Drawing inspiration from authors like J. R. R. Tolkien, Laura Ingalls Wilder, C. S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling, alumna Laura Thompson ‘03 has developed and honed a talent in the realm of writing and creating fantasy worlds of her own. Having already successfully penned nearly half a dozen books, the Spartan author specializes in blending the worlds of fantasy and reality to take readers on a unique journey.
“Fantasy stories are fun to write because you can be extremely creative and pretty much nothing is off the table as long as it makes sense for your world,” she said. “The trick is to create a rich world full of details and I love doing that.”
Under the pen name L. E. Labarge, Thompson recently released her first young adult series Freak or Unique: Amity Boppin’s Story, in addition to her three Elven Quest books previously published under Laura E. Thompson.
“Young people go through a lot of changes and struggles, it can be a tough time to be a tween or teen and I want to help support kids through those years,” explained Thompson about her shift in genre, adding that the series has been the most personal to write, drawing from her own experiences. “I want to let kids know there are others like them, and to provide an escape for them, a world to go to and characters to be friends with. Ultimately, I hope that all of my novels are providing positive messages and encouraging people to believe in themselves and shine their unique light in the world.”
When not putting words to paper, Thompson works full-time for the Bank of America on a Governance team that creates positive change by scrutinizing data and discovering risks and possible procedures for best practices and outcomes.
“I like knowing I am making an impact and changing things for the better,” said Thompson.
She credits her time at Castleton to be very helpful in both her job in finance and the writing of her novels.
“When I was a Sociology major, I learned about how society works and how people relate to one another, and why. How people’s feelings and biases can cause change or change outcomes. They were all lesson’s that helped me relate to people, both in business and in writing,” she said.
Like her characters, Thompson strives to frequently embrace and learn from life’s challenges. Despite entering into a different career path than she had initially planned, she welcomes her blending of worlds and uses her daily experiences to grow as an individual.
“I am happy with my life. The best part about it is that I have found ways to incorporate my lessons and skills learned in school, even in a different career path that I never expected. All of my skills were transferable. I think that just proves that it is important to stay open to whatever might come your way in life,” she said.
Thompson also leaves any inspiring authors with some words of wisdom.
“If there is something you want to read and it is not written yet, don’t think about it, write it! It will not magically exist; you have to carve out the time to do it,” she expressed passionately. “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but we prioritize what we think is important to spend our time on. If you want to write, make it a priority.”