Author Interview with E. L. Mitchell
Today, we have an interview with E. L. Mitchell, a good friend of mine and a fellow writer.So, what exactly do you write?
In a perfect world, I would write everything. I love speculative fiction, especially magical realism, however I love seeing different sides of myself and embracing those as they come. I’ve written a children’s book, and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I just started a romance novel.
How would you describe yourself in a short third person bio?
E. L. Mitchell is a happily married speculative fiction writer with EDS who loves magical realism, dark characters, plot twists and commas. She writes more than she sleeps most weeks, but wouldn’t have it any other way. E. L. is currently going back to school for a degree that sounds made up, but is most definitely real: Bachelors of Science in University Studies with a Thematic Core in Artistry, Design and Fiction.
What made you initially want to write? Has your motivation changed since then?
I began writing to escape the pain of real life. When I was fourteen, and we were working on the right combination of medications for my depression, I couldn’t cope well. One thing that kept me going was writing. I wrote down thoughts, poems, stories, I even took a creative writing class. I needed the outlet. My motivation has, and hasn’t, changed since then. I still write when my “random sadness” creeps back in, but I write when I’m happy and because it makes me happier now too.
What do you think is the most important part of writing?
That’s easy. The creative outlet from the day to day stress of life. If someone makes you mad, kill a character. If you’ve had a wonderful day, make two characters fall in love. If it’s a long Wednesday, ride a dragon, and if it’s a lazy Sunday, wind on down a swamp river in the 1950’s with your middle-school sweetheart.
What is your favourite part of writing?
I love creating worlds. I’m no J. K. but I can breath some life into an atmosphere now and again, and man do I enjoy it. It’s wonderful to just sit down, make a place, old, new or a mash-up, drop characters in it and play.
Tell us an interesting fact about you.
I was a special effects makeup artist.
Do you have a day-job, (other than writing)?
No, EDS keeps working from being a possibility. Another reason I love writing. You can do it on your time, in bursts you can handle and there is no standing involved. It’s perfect for people like me.
Do you prefer a physical book or an ebook? Why?
Physical books, definitely. The smell of words on pages is intoxicating.
Traditional publishing or self-publishing? And why?
There is no right answer. I respect both. If you query and get picked up, that’s incredible! If that doesn’t work, or you want to skip that and self-publish, that’s amazing too. There is so much dedication in that! Either way is brave. You are putting your heart out there for people to see, and as long as you are satisfied at the end of the day, then the rest doesn’t matter.
Tell us about your latest WIP.
It’s a literary fiction work, with no fantasy to be seen. Gasp. That’s very strange for me. It will be from multiple perspectives, and it will be dark. Currently I’m setting the scene, from a teenage boy’s eyes. The main plot in brass tacks is a small town dealing with a horror, coping with grief and trying to solve a mystery, along side the police. I’m pretty pleased so far, but we shall see I suppose. I plan on focusing in on this one until it’s finished.
So, how long does it take you, on average, to complete a first draft?
Short stories, I typically write in a few hours at most. If I’m dedicating all of my time to the novel, it takes a few months. It really depends on how excited I am about the project.
Which projects are you working on at the moment?
I decided to focus on my WIP, but these are still around when I need a break.
One is romance novel that I’m still thinking on. I’m enjoying writing it, however I’ve never done anything quite like it so I can’t tell if it’s overworked. Another is a ghost story I’ve been working on for a while. I feel I need some time apart from it right now though.
And as always, I’m writing short stories and flash fiction in the background (or foreground if I’m feeling uninspired with my novels).
How do you come up with the titles for your books? And do you have the final title before completing your book, or after?
Titles are tricky for me because I’m rather boring when it comes to them. One of my stories is “Peter” and another is “Jeff”. So, you can tell I’m really good at naming my stories. But then we also have “Burden of Grief” and “My Name is Dahlia”, and those are a bit better. Overall though, they usually happen after and it’s usually something that’s pretty obvious or really obscure. I’d rather the obscure, but I hear I go off the deep end when I go that way, so I end up more of a cliche than anything.
How has writing changed your life?
I feel I’ve found a home. With my EDS I can’t work. My joints dislocate at random times and the pain is ferocious. I have to take breaks at random times, and sometimes call the day quits altogether It’s frustrating at times when you just wanted to go to the movies and out to eat, but it’s life. Writing has made something really amazing possible for me. As I said before, I was a special effects makeup artist. It was an incredible rush, something I thought I’d do forever, but plans change, and it wasn’t in the cards. It turns out that writing is more of a passion that makeup, however. It has all been a blessing in disguise I suppose.
Where do you get inspiration for writing from? Do you listen to music whilst writing or have a ‘writing cave’?
I have no idea. Honestly. Some days I wake up from a dream and I’m scribbling away so I don’t lose it. Others I just think, “Hey, that would be neat”. My first novel idea came from a biography I wrote of myself in ninth grade. If it sounds odd, it is. Especially since my novel is about a freak show. Go figure.
I sometimes listen to music when I’m writing, but honestly, I’ve noticed that if I just turn on one lamp, curl up in bed with a good glass of wine and ignore the world… great things happen. If music is on, I try to set the mood for what I’m writing, or just listen to my favorites, because those won’t mess me up. Nothing like listening to a loud angry rap song when you are writing a sad death scene to kill the mood.
Is there a particular form, style or genre that you’d like to have a go at writing? Why?
I would definitely like to explore my romance novel further. It’s a solid idea and I want to challenge myself. I feel I can’t call myself a writer if I don’t challenge myself occasionally. Certainly I want to be good at one type more than others, but branching now and again never hurt anyone.
Favourite book and/or author(s)?
Oooh loaded question! So many! I have some stand out books and authors that I love just about everything they read!
Books:
Carlos Zafron Ruiz – Shadow of the Wind
J. K. Rowling – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Laurell K. Hamilton – Guilty Pleasures
Daniel Pyle – Dismember
Robin McKinley – Sunshine
Laura Whitcomb – A Certain Slant of Light
Veronica Roth – Divergent
Lauren DeStefano – Wither
Authors:
Charlaine Harris
Nicole Murphy
Bentley Little
J. K. Rowling (Potter series)
Simon R. Green (Nightside series)
Colleen Gleason (Gardella series)
Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games series)
Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree (of any sort) in order to be a successful author?
Not in the least. There are so many writing styles that degrees don’t teach. Take “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins for instance, that was haunting. However, if she presented that in some English classes, they probably would have torn her apart, and we may never have had the pleasure of reading it. I think if you have it in you, just write. Yes, English classes help pretty up your language and make editing easier, but in the end it’s the ideas that matter the most. Your degree can’t give you those.
What would you say to those who want to become a writer? Any advice?
Write. Toughen up. Decide what you mean by “becoming a writer” and what you want out of it.
Write all of the time, even if it’s bad. If you aren’t writing, you aren’t a writer. Challenge yourself.
No’s are hard, so toughen up. You may never get one, or you may be like Steve Berry and get 400 before become a New York Time Best Seller. Or you may only get no’s your whole life.
And that brings me to what you want out of writing. Fame? Well, good luck! It’s hard work and luck, so don’t stop trying and believing. Riches? Same. The joy of people reading your work? Well, now we are getting somewhere. There are free places to send your work, so query, query, query. Then you’ll have places you can tell paid magazines, or agents, to go and view your work. It still may not work, but people will be reading what you wrote. And self-publishing is an option if it’s truly about the written word. But be honest with yourself before you get started, or you’ll shoot yourself in the foot.
