The art of storytelling has been around for ages but there are some authors who stand out amongst Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) audiences and Lindsey Duga is one of many. Duga has written and published a total of four books, one of which called Roaring came out this year. Duga has given the world an inside look at how she gets into the world of storytelling. 

“I’ve always been a big storyteller even when I was young playing with Barbie dolls and everything else. I was always the one spinning up these really fantastical stories,” she stated. “I didn’t realize I wanted to put words on a page until I started writing with a friend in middle school.” Duga went on to say that her friend decided that writing was not for her but that Duga stayed with it and used it as a reward for studying for midterms. “I would study and do all of my projects and then when I was done, I got to write a chapter.”

Many authors agree that writing can be a reward and a release. Words can mean so much to a person and luckily, it’s something we have an abundance of in this world. People get into writing for a million different reasons. Sometimes family influences it but often, it’s something many people discover for themselves.

“None of my family were writers,” Duga said. “I did acting and stuff and I was really into art so I come from a kind of creative family. As far as like writing as a release, I think I just really enjoy fictional worlds and I’m a huge nerd. Whenever I was younger, I was just such a big fangirl. So I was just really into those worlds which is why I think I mostly stuck to fantasy or paranormal or science fiction or horror.” 

Young children are shaping their future the moment they pick up their first toy. Many lose interest in things as they get older but almost everybody has something they’ve loved since childhood. However, just because someone is interested in writing doesn’t mean they can write whenever they want. Often, writers have to get into the correct mindset to bring a story to life. 

“I have to be in the mood to write, you know, and especially during the pandemic, it’s just so hard to create right now. World’s really tough with a lot of different issues and it’s really hard to be creative.” For Duga, putting on music helps her get into the ‘writing zone’ so to speak. “I like putting on my favorite movie soundtracks. As long as I have that music going on in the background […] and that’s really what helps me so I absolutely have to have music. I can’t write if something’s not going on in the background.”

Music is a great way to get someone in the zone for crafting and creating a story. It can give your creative juices a jumpstart but even so, writers still encounter writer’s block. Duga uses different methods to help her get over writer’s block. “I think it kind of depends on the writer’s block that I’m encountering. If I just cannot figure out a scene then I will skip to a scene that I do know what I’m doing. If it’s a writer’s block that actually has to do with a very big plot point and I can’t figure out what I want to do next that involves some serious thinking.

“That involves me going to the park with my dog and walking for just like 30 minutes and again, putting on music to get my brain kind of moving on in the background. Then, sometimes, it’s putting a hold on one project and moving on to another project,” Duga continued. Among other ways to help get over writer’s block, she mentioned that talking to a friend that is passionate about writing or books also helps to open your eyes and give you a different approach on how to continue a story. “That’s probably the biggest suggestion I have. […] Tell them your idea, discuss how it works, and explain how you’re stumped,” she said. 

Lindsey Duga is currently working on her first trilogy, a feat which she is very excited and nervous about. Duga can be found on Instagram (@linzduga) and Twitter (@lindseyduga), as well as on her website Lindsey Duga: Home. Check out the entire interview with Duga here.