Written Author Interview
- Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?
My name is Elizabeth and I love writing, but it’s not my only pleasure in life. I love to do puzzles! They are relaxing and it challenges my brain. I also love to go on walks and listen to music. I am a gaming nerd, and I play mainly on my Nintendo Switch. My favorite games are Animal Crossing and pretty much any Mario game. I live with my husband and three pets, and a typical day for me involves staying busy with hobbies and crafts. I love making and doing things, like making applesauce, pickles, and baking banana bread! Cooking and baking can be so much fun! One new hobby I am trying out is making candles with my husband. I love trying new things!
2. What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?
I had a vivid dream of my main character Kira, I saw her features, her Tiger face and body, it felt like I was her! I immediately started writing down her details, and the story came to mind shortly after. I always knew I wanted to write, but the moment that sparked my writing was in middle school where I submitted a story to my English teacher, and she said I could be a great writer. That really jump-started my dreams and goals to become an author. I’ve always had support from friends and family to pursue my dreams. I was 13 years old when I started writing my first novel, and I feel like I grow as a writer with each book.
3. How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?
As I mentioned earlier, my main character Kira was based off of a dream I had. I based most of the other characters off of people in my life. They are purely based on looks from the people around me rather than the actual personalities. Some characters are meticulously planned, like my villains. I have a few spontaneous characters, like Casper who is introduced in my second book. He was supposed to be a very minor role, but he is turning into a more major part of the story. In general the people around me influence the characters in my book.
4. What are some of your favorite genres to read? Are there any books you’d recommend to first time readers or people looking for something new?
My absolute favorite genre is fantasy, but I also love a little bit of sci-fi and mystery. One book that I love and would highly recommend to anyone is “The Last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle. It’s a great fantasy book and a quick and easy read. It’s a great book for new readers. They made an animated movie about it in the 80s, but the book is always better in my opinion.
5. What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
The most difficult thing about being a writer isn’t writing, its marketing. There are so many great writers out there today, that it can be hard to get my books noticed. There’s also so many marketing scams targeting authors and writers on Facebook, Instagram, even in emails. I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve gotten from these scam accounts. The best way I market is posting on specific groups for readers looking for new recommendations.
6. What is your process to completing a novel from outline to final product?
The first thing I do is start with an idea. From that idea, I make a list of bullet points for the plot and key things to remember. With these bullet points I will list character intentions and important key plot points. After I make the list, I will write the outline based off the list. As I write the outline I sometimes add more bullet points. The outline consists of a paragraph or two of summary for each chapter. Once the outline is done, I will start writing, it typically takes me a year or two to write the book. When I finish writing, it’s onto editing multiple times. After that, I get my cover designer, and self-publish everywhere.
7. What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.
One scene that comes to mind is my character Ethan complains to his advisor that he’s been having trouble sleeping and has been stressed. The advisor brings him some special tea that helps him relax. Ethan drinks a lot of this “special” tea and starts acting loopy. His friend comes in and tells him about an important discovery, but Ethan’s brain is fuzzy. Ethan starts thinking about Kira during this conversation with his friend and gets an erection. His friend decided to give Ethan privacy. Ethan then pleasured himself and fell asleep forgetting everything important that was said to him moments earlier. This scene to me was extremely funny in my head and I had to put it in my book.
8. What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?
The biggest thing as a writer that drives me up a wall is everyone pushing AI into writing. I’m an advocate for artists and writers who are being replaced by AI. I don’t believe in writing with the help of AI tools in any shape form or fashion. There are so many jobs out there these days that require AI help, and it infuriates me. I personally believe that if anyone uses AI in their writing, they should declare that it was with the help of it. Keep AI out of books.
9. What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?
A successful writer in my eyes is not someone who sells a ton of books, has their book turned into a movie, or has major publicity, rather than someone who enjoys writing for themselves and for others. Of course it would be nice to have major success, but that’s every writer’s dream. Even if you haven’t sold a single book, you can be successful in other ways. Writing a book is hard, writing anything is hard. Even if you finish writing a book or whatever you write, that’s success to me. I am living my best life the way I am as a writer. I keep busy with tasks and creative hobbies, but I always come back to writing to keep myself content. Writing is my first passion; my first love and I will always come back and keep writing.
10. Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?
I started writing Tiger’s Blood when I was 13 years old. Since that moment when I decided to write for the first time, I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I graduated high school at 16 then I self-published my first book when I was 17. I’ve been through so much, and I think everyone has their own struggles, but writing has always been my comfort. I do think I could pull off a story around it. I’ve thought about writing a memoir, but that will be a future project.
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About
Elizabeth Morris graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020. Her first book Tiger’s Blood she self-published in 2016 when she was 17 years old. She loves her cats and her family. She is currently working on the Blood of the Beast series and finds inspiration through music, nature and traveling.
Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizlovestowrite/
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