Author Bio:
I’m no princess. I never played with dolls. Climbing a tree was my idea of fun. When I was a little girl I lived on an estate owned by my maternal grandparents where all my aunts and uncles lived. The garden was immense with no boundaries other than a wire fence that we kids easily jumped over. It wasn’t fancy, but it was gorgeous. My best friend in the world was my cousin who lived a close walk away. Between oaks and walnuts and roses and pets and bugs, I had the idyllic childhood. The possibilities were endless, the adventures new every day. That changed when I turned 9 and my grandfather sold his property. Everyone had to leave, except for my family.
A big, ugly fence was constructed to separate us from our new neighbors. In a moment’s notice, the view from my window changed from a beautiful green field to a poorly-made concrete wall. I used to climb this wall and just sit there, looking for the childhood I had lost on the other side. This is when I became a writer. Fantasy became my way of escaping the grey, so I could continue to live in a world full of color and beauty. Then fantasy became life and life became writing.
What inspires you to write?
Everything. What I have lived, what makes me feel, those moments that you wished could last forever, and my own imagination. I write because I have to. When I’m not writing I’m making stories in my head, I start to weave one moment with the other and they start to make a ploy which then comes to life. I take the interesting peculiarities of the people I know and then form this completely different person, who is always so familiar to me. I usually have a story going round and round in my head well before I put it down on paper. I hear anecdotes and I read history, I listen to the news, and I gather all this information that I then change to my liking and it ends up having it’s own will and character. Life inspires me to write, knowing that, as Walt Whitman said, “That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” I want to contribute a verse, I want to share with the world whatever it is that moves me, and challenges me, and hurts so bad, and makes me so very happy.
Tell us about your writing process.
As I said before, I usually have a story in my head before I get to write it. It’s not all there, but I have a definite beginning, something from the middle and the idea for the end. The rest of the story just starts coming to life the moment I type. I don’t outline, but I take note of all the ideas that keep coming to me in the process, things that I may use in the future, so I don’t forget. “John Dreamer” was a different experience because it’s based on a play I wrote when I was 17 years old. So, I already knew the story and what was going to happen. I thought I would change most of it, but I kept going back to the original which I loved so much. I even kept most of the character’s names and personalities. I also took reference on the actor’s looks, their quirks and mannerisms. I’m currently writing the sequel, and I have a very general idea of what’s going to happen, and you never know when inspiration may hit. On my last vacation I took a cruise on the Amazon River in Brazil, and there, in the middle of this incredible landscape inspiration came. So I took my computer and wrote down what may well be the end to this story.
What advice would you give other writers?
Believe in yourself, and surround yourself with people who believe in you. Your worst enemy is self doubt. Go with your gut and never let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough. Oh, and know that everything happens for a reason. Be rejection or praise, you’ll get what you need the moment you need it most.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
When I finished “John Dreamer” I thought of going the traditional publishing way: get an agent, go to publisher, publish. Well, after more than 20 rejections from all the literary agents I tried to convince of my talent, I had actually given up. If it had not been for this one person who believed in me, and told me to take the self publishing route, this novel would never have seen the light. So, my advice is: do what’s right for you, look at all your option,s and if you’re left with a great story on your hands, then publish it yourself.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Being it so that this is my first novel, I don’t feel I have enough information on to what this new world entails, but what I can tell is that there is a new generation of readers that will make way for a new generation of writers. It is now the readers will be the ones to determine the success of a novel.
What genres do you write?
young adult, romance, inspirational
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Elise Celine Home Page Link
Link To Elise Celine Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20739303-john-dreamer
https://www.facebook.com/greatwhiteroom
