Ask the Author: Michelle Gordon
Answered Questions (7)
Michelle Gordon
She fell asleep with peace in her life and happiness in her heart. When she awoke her mind was shattered and she walked the Earth trapped in the shell of a body, nothing more than a broken void of humanity.
Michelle Gordon
The Faceless Mage by Kenley Davidson
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey - I read Evermore Academy and loved it, I wasn't ready for the series to end!
I re-read A court of Roses and Thorns Series by Sarah J Mass at least once or twice a year - it is hands down one of my favorites.
Throne of Sand by Helena Rookwood
Fae's Deception by M. Lynn, Melissa A. Craven
Deal with the Elf King by Elisse Kova - the Air Awakes series is one of my favorites so I am eager to jump into this one as well!
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey - I read Evermore Academy and loved it, I wasn't ready for the series to end!
I re-read A court of Roses and Thorns Series by Sarah J Mass at least once or twice a year - it is hands down one of my favorites.
Throne of Sand by Helena Rookwood
Fae's Deception by M. Lynn, Melissa A. Craven
Deal with the Elf King by Elisse Kova - the Air Awakes series is one of my favorites so I am eager to jump into this one as well!
Michelle Gordon
It all depends on where I am at in other areas of life at the moment. Sometimes I have to just walk away from writing for a bit altogether. This summer I took a couple weeks and did anything but write - I gardened, played with the kids, sat and did nothing, took naps! I have another business as well and I really poured myself into that, it is much less creative and it was nice to put on a different hat and get back into another part of myself after going full force with the series for a bit.
Other times, I have started writing other things, other parts of the Six Courts Saga, other ideas I have floating out there.
With holidays coming, I will most likely do more outlines and sketches of works instead of full blown worldbuilding, unless something amazing strikes I cannot resist. I have young kids so getting wrapped up in the holidays, decorating, fun of the season energizes me in a different way.
Ultimately, do what you need to do to decompress, it may not always look the same but as long as you find time to refresh and reset you are doing it right.
Other times, I have started writing other things, other parts of the Six Courts Saga, other ideas I have floating out there.
With holidays coming, I will most likely do more outlines and sketches of works instead of full blown worldbuilding, unless something amazing strikes I cannot resist. I have young kids so getting wrapped up in the holidays, decorating, fun of the season energizes me in a different way.
Ultimately, do what you need to do to decompress, it may not always look the same but as long as you find time to refresh and reset you are doing it right.
Michelle Gordon
Don't stress out if it takes time. The ideas may come in bits and pieces and that's ok. Just put them on paper and enjoy the moments when they come.
Get an editor! When the story is in your head the blindspots are HUGE. You can do 50 drafts and still have gaping holes or points of clarification. So save up a bit for an editorial fund, find and editor you click with and invest in yourself and your idea. Getting a neutral second set of eyes on it will change your life!
Get an editor! When the story is in your head the blindspots are HUGE. You can do 50 drafts and still have gaping holes or points of clarification. So save up a bit for an editorial fund, find and editor you click with and invest in yourself and your idea. Getting a neutral second set of eyes on it will change your life!
Michelle Gordon
Right now, I am fully immersed in the Six Courts Saga.
Heir of Deceit is in its final edits before hitting Amazon so I am heavy into final reviews there. Book two is about 75% of the way though its first draft, the world building in this book is immense and loads of new faces make their debut so that has been fun. Books 3 and 4 have a few plots sketched out but nothing major.
Map creation! Getting the lay of the land and providing the readers a way to piece everything together visually has been fun.
A few other ideas for other works have popped up but those are just sketches on my "someday" board.
Heir of Deceit is in its final edits before hitting Amazon so I am heavy into final reviews there. Book two is about 75% of the way though its first draft, the world building in this book is immense and loads of new faces make their debut so that has been fun. Books 3 and 4 have a few plots sketched out but nothing major.
Map creation! Getting the lay of the land and providing the readers a way to piece everything together visually has been fun.
A few other ideas for other works have popped up but those are just sketches on my "someday" board.
Michelle Gordon
For the Six Courts Saga - music, music and more music. Not necessarily lyrics but when I hear the instrumentals, a particular beat or cadence, I feel as if it is background music to my scenes.
For world building, lots of photos. Various of parts of the world, clothing, hair all have helped me build inspiration boards for what I am working to achieve with the aesthetics.
Also, I read voraciously - I look at ways other writers structure dialogue and scene setting to learn more about the craft. There are so many amazing approaches out there to bring a story to life just jumping into a good book is not only a way to escape but a classroom all in itself.
For world building, lots of photos. Various of parts of the world, clothing, hair all have helped me build inspiration boards for what I am working to achieve with the aesthetics.
Also, I read voraciously - I look at ways other writers structure dialogue and scene setting to learn more about the craft. There are so many amazing approaches out there to bring a story to life just jumping into a good book is not only a way to escape but a classroom all in itself.
Michelle Gordon
Heir of Deceit really began in two very different ways across a few years that merged together. The real catalyst that finally got everything off the ground was a dream I had over the summer however.
For years I've been kicking around a scene in my mind that I kept coming back to. In my bones I knew it wasn't the starting point it was more of a turning point for a character whos development was always just out of my grasp. This particular scene will not show up until book 3, however once I got it out I sat back and felt like I was dealt a blow. The person Laila was before that moment and the person she becomes after is a hefty shift. Getting her to this point has always been the problem for me creatively, nothing ever felt 'right'.
Fast forward to this summer. I woke up from a dream that became an apex moment for this first book. I had fully visualized Laila and Aiden in the moment and I woke up scrambling for paper saying this is it, this is the catalyst for everything.
Once I got those thoughts down, I was able to say ok, what leads to this point and where does Laila go from here? Everything flowed from there fairly smoothly.
For years I've been kicking around a scene in my mind that I kept coming back to. In my bones I knew it wasn't the starting point it was more of a turning point for a character whos development was always just out of my grasp. This particular scene will not show up until book 3, however once I got it out I sat back and felt like I was dealt a blow. The person Laila was before that moment and the person she becomes after is a hefty shift. Getting her to this point has always been the problem for me creatively, nothing ever felt 'right'.
Fast forward to this summer. I woke up from a dream that became an apex moment for this first book. I had fully visualized Laila and Aiden in the moment and I woke up scrambling for paper saying this is it, this is the catalyst for everything.
Once I got those thoughts down, I was able to say ok, what leads to this point and where does Laila go from here? Everything flowed from there fairly smoothly.
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