An Interview with Leandra Campos

Leandra Campos is a speculative fiction writer determined to blend fantasy’s immersive elements with horror’s unsettling yet revealing nature. A devourer of stories in every format, she found comfort and acceptance in fiction when reality never seemed to click. In her current project, she explores what it means to be alive in an undead world that dehumanizes everything (and everyone) inside it. When not writing, Leandra loves learning about conspiracy theories and filling her cabinets with unique mugs.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

Back in 2023, I participated in the former NaNoWriMo challenge for the first (and only) time ever. I jumped into Preptober with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi idea and the belief that I had to prove my worth as a real creative. Once November 1 arrived, I set to writing around 1,667 words a day, catching up on weekends when I fell behind. Once November 30 rolled around, I sprinted to the finish line, fingers hot on the keyboard, and saw the word counter reach 50,000. I was filled with immense pride! This is what it is like to be a writer, I thought. But, once the celebration wore off, and the holidays passed, the words stopped flowing. Putting pen to paper felt like a chore, a drag, something to save for the next day or week. The weeks then turned into months until almost all of 2024 had passed me by with no progress on the draft.

As I reflected on why I started in the first place, an idea from my husband piqued my interest: an ‘undead’ world of necromancers with limitless potential of body manipulation. With less than a month before 2025 would start, we brainstormed plots, characters, themes, as much as we could conjure up to start writing with a clearer picture. Unlike the NaNoWriMo novel, I prepared with more intention, care and energy.

To sum it up, the reason I began writing Past Decay is because I realized I was ready to live the life of an author, even if it takes longer than expected.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title Past Decay was invented during the first draft. It was an attempt at bridging together the novel’s future sequels through words related to time (i.e. past, present, future). As the plot evolved in between drafts, the time-words-as-titles idea was scrapped, but the words Past Decay refused to leave my mind. The statement best represents the transitional period this world is going through once one accidental discovery flips the decayed world upside down.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I finally have a place to share the weirdest playlist in my music library! The following songs are a mixture of the overall vibe and character inspirations, in no particular order. Enjoy!

– Ghosts of Our Fathers by Aviators

– Vultures by Banshee

– Take Me Back to Eden by Sleep Token

– Granite by Sleep Token

– There Will Be Blood by Kim Petras

– Omen by Kim Petras

– Death is No More by Blessed Mane

– True Believer by Hayley Williams

– Goth by Sidewalks and Skeletons

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

As I wrote the first draft of Past Decay, Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris and Tress of the Emerald Sea got me in the right mindset for drafting due to the unique settings of those novels. Elantris’ ‘rotting’ infrastructure, in particular, helped me brainstorm concepts for Past Decay’s main city. With the second draft about to begin, I am currently reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

With some retail and apartment leasing experience under my belt, I now tackle the hectic world of healthcare and all of its intricacies! I am always learning something new, even if it’s not part of my role, and the amount of interesting people (physicians, nurses, technicians, patient care partners, therapists, etc.) I have encountered is vast.

Something my readers wouldn’t know is that I am Puerto Rican! My Hispanic surname probably gave me away, but I am also fluent in Spanish, and I lived in Puerto Rico until I was nine years old. I love the family I still have on the island and miss them every day.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

My husband is the sole reason I am on this journey today. If it wasn’t for his encouragement and creative spirit, I wouldn’t be turning this dream into a reality.

A few months after I ‘won’ the NaNoWriMo challenge, he threw me a party. The apartment was decorated in pink, blue, and purple strings, new stationary was set on the table, an artsy poster of a neon skeleton hung on a wall, and my favorite treats were all over the table. The best part of that celebration, however, was that he was ready to develop more of the rough draft or any other story whenever I was ready, and he hasn’t broken that promise.

Where is your favorite place to write?

The dinner table! My designated spot faces away from the living room, gives me a full view of a wide bookshelf, and allows the sunlight to pour into the space without a glare on my laptop. The simplicity transports me back to my high school and college days of doing homework at my parents’ dinner table (despite having a decently sized desk in my room).

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

You have more time than you think to prove you are worthy of writing!!!

The start of my journey arrived after a year of epic highs and lows in my personal life. With several factors out of my control, I turned to writing as a source of self-acceptance, a way of declaring to the world that this is me, no matter what else happens. Only now am I realizing that I am barely at the start of the most fulfilling, enriching and surreal chapter of my story yet.

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