Ask the Author: Serena Chase
Answered Questions (5)
Serena Chase
I'm really hoping it's out by June! Thanks for asking, Rebecca!
To keep up to date on my books, as well as chat with other Eyes of E'veria readers about all kinds of YA romance and fantasy, readers can ask to join the Facebook group "Readers of the Eyes of E'veria series and other Teen Fantasy/Romance Books" here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/57794...
I also update my author page on Facebook whenever there is breaking news. Here's that link to "like": https://www.facebook.com/SerenaChaseA...
Thanks!
To keep up to date on my books, as well as chat with other Eyes of E'veria readers about all kinds of YA romance and fantasy, readers can ask to join the Facebook group "Readers of the Eyes of E'veria series and other Teen Fantasy/Romance Books" here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/57794...
I also update my author page on Facebook whenever there is breaking news. Here's that link to "like": https://www.facebook.com/SerenaChaseA...
Thanks!
Serena Chase
1. Be willing to work hard enough at improving your craft that it scares people.
2. Read widely--in your genre and many others.
3. Get professional help (story development and editing. Psychological, maybe. *winks* After all, you're spending your life in a fantasy world. It weirds some people out.)
4. Strive for excellence in your writing and in its presentation to the world. When you put something out there with errors (most likely, you will--it's almost inevitable) fix them as soon as possible. Ebooks make this easy(ish), so don't hate on the ebook revolution, embrace it as your friend.
5. Don't be afraid to reach out to other authors or to book bloggers. They're just regular folks like you, playing with their imaginary friends, just like you.
6. When you reach out to authors and book bloggers, engage with kindness. Do not feel that you are entitled to ANYTHING, even after you think you've "arrived." You're not. And you haven't.
7. Realize that you will never "arrive" -- there is always room for improvement.
8. Don't write to a market. Write to your passion. Put to the page the story that wants to burst from your heart.
9. If you truly love what you do, don't allow current sales figures to set your future path.
10. Know your characters so well that when you are in a nursing home someday you might very well complain about them not visiting you as often as they should, just like you will the rest of your children (whether it is true or not.)
11. Get a chair with good lumbar, hip, and neck support... and STAY IN IT. Write the doggone books.
2. Read widely--in your genre and many others.
3. Get professional help (story development and editing. Psychological, maybe. *winks* After all, you're spending your life in a fantasy world. It weirds some people out.)
4. Strive for excellence in your writing and in its presentation to the world. When you put something out there with errors (most likely, you will--it's almost inevitable) fix them as soon as possible. Ebooks make this easy(ish), so don't hate on the ebook revolution, embrace it as your friend.
5. Don't be afraid to reach out to other authors or to book bloggers. They're just regular folks like you, playing with their imaginary friends, just like you.
6. When you reach out to authors and book bloggers, engage with kindness. Do not feel that you are entitled to ANYTHING, even after you think you've "arrived." You're not. And you haven't.
7. Realize that you will never "arrive" -- there is always room for improvement.
8. Don't write to a market. Write to your passion. Put to the page the story that wants to burst from your heart.
9. If you truly love what you do, don't allow current sales figures to set your future path.
10. Know your characters so well that when you are in a nursing home someday you might very well complain about them not visiting you as often as they should, just like you will the rest of your children (whether it is true or not.)
11. Get a chair with good lumbar, hip, and neck support... and STAY IN IT. Write the doggone books.
Serena Chase
I get to play with my imaginary friends whenever I want, and they don't judge me for wearing yoga pants and t-shirts to work! ;)
Serena Chase
I am currently chugging through the first draft of Eyes of E'veria, book 4: THE SUNKEN REALM which concludes my piratical retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a story which began in book 3: THE SEAHORSE LEGACY. I expect it to publish Spring 2015.
Concurrently, I am making some revisions (just tightening things up--not changing the story at all!) to book 2: THE REMEDY before it is published in paperback later this fall.
Concurrently, I am making some revisions (just tightening things up--not changing the story at all!) to book 2: THE REMEDY before it is published in paperback later this fall.
Serena Chase
I'm (generally) a seat-of-my-pants author who allows the story to flow organically onto the page, so writer's block is almost a living organism (read: monster) in my process. The best thing I've found to combat the block, honestly, is to just bulldoze through it, even if everything thing I write that day is garbage.
If, however, that bulldozing, "keep your rear in the chair" need lingers, I pull out writing craft books and review my highlights. If it lasts long enough, eventually I force myself out of the office, run some errands, and listen to the playlists I've made for the work in progress. More often than not, I come back inspired, and it's pound-the-keys time again. If not, (now don't laugh) I write a kissing scene, because they're fun and because, once I've gotten that scene down I have to figure out why they kissed and if they're happy or mad about it, so that gives me direction, even if the kiss itself ends up being cut down the road. (And as far as that mad or happy thing, it could go either way with the current characters!)
If, however, that bulldozing, "keep your rear in the chair" need lingers, I pull out writing craft books and review my highlights. If it lasts long enough, eventually I force myself out of the office, run some errands, and listen to the playlists I've made for the work in progress. More often than not, I come back inspired, and it's pound-the-keys time again. If not, (now don't laugh) I write a kissing scene, because they're fun and because, once I've gotten that scene down I have to figure out why they kissed and if they're happy or mad about it, so that gives me direction, even if the kiss itself ends up being cut down the road. (And as far as that mad or happy thing, it could go either way with the current characters!)
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