Interview with Socialpunk author Monica Leonelle

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

 

This is from a cool new book called Socialpunk. It is the first installment of the Socialpunk Trilogy and I had the pleasure of being able to get a personal interview with Socialpunk author Monica Leonelle and I want to share it with you.

Cocoons2Butterflies: What got you interested in writing?

Monica: It's not a career that you choose, it's something that chooses you! I feel like I mostly write because I can't help it. I love to write and that's how I express myself, day in and day out. I can never understand how people want to be writers or authors when they don't write. I always think, "Then why aren't you writing every day?" I organically average at least 2,000 words a day writing. When I'm finishing up a manuscript, I average closer to 5,000 words a day. This is just what I do, so I never believe people who say they're going to write something but just don't have the time.

C2B: What inspired you to write Socialpunk? What gave you the idea?

Monica:  I was inspired by the city of Chicago, by social media issues in our current world, and by the cyberpunk genre. The book is a bit like the Terminator series and I reference that a couple times just for fun. James Cameron is basically my favorite director ever, and he really inspires me with his world-building and storytelling skills.

C2B: Have you written anything else besides Socialpunk Series?

Monica: Yes, my Seven Halos series. Silver Smoke is the first book in that one.

C2B: How long did it take you to write the first book?

Monica: I don't know, maybe a few months? I don't really keep track because I have so many projects (marketing or writing) in the works at any given time.

C2B: Besides writing, what other things you love to do?

Monica: I'm an editor and a marketing consultant, which you can learn about at proseonfire.com. I'm also training for a marathon and love spending time with my boyfriend and my dog.

C2B: What are your plans after you finish writing the Socialpunk Trilogy? 

Monica: I'm probably moving into serialized fiction next, just because of my work schedule. I'm working on developing two different ideas at the moment—one, kind of like Game of Thrones meets Waterworld. The other is about superheros in the 1920's. These are super generic descriptions at the time, but that's all I have so far! Either way, I'm going to keep experimenting with new ideas. I'll probably never really leave YA.

C2B: If there was no obstacle, what is something that you would love to do?

Monica: Well, I guess that's what I"m working on right now. The obstacle to a full-time writing career is money, because frankly, it doesn't pay well until you've got either a bestseller or a solid backlist. As an indie author, I'm still building my audience and backlist. So I work as an editor and marketing consultant in the meantime (both of which involve a ton of writing, of course). Right now I have a laser focus on my writing goal, so I can't say anything more original here—writing is my life and I will succeed with time.

Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit.


You can purchase the Kindle version of this book now on Amazon.