CLP BLOG TOURS presents CHRONICLES OF A LINCOLN PARK FASHIONISTA by Aven Ellis Guest Post

Five Questions (and answers!) on Writing

    

Do you write with music? 

Why or why not? 

I absolutely write to music. Music helps me set the mood in my head for each scene I write. Every couple of mine gets their own soundtrack, and I love going back and revisiting them by listening to “their” music. I actually hope to have them posted to 8tracks soon!

      

Does anyone read your work in progress? 

Absolutely yes.  I’m very blessed to have a strong beta team—I call them my Beta Baes—and the read my work chapter by chapter. They are such a fantastic support system and resource and I couldn’t do this without them.  I have an assistant, Alexandra (Hi Alexandra!) and she reads every single word I write. Both my Beta Baes and Alexandra are huge to keeping me going in the right direction.

    

What are your favorite kinds of characters to write? To read? 

I’m not into tortured souls or characters suffering. I don’t read those types of books, and I don’t write them. I like characters that have a journey to go on, but find their way and HEA at the end of the story.

     

How do you stay motivated?

 I always feel I have a story to tell. And when my Beta Team starts tweeting for more to read, I have no choice but to be motivated, LOL!

    

Are you an outliner or a seat-of-your-pants writer? Why? 

Outliner all the way! I know what is going to happen from the beginning to the end, all the conflicts, how many chapters it will take to get there, etc. Now does that mean I follow it to the letter? No, of course not. Sometimes you’ll get a different idea or you ending up writing a scene based on feedback you receive, but about 80 percent of my books follow my outlines. I have to use an outline to keep my focus. I’d be lost without one.