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Leigh Jonsson
Read Outside the Genre You Write
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Read Outside the Genre You Write

Reading is more than just a fun pastime—it’s a chance to explore different narrative styles and techniques. While focusing on…

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Stop Being Afraid to Call Yourself a Writer
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Stop Being Afraid to Call Yourself a Writer

You know you are a writer deep down in your soul.  You write when no one is looking.  You can’t stop daydreaming…

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Writing with the Soul Workshop
Reviews · Writing with the Soul

Writing with the Soul Workshop

Three years ago New York Times bestselling author, Adrienne Young, quietly launched a workshop aimed at writers, but clearly stated…

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Why I’m Choosing Self-Publishing
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Why I’m Choosing Self-Publishing

Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years and they’ve existed long before written record. From cave paintings to…

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More About Leigh

Easily distracted by coffee, stays up way too late playing video games, and occasionally writes stories.

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At the foot of these red hills is where I first sa At the foot of these red hills is where I first said the words out loud, “I am a writer,” and was to a complete stranger who was inquiring why I was there with pen and paper. This spot will always hold a special place in my heart. I see these hills on the drive to and from work and I’m reminded of how powerful I felt when I said first said those words. I’m in the last week of WWTS and am strangely sad that working through the course book will no longer be part of my morning routine. But at the same time I feel like I’m on the verge of a grand adventure. I want to hold on to these feelings forever, which is part of the reason why I journal and started this account. I feel free. Unstoppable. Full of creative energy. Ready to conquer a blank page. Watch me make magick. 🤍
The cicadas in my head have been screaming for the The cicadas in my head have been screaming for the last couple days. That’s what I call my tinnitus when it gets like this. It’s like standing underneath a power line in the middle of summer when they are are loudly buzzing and trying to attract mates. Thankfully it doesn’t usually last longer than three or four days at a time. But I’ve also been dealing with headaches on top of that related to the adjustments made to the occlusal splint I wear at night. Those usually last for two or three weeks until my jaw gets used to the new position. So it’s been a rough couple days. This is when I have learned to slow down and take some time to care of myself. Self care in the form of binge watching a new show or playing video games. Sometimes both at the same time. The Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games of all time (right after the Mass Effect series). The world, the lore, the characters, the sacrifices and heartbreak, and if you play it just right the satisfaction of getting the good ending. So to distract myself from all the noise in my head I’m currently in Skellige treasure hunting so I can save up enough money for some grand master armor further along in the game. Wish me luck! 🤍
The pages of this journal are where I’ve been do The pages of this journal are where I’ve been documenting my writing journey and author dreams. I’m so glad I started because looking back on how far I’ve come is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. To remember all the things I’ve overcome and the things I still am working towards. I’ve made mistakes that make me laugh or cringe at my past self. But I’ve also learned and grown from those mistakes. I’m no longer scared to try new things. Or to carve an untraditional path. I just have to remember that every season has its purpose and to keep moving forward. 🤍
Last fall I joined the @writing.with.the.soul work Last fall I joined the @writing.with.the.soul workshop created by @adrienneyoungbooks . As fate would have it my chronic pain would rear it’s ugly head and I wasn’t able to participate when it was live. I’m finally in a place physically and mentally to get back to writing and I can’t believe how welcoming the WWTS community has been. I was even able to get copies of the live Q&As and Instagram stories I missed. In a way I’m actually glad I’m doing this workshop at my own pace. It’s really allowed me to take time and dig deep as I go through the course material. I’m starting to see the connections between each week. And I know I will return again and again to this material throughout my journey. It was a very eerie experience to see the connections from week one: perspective and week two: voice. That they had been there all along and I just didn’t know how to uncover them. I’m am so thankful for the alumni that took the time to read a portion of one of my projects. Sharing it was one of the scariest things I’ve done in my life (and I’ve been through a lot of medical drama in this last two years!). Your feedback helped me see my voice on the pages and how I could improve on it. I will always be forever grateful. 🤍
I’m a slow reader. It didn’t used to be this w I’m a slow reader. It didn’t used to be this way. When I was younger I could devour a 400 page book in half a day. It also wasn’t unusual for me to be reading anywhere from 3-5 books at the same time. I’m not disabled but I do have chronic joint and nerve pain. Most recently this has been focused in my jaw and head. I also have tinnitus (constant ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears) as a result of my jaw alignment. I have good days and bad days. Most days I need constant background noise to drown it out. I surround myself with loud fans and music or television. So this makes it very hard to read a book when I’ve got a show or movie going on at the same time. I try to read a chapter a day. On good days I can do more. But it makes for a slow going. As a result I have a HUGE backlog of books to get through. However I recently finished the Darkening by Sunya Mara. I really loved the world building and magic system! I haven’t seen anything like the ikon magic before so it was definitely a fun read. Especially since a lot of YA books have a hard time holding my attention. 🤍
Shift. This word seems to define my life lately. T Shift. This word seems to define my life lately. Things have changed dramatically but they haven’t come to a complete stop. They have shifted as I learn to balance my chronic pain, working full time, being present as a mother, and of course writing. I used to write sporadically. When the mood struck me or when I had inspiration. But that hasn’t gotten me very far. Many years later and only a handful of unfinished stories. For the last couple weeks I’ve been making it part of my routine to sit down for at least an hour and write. The only rule is to write at least one sentence. Anything after that is a bonus. So I surround myself with candles and music and write when the world is still sleeping. It has become one of my favorite parts of the day. 🤍
I still call her the baby, because at one point El I still call her the baby, because at one point Ella was the youngest of my two cats. In the early hours before night gives way to day she sits in the hallway and calls. She does not like the time between sleeping and waking when she is by herself. Affectionate on her terms but will always seek me out when she senses that I am in distress. She loves to spend her day snoozing in window blinds or in boxes and can often be found sunning belly side up. 🤍
I’ve carried this world in my heart for many yea I’ve carried this world in my heart for many years. At first it was just an escape from the stresses of everyday life. Slowly over time the people and places came to life and their stories filled my head. This is one of those tales, with the working title Frost. An origin story of sorts, for a character from an epic fantasy I hope to write some day. I can’t wait for you to read it. 🤍

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