About Marie Gin:
I was born in France but spent most of my life traveling and living abroad. America and Africa were among the places I grew up in, but it wasn’t until I went to live in Paris at the age of 11 that I discovered a love for writing. It started with poetry, then short stories and finally evolved into the world you now know as The Stone of Four Fires, which I started to write at the age of 15 in French, after having moved to Australia.
As the years went by, and university started, the book was left aside for a while as I studied one year of Law School in Strasbourg, before coming back to the country down under that I loved so much, and doing a Bachelor of Interactive Media.
I felt that my book deserved more time and effort spent on it and I decided to bring it back, translated it and put my ideas for book 1 and 2 into the one manuscript as I figured I would never have time to properly finish the series. I still wanted my story to be out there.
It wasn’t until I met a producer named Daniel Becker at an event where I was selling my book, that I realised the potential of my story. After a few months of discussions, The Stone of Four Fires: The Last Regret was getting an international Box Office adaptation done.
I was then able to get the proper help from an editor, A. A. Warne, and rewrite my story the way I had originally planned it: In 4 books.
What inspires you to write?
Books have always been a way for me to escape. Writing the story myself gives me the control to decide the outcome of my story. So when things get stressful, I can disappear into my own world and have things happen my way (most of the time).
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Anne Rice, Sarah J Maas, Holly Black, Elise Kova, …
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm both an outliner and a pantser! I'll start with an outline that is pretty much the entire book written in dot points that I highlight as I go. But each scene will take control and half the time the story ends up changing and I have to update the outline!
Each character will have strengths but also flaws as perfection is boring. And my characters grow as individuals. They will go through trauma and loss but also love and growth.
I do all of my work in Google Docs as I tend to get ideas at random times and my manuscript is easily accessible as long as I have an internet connection!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
It's weird to explain. I don't interact with my characters, but it feels as though I am present and unseen as they move through the story. I'll hear what they say, feel what they feel and they'll lead the story based on their personalities. Sometimes I do have to jump in because they can be a bit dramatic!
What advice would you give other writers?
Always reach for unattainable goals. Your subconscious will work towards those goals and you'll have a higher chance of achieving them. Stay as original as you can and make sure your manuscript is as polished as it can be before submitting to anyone. Also, rejection is good – it means things are moving forward.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I decided to self publish because I work in marketing and know how to promote a brand (I'm just missing the time to do it properly now!). I like having control over where it's sold and even offer purchases through my website with stock I got using my own contact in printing.
Just always make sure that the book has the least amount of typos and mistakes (so invest in a proper editor even though they can be pricy). And then see reviews the same as gold. And a book that only gets 5 stars reviews look sketchier than one that has a variety of reviews! Don't pay anyone for reviews, but you can give a free copy for an honest review (and please insist for it to be as honest as possible).
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Competitive. Unfortunately, you could have the best story out there and if you can't sell yourself and pitch the story properly to HUNDREDS of people (sometimes), it could go nowhere. If it's not the right fit for an agent, they won't take it, whether it's good or not. Trends are important to a lot of people in the industry and you'll have to push through rejections and keep working on your book if you want it out there. Even self-publishing doesn't work for everyone and is hard work. You have to be ready to give it your all if you want your book to succeed. Even in traditional publishing, you can get a contract then be expected to market your own book and if it doesn't work, it'll just be cast aside.
What genres do you write?: dark fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Marie Gin Home Page Link
Link To Marie Gin 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.
