Ask the Author: Elle Preston
Answered Questions (3)
Elle Preston
The best thing about being a writer is being able to work from home in my jammies!
I also LOVE developing characters.
I spend hours building background information about my main characters. Even if most of that information doesn't come out in the actual story, it’s important for me to know as much as I can about them, like their favorite music and food, if they have pet peeves or any phobias, what makes them cringe and what makes them happy.
Sometimes I'll make character boards which are basically picture collages that show things like what kind of clothes the character wears or what their eyes looks like, or what kind of car they have. All these things help make the character more real and give me images to use when describing them.
The cool thing is that if I build a character thoroughly enough, the writing becomes much easier because the characters take me along on their journey and it is as if I am just feverishly typing what they want me to tell about them. They don’t always do what I set out for them to do in the story, either. Because of who they are, they sometimes "make choices" that I have to roll with as the writer. It sounds a little silly to say, but sometimes the characters take on a life of their own and that is the most thrilling and surreal thing to happen in the writing process.
I also LOVE developing characters.
I spend hours building background information about my main characters. Even if most of that information doesn't come out in the actual story, it’s important for me to know as much as I can about them, like their favorite music and food, if they have pet peeves or any phobias, what makes them cringe and what makes them happy.
Sometimes I'll make character boards which are basically picture collages that show things like what kind of clothes the character wears or what their eyes looks like, or what kind of car they have. All these things help make the character more real and give me images to use when describing them.
The cool thing is that if I build a character thoroughly enough, the writing becomes much easier because the characters take me along on their journey and it is as if I am just feverishly typing what they want me to tell about them. They don’t always do what I set out for them to do in the story, either. Because of who they are, they sometimes "make choices" that I have to roll with as the writer. It sounds a little silly to say, but sometimes the characters take on a life of their own and that is the most thrilling and surreal thing to happen in the writing process.
Elle Preston
I am currently working on two projects. Reflections, the second book in my Ravens of Darkness series is going through some editing and is set for release in Spring 2019. I have also started writing the third book in the series. I'm super excited to continue working with these characters!
Elle Preston
I don't usually have writer's block in the sense that I can't think of something to say. What I do struggle with, however, is getting the ideas out of my head and down to my iPad. If there was a way to directly transfer the thoughts...well this writing gig would be so much easier.
Here's the thing: I want to create a good end product that is neat and grammatical and perfect. The problem is, the writing process is neither neat nor perfect. In order to yield something interesting, things have to get a little messy. All creative endeavors are inherently untidy. Letting myself relax enough to get messy with the writing is my biggest obstacle.
I tend to want to edit myself in my head as I write instead of letting all the thoughts flow which ultimately stifles creativity. Free-writing helps. I force myself to write whatever comes to mind about the particular problem I'm struggling with WITHOUT stopping to make sure it is spelled correctly, follows grammatical rules, or even makes sense. I set a timer and do this in intervals of three to five minutes. Then I go back and read through the stream-of-consciousness ramblings and pick out what clicks, or inspires me to build around it.
Also, I drink wine. Sometimes that helps.
Here's the thing: I want to create a good end product that is neat and grammatical and perfect. The problem is, the writing process is neither neat nor perfect. In order to yield something interesting, things have to get a little messy. All creative endeavors are inherently untidy. Letting myself relax enough to get messy with the writing is my biggest obstacle.
I tend to want to edit myself in my head as I write instead of letting all the thoughts flow which ultimately stifles creativity. Free-writing helps. I force myself to write whatever comes to mind about the particular problem I'm struggling with WITHOUT stopping to make sure it is spelled correctly, follows grammatical rules, or even makes sense. I set a timer and do this in intervals of three to five minutes. Then I go back and read through the stream-of-consciousness ramblings and pick out what clicks, or inspires me to build around it.
Also, I drink wine. Sometimes that helps.
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