About Cherise Arthur:
Cherise Arthur is a native Oregonian. She loves to write, read, travel, ride horses, and works in education. She was inspired to write her first book after going to see an established author at her local bookstore. She enjoys supporting authors and is very excited with to have her first book Sierra and Star now published and available for sale.
I grew up in a rural area with horses, dogs, cats and rabbits. We enjoyed riding our ponies in the forest close to our home. I still love to ride horses and spend time in the country.
What inspires you to write?
I have really always enjoyed writing. About 12 years ago I got involved in a local writing group in Portland, Oregon and have taken classes at the local community college as well. I took a memoir class in the summer of 2019 and started writing my children's book in the fall of 2019.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I love Maya Angelou – she was so poetic and had such a beautiful tone to her writings. I also admire Jane Austin and her era of books.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a very visual person. I usually do free writes and just write down ideas. I will take those free writes and break them down into I want to create my character and the scenes in the book. When I was writing my book "Sierra and Star" I did about three versions of the story. Then I edited and did a story board. This helped me to visualitze the images I wanted for my book. I love to keep a notebook and take notes and I think of ideas. When I was younger I loved photography and I would look see my photos as stories. I also still enjoy photography.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to my characters. I wonder what they would think and how they would react emotionally in the story. I also like to visualize them creatively and see the stories in my mind of how it will look on paper and in color images.
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advise is to be a reader and find the voices of those writers that you like and study their style. I think most writers find their voices by reading and learning how to have your own style with words and conveying your story. Own a dictionary and find words that you don't know and make yourself study and learn the meanings of words and how they have been used in other writers books. Read at least one book a month and get a library card at an early age. Be a lifelong learner and reader.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I went down the traditional road and I was getting frustrated. I talked with a friend who was a published author and he told me how hard it is to get published today. I decided by self published, I would have more creative control over my story. I learned that most traditional publishers don't want you to illustrate your children's book and they usually do that. I found an amazing illustrator and at that point I learned that going the traditional route was probably not going to happen so I took the bull by the horns, and I jumped into the self publishing pool. It has been a blast so far. I have learned a lot about marketing and how to promote my book.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think that self publishing is becoming a huge industry. I feel it is very competitive and you really have to do your research on which way to go when you publish your book. I think if you do go a traditional route that talking with an agent and getting a feel for your projects will give you and idea if your work is going to be accepted by the traditional market. I do love that their is so much support for people that are self publishing.
What genres do you write?: children, fiction, non fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Cherise Arthur Home Page Link
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
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.
