Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books discussion
Author Interview of the Month
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Indie Author Interview with Kate Avery Ellison
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Hey! Great interview! You sound like such a night owl! I'm am one of those happy morning people everyone wants to kill. Lol :) It's great your husband is so supportive, I know that means a lot. :) Best of luck with all your books!
"I also think humor adds a special something, even if the story itself is not a funny one."--so true! Great interview.
Great interview! I'm really interested in reading some of your books.
Write every day.... Great advice.Nice to meet you Kate!
Terrific interview! And how wonderful you have the artistic ability to go along with your writing talent. :)
Awesome interview =]
Heinzypop wrote: "Thank you so much Kate for doing this interview...I loved your deviantart page...you really are very talented and I loved your work you have on display there. I also love how your hubby stays up wi..."Thanks! And yes, my husband is so good to me!
Jeremy wrote: "I was wondering if frost book 3 will release this year or in 2013?"Hard to say. I am currently in the process of outlining the book (no title yet), and I would LIKE to aim for a winter release date, but it might be as late as Jan/Feb of 2013, or later. Gosh, 2013. Sounds so space-age, huh?
Julie wrote: "Hey! Great interview! You sound like such a night owl! I'm am one of those happy morning people everyone wants to kill. Lol :) It's great your husband is so supportive, I know that means a lot. :..."
I am the consummate night owl. I have a sister-in-law who is just like you, though. She cheerfully wakes up around 6 AM every day!
I really enjoyed your interview. It's amazing how authors come to be and how they find inspiration. It's also so encouraging that you've become what you wanted to be while growing up, both of those things at that!
Great interview. I just started Frost last night. The world you created is quite interesting. I have so many questions in my head, I am anxious to see where the story goes.
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So Sweet!!
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Will you tell us a little about the covers to your Frost series?
Brooke (The Cover Contessa) wrote: "Thanks for doing this interview, Kate!Will you tell us a little about the covers to your Frost series?"
Well, I designed all the covers myself, since I dabble in art and photomanipulation as a side hobby. The photos are all purchased from stock websites, although in the future I might work with some photographers directly (or shoot some things of my own). I love designing the covers--it's one of the perks of being independent, and one of the reasons I wanted to go that path.
Usually I start thinking about the cover when I'm about halfway through with the first draft of the book. I browse stock sites and look for anything that grabs my eye and evokes the general sense of the book's tone. If I see something that sparks an interest in me, I add it to my list of potential favorites.
When designing a cover, I like to pick one dominant image or color that will really pop in a thumbnail-sized image. I also try to design with the whole series in mind so I don't paint myself into a proverbial corner. I'm a fan of cohesion in the overall design. As you can see with the first 2 books of The Frost Chronicles (Frost and Thorns), those covers are focused on Lia Weaver in various poses, and they use the same title font. I'm currently thinking about what specifically I'm going to do for book 3 of that series.
Mod
Will you tell us a little about the covers to your Frost series?"
Well, I designed all the covers myself, since I dabble ..."
I do like cohesion with covers in a series. When they differ too much, I get upset. I want some consistency! LOL!
Great interview! I really enjoyed read through the questions and answers!
Jeremy wrote: "hey kate it's Jeremy and I'm wondering how many book will be in the frost chronicles series?"Hi Jeremy...originally I planned to write 4 books, but now there may be 5. We'll see.
Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Once Upon a Beanstalk (other topics)Frost (other topics)
Thorns (other topics)
The Curse Girl (other topics)
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to be a writer since I was about five or six years old and my mother explained to me that it was an actual job people could have when they grew up. I've always looked stories and books.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
On average, about three months for the rough draft. Revision time depends on the individual manuscript, and then I work with beta readers and an editor, which adds more time. So overall, usually about 4-6 months.
3. What do you think makes a great story?
Characters people care about, a unique and fascinating world, and a plot with lots of unexpected twists that keeps you reading late into the night. I also think humor adds a special something, even if the story itself is not a funny one.
4. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Pretty weird. I tend to write mostly between 10 PM and 3 AM (less distractions, my creativity is best at night, etc), so I sleep late and go to bed when some of my neighbors are leaving for work.
5. How do you balance family and writing?
I am married, but I don't have any kids yet, so I have very flexible hours. If I need to stay up late finishing a chapter, I can. My husband is my biggest supporter, and he's very encouraging. He often hangs out with me while I'm working and reads a book or some other quiet activity so I don't feel lonely. Of course, he eventually goes to bed, because I stay up much later than he does.
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Sometimes I read a news story or hear an anecdote from someone, and my brain goes, "What if?" and starts coming up with ideas. And then I get a flash of creative insight that can be a character, a scene, or even a whole plot for a book--and it sometimes happens just like that. Sometimes I have to sit down and plan the story out (usually for sequels). I'm really not sure how it happens. I also have a lot of dreams that turn into story ideas, which might just be my brain doing that same "what if" while I'm sleeping. I also get great ideas in the shower.
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I'm an extremely rational/logical person, but there's a sort of mystical aspect of writing that I can't quite explain. It's very intuitive. A lot of times, I write a bit blindly and trust my gut instincts, and the plot points all come together and work out in the end like I (subconsciously) knew exactly where the story was going. And maybe I did. I don't understand everything about how creativity works, but it's pretty mysterious sometimes.
8. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
I've written somewhere around twelve books, but so far only three have been published--The Curse Girl, Frost, and Once Upon a Beanstalk (and Frost's sequel, Thorns, releases soon). Of the three, Frost is probably my favorite. My absolute favorite book I've ever written hasn't been published yet, though.
9. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Not really, no. I tend to develop the plot and characters together in tandem--the plot develops based on the what the specific main character would do, and the main character's personality develops based on the type of person who would make sense in the plot of the setting and resulting action of the book. But I do take aspects of people I know and incorporate them into characters. Usually I take quirks of my own, or my husband, or friends/family. But I also really like writing characters who have very different personalities than my own--it's a challenge.
10. Do you have a favourite place you love to write?
Yes. I like to write in my bed, because I have a memory foam mattress and it's sooooo comfortable!
11. How hard is is to get published?
This is a wonderful time for authors, because we have so many paths to publication open to us now. Traditional publishing houses, small and indie presses, e-publishers, and self--the possibilities are myriad. If you are determined, talented, and determined not to give up, you should be able to find some measure of success on a path that works best for you.
However, traditional publication by on of the "Big Six" publishing houses (many writers' dream), is still very difficult to break into these days. But the landscape of books is changing, and that is no longer the only path people can take.
12. What do your family and friends think about your books?
My parents and siblings are some of my biggest fans. They read everything I write, and they recommend my books to everyone they meet. A number of my friends have read my books and liked them, and still more of my friends are very supportive of me as an author even though they haven't read my books. I feel very loved.
13. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
In addition to writing, I'm also an artist. I especially love photography, photomanipulation, and design. (For instance, I designed all my book covers myself.) You can see my artist profile and some of my work here: http://werekat12.deviantart.com/
14. Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers better themselves and their craft? If so, what are they?
Read everything you can get your hands on, and write every day. Reading will teach you what (and what not) to do, and writing will help you learn how to do it.
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
An author or an artist. Now I do both.
16. What are your favourite books and which authors inspire you?
It's hard to pick favorites, but I really love the authors Robin McKinley, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Megan Whalen Turner, Margaret Atwood, and Flannery O'Connor. Additionally, although I don't write mysteries, I was very inspired by the famous mystery novelist Agatha Christie and her love of twists and unexpected reveals.
17. For an aspiring writer what do you feel are certain do's and don’ts for getting their material published?
DO: Read a lot, write a lot, learn to revise and polish, find beta readers and critique partners to help you revise, and never stop improving your craft by reading books about writing. Also, don't give up!! All authors experience rejection, and it doesn't end after publication. If anything, the rejection gets more intense.
DON'T: Rush to submit/publish your first draft. Let the work sit for a while before reading it over with fresh eyes. You'll catch a lot of errors once you've given yourself some time and distance from the work. Don't think you don't need the help of an editor. You really do. Also, don't be afraid to mess up or get things wrong. Sometimes you have to figure out what the story isn't before you can know what it is. So you might have to delete some chapters or start over, but that's okay. It's all part of the process.
18. What are you working on now?
I'm still working on the Frost series (The Frost Chronicles), and I'm also working on a young adult contemporary novel that doesn't have a title yet. It's a fun change of pace from my fantasy-dystopian series, and that's always nice.
Here are some more links for ways to connect with me:
My blog: http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/
My Twitter: https://twitter.com/Katiewriting
My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Thanks so much for having me!