Project Athena | Author Spotlight

ella_rowan

Our featured author this month is Ella Rowan, an exciting fantasy writer. Her series: Lindensea, is currently on its fourth installment, and blends a popular fairytale retelling and fantastical elements to create a thrilling world of magic and romance. Join us as we explore her unique style of storytelling and journey as a writer.

 What inspired you to become a writer? When did you first start writing?

I started writing poems and stories when I was seven. One of my biggest inspirations was an old book called Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce, which has that perfect balance between dreamlike fantasy and harsh reality. Tom travels back in time to a different age, and there's a magical scene of skating down a frozen river in the dark which really captured my imagination.

Can you discuss your experience with building a readership on Wattpad? What strategies have you used to attract and retain readers?

I love the social aspect of Wattpad and always organise read-for-reads when I start a new book. It's for the company more than anything else – writing and publishing can be lonely without some friends along the way. The feedback is invaluable, and it's like having a team of beta readers to help spot mistakes and see what things work and what doesn't.

When I'm in between books, I sign up with Flexible Book Exchange, which is an awesome book club run by Voyageavecmoi. It allows you to fit the book club into your life as circumstances change.

How do you handle writer's block or other creative obstacles when they arise? Are there any specific techniques or practices that help you overcome these challenges?

I always say I don't have time to get writer's block! I tend to have several writing projects going at once, so when I have trouble working on one, I switch over to another.

What do you do when you encounter writer's block or feel stuck in your story? How do you get unstuck and keep writing?

When I don't feel able to do any creative writing, I edit, edit, edit, and improve things that have already been written. There's always research to do, and writing notes in preparation for a new book helps to flood me with new ideas. It doesn't usually take long before I'm ready to write again.

Can you tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult creative decision in one of your stories? How did you approach this decision, and what was the outcome?

I'm currently writing a historical-fantasy teen fiction story called "Eden at Yuletide". In the last chapter I've been working on, I finished writing it and realised with dismay that the entire thing was a complete failure.

I had come up with what seemed like an ingenious solution to quickly get past a little problem in the story – the main character would simply tell a few harmless fibs, and nobody needed to be the wiser as to what had really happened. The trouble is that she is such a blunt, honest person, and actually a little lacking in creative imagination, so it would have been very out of character for her to lie her way out of a situation.

And once she started acting out of character, it seemed like all the characters did as well. Strong characters started crying at the drop of a hat, jokey characters became grim, and dour characters handed out sunny pieces of upbeat advice. The worst part was that when I finally got to the end of this mess, the original plot issue didn't get fixed, as lying simply made a different plot hole!

I had to scrap the entire chapter and start again from scratch. Lesson learned very much the hard way – no shortcuts. And honesty is the best policy!

Can you tell us about a particularly challenging scene or chapter in one of your stories, and how you tackled it?

I really struggled with an action scene in "Eden at Yuletide". I don't usually write action, and this chapter involved multiple characters. I tried to make it seem more immediate and compelling, focusing only on what was happening in the moment – I couldn't sit back and calmly describe everything. I'm not sure how well I did, but I hope the chapter comes as a surprise to readers.

What do you think sets your stories apart from other works in your genre? What unique perspective or voice do you bring to your writing?

I have a distinctive narrative voice that is a little quirky, and there's a lot of emotion in my stories.

How do you handle criticism or negative feedback from readers or other writers? What strategies do you use to maintain your confidence and motivation?

When I receive criticism, I ask myself: Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it balanced? Is it unbiased? Is it kind? Ideally, criticism would be all of those things, but even unkind and biased criticism can have a grain of truth to it, and ultimately be of some value.

I give myself a bit of time to sit with any feelings of irritation or hurt, then try to sift through the criticism to see which bits might be true and helpful and could provide guidance on how to improve my work. Any criticism which seems false or very unbalanced I ask for another opinion from someone I trust. If they agree that the negative feedback is wrong, I try to dismiss it from my mind.

What are your goals for your writing career, both in the short term and long term?

I am currently writing my fourth book in the Lindensea series, and have four more planned. I would also like to write a historical romance. My goals are to continue writing for as long as I can, and to keep growing and developing as a writer.

Can you share a piece of writing advice that has been particularly impactful for you? How has it influenced your writing process or career?

A Creative Writing professor at university told us, probably on day one, that if you sit around waiting for inspiration to strike, you will do very little writing. It is necessary to write every day and get into a routine. You need to write when you are tired, uninspired, brokenhearted, restless, daydreamy, distracted, or worried – just like any other job. 

We're thrilled to feature Ella as the next author in this series! Take a moment to check out her stories and show your support.

If you're interested in being featured as well, keep working on your story and submit it to our reading lists. We're always on the lookout for outstanding books to showcase and share with our audience.