Interview with Andrea Lucado

Andrea Lucado - Natacha Ramos — Andrea Lucado

Andrea Lucado is by far one of my favorite bloggers. She’s very genuine, just the kind of writer I always want to be.

Last year, she released her first book «English Lessons,» where she shared a bit of her journey in England and how she struggled with doubt and unbelief during that year. I could connect with her story almost immediately. She made me feel I’m not alone in the world.

So, last week she took the time to answer some questions for this blog, and I’m very happy to show you her responses because I loved them all.

Here we go!

PART I: JUST FOR FUN

1. Favorite cartoon: My niece’s current favorite is «Goldie,» so that’s my favorite too.

2. All-time favorite song: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis, or Hallelujah–the Jeff Buckley version

3. A place in the world: Paris!

4. A fiction book everybody should read at least once: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

5. Favorite actress: Elisabeth Moss – I love everything she’s in!

PART II: SERIOUS BUSINESS

1. Natacha Ramos: One of the most meaningful things about you and your writing is your authenticity. I feel you’re genuine in all your words. At the same time, I understand that we must proclaim God’s truth above anything else. How can we be open and genuine if we’re struggling with God’s truth? In other words, how can you be honest with what you feel and what you think when your feelings and your thoughts don’t follow God’s Word?

Andrea Lucado: I think whenever we are being honest and truthful, we’re reflecting the heart of God. Whenever we cover up what we’re really feeling or thinking about things, we’re doing a disservice to ourselves and others because covering up the truth stunts our growth. The truth is, on the path toward faith, we will most certainly doubt. We’ll doubt different things at different times. We’ll doubt scripture, we’ll doubt God’s love, we’ll doubt his care. He knows all of this because he knows our hearts and what’s in them. Our only job is to be honest. He’ll take care of the rest. So don’t be afraid to be honest in the writing you put out into the world. Someone else who is struggling with the same doubt will read it and that will help them more than you can ever know.2. NR: Looking back at that year in England when you struggled so much with doubt and unbelief, could you tell me one thing you wish you had done differently in the midst of battle? What are you glad you did the way you did it?

AL: One thing I would have done differently would be to talk to people about my doubts more. I kept them to myself. I don’t remember sharing them much with others and I wish I had. I wish I had invited my church community to walk alongside me in the doubts, rather than pretend my faith was fine. One thing I’m glad I did was befriend people of other faiths. I didn’t run away from them when my faith was weak (ok, sometimes I did), but I spent time with them and listened to them and tried to understand their worldview. It’s so important to do that and not spend all of our time in a Christian bubble.3. NR: When I write a blog post, I can feel the pressure of success. I want it to be «liked,» «shared,» and «accepted». Somehow my joy gets attached to people’s response to it. Has that ever happened to you? How do you handle it?

AL: Yes, for sure. I’ve written some blog posts where I thought, «Yeah, people are gonna love this.» And then, hardly anybody reads it. Then, I’ll write something kinda random that I don’t feel as passionate about and people love it. I’ve realized that all I can do is write what I need to write. Whether or not others like it, I can’t control that. I don’t even try and make my blog titles attention-grabbing anymore. I only blog when I feel really stirred to. That way I know I needed to write this regardless of others’ opinions. That’s the most important thing about writing, I think. Writing what’s burning inside of you, and not what you think others will want to hear.4. NR: If you had the opportunity to talk with every single person that wants to write a book or do some kind of creative work. What advice would you give them?

AL: To someone who wants to write a book, I would advise them to write the entire thing before trying to get it published. If you really want to write a book, you’ll do it, regardless of whether or not you have a publisher. I think some people want to write and some people want to be published, and those are two different things. So I’d say, sit down, do the work, see how you feel and that will tell you whether or not this whole writing thing is for you. For people doing creative work, I would probably tell them something similar to the above question. The most important thing I’ve learned in writing is that it has to be an honest overflow of what’s inside of you. Sometimes that means creating something that no one will read or see or care about. That’s ok. The process is the point.5. NR: What’s the message you want your life to be? In other words, what’s that short sentence you want to leave as your legacy and why?

AL: I would love if people said that my writing helped them understand themselves, God and the world a little bit better. That it made them feel less alone and gave them permission to be themselves.

There you have it! This interview made me so happy, and I’m glad I get to share it with you.