Laura Jean Wolters
I have always been an artist and a writer, plying my hand at both since childhood. The two are connected: my art tells a story, and my writing is influenced by my integration of all the senses. I want to put my reader in the scene, to make them feel like they’re actually there and experiencing it for themselves.
My innovative mind can get restless if not challenged; accordingly I rarely fit into a prescribed genre or style. I am either mixing the media, like photography and painting combined, or mixing the genre, like horror and magical realism. I create by asking a question that I don’t know the answer to, and I must figure it out. Picking a setting and a character that I don’t know yet is part of the process, whereby I must do the research to get to know who they are and where they live, and how their surroundings affect them. Once I know who my character is, I am able to research specific, real-world events, and see how they respond, carefully choosing those events to help them get to the self understanding that wraps up the story.
My substandard English education started with a teacher who gave me an “F” because of my atrocious spelling, followed by the next teacher who died of cancer and was replaced by a warm body who gave us magazines to read. My high school creative writing teachers and art teachers all told me to get out, but I continued to learn to write in college from my art history professor and by teaching myself grammar. I graduated with a BFA in fine art photography and have had my mixed media art shown in national and international competitions. Returning to school at Western Michigan University, I honed my writing skills before moving to California.
I am a people activist, always rooting for the underdog and taking the side of the vulnerable. I have worked with dual diagnosed (developmentally disabled and mental health) adults, people in addiction recovery including moms with children, foster children, and have adopted two high risk children. I have been part of people working through their tragic struggles, making their lives whole again, and finding acceptance after rejection. Likewise, while I mix up the genres, settings, and story lines, my protagonists will always find a sense of healing and peace.
I have a rich base of experience to pull from for my stories. My hobbies include sewing clothes and quilts, crafting using different media each time, making perfume, hiking, wine collecting, and streaming video games on Twitch. Most of my jobs I have kept for one year, moving on once I became proficient and before I got bored. I have managed a group home for developmentally disabled adults, sold antiques, formulated and sold skin care products, and was on the opening crew of the Back Stage Tour at Disney World, taught art, drama, creative writing and literature, and most recently I ran a 3 home recovery program. Teaching, writing, and art are the exceptions to the one-year rule, but in each case, I give myself a new challenge for each class or project.
I love to travel and visit unusual places, or go off the beaten path were I can befriend the locals. My favorite places to visit have been Barcelona, Yellowstone National Park, rafting the Colorado River, England. Barcelona became very dear to me while I did my research for The Bound; I hope to return there often and visit the friends I made there.
PROJECTS:
The Bound is done and ready to go. I'm excited to be sending this book out to agents.
My next novel, yet to be titled, will be a murder mystery, but is it really a murder mystery? Who's been murdered when you can't find any bodies, but you know the people are missing?