Lindsey Todd ’12 Self-Publishes Debut Novel

In 2012, Lindsey Todd graduated from Central Bucks High School West. Less than a decade later, she has self-published her debut novel, Closure.

Written in the second-person point of view, narrated by a coming-of-age girl who genuinely struggles in the conflict between her long-term relationship with her boyfriend, Wade, and her deeply held convictions rooted in her Catholic faith, Closure is truly a unique reading experience. Todd’s grasp of human nature and realism along with her ability to create a conflict which wriggles the readers hearts from multiple angles make Closure engaging reading—with a clear aim for young people pondering the role of their faith for their lives.

Closure is available in Barnes and Noble locations across Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, through Amazon, and in the Bucks County Free Library System. The following interview with Lindsey Todd is edited for brevity and clarity.

Closure seems semi-autobiographical, at least. Even with how at the end Morgan talks about her career after her and Wade’s break up, it matched with a lot of what was in the “About the Author” section. How much of yourself did you place into Morgan, or any other characters, for that matter?
As most authors will admit, I write from experience. I’ve found it impossible to completely remove myself from whatever creative project I’m working on—my own life, values, and perspective always color my writing. For me, that’s half the fun! Certainly, Closure draws upon emotions and relationships I’ve experienced in real life; that said, Closure is fiction, and is shelved as such.

Why did you choose to write Closure in a letter form?
It actually wasn’t a conscious decision for the storyline to read a bit like a collection of old letters. I didn’t realize the epistolary effect of the narrative until much later. In fact, it wasn’t until my best friend read an advance copy of Closure and gave me the idea to title the final chapter, “Dear Wade,” that I decided to run with it.

The decision to write the novel from the second-person point of view, however, was a very intentional choice that contributed to the “love letter” perspective. I love second person point-of-view because it adds a strong element of intimacy to any story, and I think it’s underrated in the literary world.

You’ve said you used to be part of the Reality Youth Panel, so I’m sure you know what it’s like to be in a place like mine and my fellow writers for the panel. What advice do you have for young writers like us interested in careers of writing? 
My first piece of advice is to accept that the writing road is not a smooth or easy one. It involves a lot of deviation from the norm. To be a novelist, it’s so important to believe in the worth of your projects and in the value you’re providing as an author.

It’s not unusual to reach out to 100+ literary agents for traditional representation in publishing, only to receive an automated reply that your “work has merit, but it’s not the right fit.” At some point, you’ll decide that your hard work deserves to be shared, and you’ll perhaps take matters into your own hands and self-publish.

And when you self-publish, realize the amount of additional work involved: finding a professional editor, a talented graphic designer for your cover art…and readers. Most self-published authors have amazing books that never see the light of day, simply because they don’t have readers.

These days, it is the author’s job to write and market their book. I had to become very comfortable with posting frequently about Closure on social media to gain any kind of traction. I had to build an engaged platform of readers from square one, and I had to approach local bookstores to make connections with sellers.

Finally, write because you love it, and be your own strongest advocate. You may not become J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer overnight, but you will be more successful than you’d once ever believed you could. Your success will all depend upon how badly you want it.

The importance of your faith is made very clear in the Closure. I am catholic, too, and it was very interesting to see another young person’s (Morgan’s) perspective and religious interpretations. I was wondering, though, why did you focus on the using that faith as a guide for sex when there are so many other subjects faith can be used for, too?
Let me start by saying that as a Catholic author, I never want to hit anyone over the head with my faith in my novels. Rather, I am passionate about interspersing spiritual themes, conflict, beauty, and truth throughout my creative work.

When I think back to the days of Flannery O’Connor, Evelyn Waugh, J.R.R. Tolkein, and G.K. Chesteron, it saddens me that there was once a thriving Catholic literary fiction scene that has totally ceased to exist. In writing fiction from a faith-based perspective, I feel I’m contributing to a new generation of Catholic creatives, even if there’s not a clear market for us yet.

Regarding the focus on chastity and sex in Closure, I targeted it because it is an area that teens and young adults struggle with greatly. It’s also a topic I am extremely passionate about, even beyond the confines of faith. Today, the hook-up culture has become so prevalent and so widely practiced that young adults never really learned to date for fun as kids nor how to enjoy each other’s company without regarding the opposite sex as objects of pleasure.

The result is two generations of people — Millennials and Generation Z — who find themselves in codependent relationships with partners who are often wrong for them, based on the unstable foundation of sexual compatibility. Relationships must be more than sex and pleasure to be healthy. The message of Closure not only speaks to that from a Catholic perspective, but from a cultural perspective, as well.

Are you working on any other projects of yours that your readers should be on the lookout for?
Yes, always! I plan to publish my second complete novel in July 2021. It falls within the historical fiction genre, and is the perfect read for fans of academia, coming-of-age romance, and the glamor of New York’s high society in the 1940s. If you’ve read and loved Beatriz Williams novels, my next book is one that you won’t want to miss. For updates, follow my Instagram account: @veritaswords. To learn more about my writing, visit www.lindseytodd.net.

What was your most memorable class at CB West and why?

Having transferred from private school, which had a comparatively limited curriculum, CB West was a dream come true for creative types like me! Of all of the amazing classes I took, including creative writing, I’d have to say my most memorable was senior-year psychology with Ms. Christie Besack. I have no idea whether she’s still teaching or not, but I learned more in that class about general psychology than I did in entry-level psych classes in college, and she was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had to date. For my final project, I chose to analyze people’s handwriting and match them (loosely) back to their personality. It was the most fun I’ve ever had completing a school-related project! Other honorable mentions include choir with Dr. Ohrt, which is still one of the best choirs I’ve ever sung with as an experienced vocalist, and Honors English with Mr. Trachtenberg.