Ask the Author: Ellen Louise Curtis
Answered Questions (5)
Ellen Louise Curtis
Barrelling Forward by Eva Crocker is next on my to-read list, and after that I'm looking forward to finally reading Gold and Steel by Chris Walsh.
Ellen Louise Curtis
Exodus of Angels was the first book in the Infinites series that I took lead on, so I put a lot of thought into where I wanted it to go. Matt (my co-author) and I bounce ideas back and forth all the time about things happening in the Engen Universe, so I already had a few ideas floating around about where we wanted characters to go over the next few novels. I wanted Exodus to be more character driven and contemplative than what we had done in Infinity of The Tourniquet Reprisal. We've always been big on the idea that no person is wholly good or bad, so I wanted to make sure that there was a real humanity present even if a certain character might give in to their darker side. I chose to have certain characters really struggle with their health because I know first hand how scary it can be to utterly lose control of that. As happens to multiple characters in Exodus, you see the fear they feel as their health slips through their fingers, the absolute grace in accepting death, and the isolation and stigma different diseases come with. Matt came up with a brilliant storyline that matched perfectly with the A plot, and even though Exodus is a bit more of a slow burn than the first two novels in the series, I am so proud of the tone it sets going forward.
Ellen Louise Curtis
I take my inspiration from the world around me, and how I view the world has been dramatically shaped by my upbringing and schooling. Storytelling has always been huge in my family, and growing up in Newfoundland the wealth of folklore and our unique scenery shaped the types of stories I liked to tell. Growing from there, I took a lot of influence from superhero comics and science (both of my parents are biologists). I also have a background in history, so I'm always looking for why things turn out the way they do. It's crazy to watch the news today and see historical trends repeat themselves, despite the fact that we can look back and say "wow, that turned out really bad in the end". A lot of times, history makes the most sense when you look back at the people involved in a situation and examine how they reacted under pressure. All of this has led me to write stories that focus on the characters and what makes them human, even under the most extreme or unbelievable circumstances. I'm a firm believer that no matter how bizarre or fantastical a situation may be, readers should always be able to connect with the characters they're reading about.
Ellen Louise Curtis
Currently, I'm juggling co-authoring the sequel to Exodus of Angels, writing short stories for a few different collections, and editing work for several different projects. April 2017 Engen Books will be releasing Fantasy from the Rock, a collection of short stories that I'm the lead editor on. It's been my baby over the past year, with submissions rolling in from across Canada. I've gotten to work with a lot of great artists and authors putting it together, including our amazing cover artist, Kyle Callahan. We have new submissions still coming in, and I can't wait for readers to see the finished product of what appears to be an already amazing collection.
Ellen Louise Curtis
Never give up. Never stop practicing your craft and challenging yourself. Write from prompts. Get outside your comfort zone. Keep imagining new worlds, new scenarios, and new ways to convey emotion. Take in as many new stories as possible; be it through novels, songs, poems, short stories, or film. Look for inspiration everywhere, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Get your first draft on paper, and through editing the rest will follow.
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