About Chantal Gadoury:
Chantal Gadoury is a young author who currently lives in Dover, Delaware with her two cats, Theo and Harper and her fiance, Robert. Originally from Muncy, PA, Chantal appreciates the beautiful mountains and enjoys visits back to see her family. She also loves anything Disney and has a reputation of beating anyone at a mean game of Disney trivia. When Chantal is not writing, she enjoys painting, watching British History Documentaries, drinking iced-coffee and spending time with loved ones. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues on with that love of writing today. Graduating from Susquehanna University with a Creative Writing BA, writing novels has become a dream come true.
What inspires you to write?
Everything around me inspires me to write. Sometimes it can be as simple as a show, a movie, a song or a lyric. Sometimes it’s someone in my life, something that has happened, something that I’ve read or heard. Good books inspire me, great films and acting inspire me. When I have something in my mind – a story – it’s all I can do to stop myself from writing it. I take inspiration in everything, and do my best to adapt it to whatever plot or character I have at hand, in that moment.
Tell us about your writing process.
I really don’t have a writing process. The most I’ll do for myself is get comfortable; sit at my desk, have a coffee, listen to some soft, influential soundtracks and just write away. Sometimes I might have a few photographs of scenes or ideas, and go from there – but most of the time, I’ll have an idea in my head and just let my hands write. I find outlines too constricting and I feel obligated to stay within what I’ve designed. I’m definitely a “seat of the pants” writer.
Music plays a huge roll in my writing process. Once I’ve found my selected playlist, I find I can write any scene, any character and any emotion, and the story sort of presents itself.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I do both. I listen and talk to my characters. When I’m frustrated with them, I’ll often find myself saying “Just show me what happened!” or “Tell me what you’re trying to show me!” I find writing almost like I’m listening or watching a story that the character is allowing me to see. If I think the story should go one way, the character definitely shows me what really happened – and becomes stubborn/difficult and I can’t continue on unless I change what is going on in the scene. My characters have a mind of their own, and they know it.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never give up on your dream. Know what you’re getting yourself into, but never give up on that dream of having your name on a cover of a book – in YOUR hands. Never give up on that image, because you can make that happen. Do your research about indie publishing, self publishing – talk to other authors! Network! Know what sort of storm you’re going to walk into when the writing and fun is over – Marketing is a whole other world that no one ever braced me for. Extremely challenging – but again, never give up. You can do it. Take criticism with a grain of salt, and keep going. Keep charging towards the horizon (minus the really bad eggs.) Have fun – always remember that. This should be fun. Once it’s not, you need to take a break so that writing can be fun again.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
The first time I published my novel, I was very set on finding a publisher. I wanted someone to believe in my writing, and at least pave the way onto what to do with a novel. This second time around, I wanted to see what it was like to do the “self-publishing” route. I think it’s important to do your research for either one of these routes. It’s important to know what sort of publishing company you’re going to be working with, and what services they can provide you. If you’re doing the self publishing, it’s important to know what you’re doing. It’s easy to make your book something accessible to a reader or viewer, but it’s another to actually market your book. I like having a say in certain things, that perhaps a publishing company won’t let you have. It really all depends on your own experience, and what you bring to the table. Either way – be prepared to work, and hard!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the book publishing world is going to become harder and harder to get into. You’re going to see more and more writers self-publish because of how easy it is. I’m not exactly sure if it’s really a great step in any sort of direction, but finding a publishing company to take a chance on your book – I feel – will be harder to find in the future. I truly hope I’m wrong.
What genres do you write?: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Chantal Gadoury Home Page Link
Link To Chantal Gadoury Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
