idea.  Most of the time it’s a sentence or a piece of dialogue I think of, other times it’s a moment I see in my head.  From that moment or piece of dialogue, I begin writing, sometimes I go backward from that moment and work up to it and sometimes it’s the opposite.

What are some ways in which you promote your work? 

I’ve been going through the social media route: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  Lately, I’ve been engaging other authors and potential readers through Goodreads. I’m hoping to do some giveaways soon to get more reviews in.

Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book?

My latest book, also my first is titled When a Unicorn Crosses the Rubicon.  It’s a story about a lot of different things; love, families, loss of innocence and even battling demons.  What all of that amounts to is a book that’s really about people, which is a topic that will always fascinate me.  How deeply can we love, how horrible can we be to each other and how resilient can we become.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start writing this book?

This book started as a short story about the main character’s plight/experience in the beginning of the book.  Once I got through that section, I felt connected with the character and I felt the urge to finish this arc of her story.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

The hardest thing was writing about sensitive experiences within the book in a manner that didn’t offend or seem gratuitous.  I think that time will tell if I was completely successful although I feel good about the final product.  The research and actual development of these experiences were emotional just from an observer’s point of view; trying to find the right voice and words to convey was definitely challenging.

Tell us something unique about you.

I hate when people squeeze the toothpaste from the middle!  Well, honestly maybe this is unique; I have a fascination with homeless people.  Whenever I travel I always take pictures and try to engage with them.  I’m always so intrigued with how they got there and also with how people view them or more so that people don’t view them.

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Want to learn more about Lloyd and get the book?

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When A Unicorn Crosses the Rubicon (Lulu) (Amazon) (Barnes&Noble)