About Ellie Keys:
Ellie Keys is an author of contemporary romance, paranormal romance and mystery. She spends a great deal of her time lending her unrelenting pen to the voices that have taken over her mind. The characters that readers will find in her works have a demanding nature. Ellie is thrilled to be able to share the stories from the wealth of works that she has created.
She lives in Georgia with her son. Her loves outside of writing are reading a good book and losing herself in a great movie. Inspiration comes from everything around her. There is a great deal in store for lovers of romance and suspense seekers.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by so many things. What inspired me to start writing though was the need to escape the issues of my youth. I grew up in a very trying household and saw things that a young person shouldn’t have to. I sought refuge in the pages of a book or the use of my pen and paper. Knowing that the reason for my inspiring words comes from a place that was meant for darkness gives me greater purpose.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have to giggle because I like to call myself a “puzzler”. I’m the person that comes up with an idea for a story, writes the introduction or synopsis and ending, then starts the hard part. My characters develop as I write. I might know who the main character is but the other players come as we go along. There are moments when I have to have a photograph to know my character’s styles. An outline is created to give me the key points that I want to touch upon in the story. The scenes come to me in the most interesting places. I could be shopping, reading, watching a television show or movie, taking a shower, cooking, even driving. I’ve had to pull over to hurry and get a scene out of my head on onto a piece of paper. Once everything transfers into my Word document, I play with the pieces until my story comes together. That is the craziness of my writing process.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My goodness! I’ve had moments when I want to scream because where I thought the story was going it doesn’t take me. I have outlines that I review after I’ve completed a story with surprising results. I am usually shocked by where I thought I was going to end up and where the character’s decisions drive us. I’ve had moments where I feel like I’m scolding a teenager when dealing with my characters. There are stories that I should be working on, but my character from another story won’t shut it long enough for me to finish. I’m glad to know that I’m not alone in this process.
What advice would you give other writers?
“Write what you know!” It’s my first piece of advice that I give to all of my newbie author friends. The second is “write what you feel”. It does no one a bit of good if the author forces a story. If you are being sent in a different direction with a different story, do NOT fight it. Get all of the other story out of your system then go back to the first story. I’ve learned the hard way that your characters will be relentless if they feel their story needs to be told. Lastly, don’t allow someone else’s opinion to depict how you write or what you choose to write. You will not be able to please everyone, so don’t try.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I was influenced to self-publish by a former co-worker because there were too many obstacles to getting into the traditional publishing market. I was feeling defeated because I had yet another company state they were willing to publish me but demanded an up front fee. Instead, I took the pamphlet she sent me and began to research. My first thing was contacting authors that were self-published and asking a gazillion questions. The first author to respond linked me into a couple other authors. One of the first “big named” authors I came in contact with, I still watch out for and support. We check in with each other every month just to see how things are going.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think there are going to be more authors self-publishing. There are so many authors in the world that want their work to be recognized that they are willing to do anything to get it to the masses. The thing about this world, as in any, is the fact that not many have the staying power because they don’t have the tenacity to stick with it. If it is your dream, you will do anything to make it happen. You will fight and strive to make it a manifestation.
What do you use?: Co-writer, Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: romance, young adult, paranormal, new adult, children’s, erotica
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Ellie Keys Home Page Link
Link To Ellie Keys Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
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.
