What Inspires You? – Guest Post By Ellie Ann + Giveaway!

What Inspires You?

Guest Post By Ellie Ann

One question I inevitably get asked as a writer is, “Where does your inspiration come from?” I usually answer, “By shaking pixie dust over my head as I do the Macarana in the light of a crescent moon.” But for you, I’ll answer honestly.

I don’t know.

But the one thing I do know is that it’s inspiring to do art. All kinds of art. If I just swim in my novel writing pool I’ll get stagnant and tired–it’s when I branch out into other forms of art–when I do art badly and boldly in different fields, I get inspired. Then I can pull that excitement with me into my novel writing.

Last year I had just finished writing three novels, and I was beat. I felt like I’d just ran a marathon and I didn’t have any energy to take another step. That’s when I was asked to write a comic. What? I’d never written a comic before, but I figured it was just like writing a novel except all the prose was taken out. Awesome! I took the job.

Turns out writing comic scripts is a lot different than novel writing. Yeah, I had to eat a big dose of humble pie the first few drafts I turned in. The first script I got from my editor was returned to me with half of it cut. Eesh! It challenged me in completely new way, because I had to collaborate with an artist, producer, editors, co-writers, and because everything had to be shown, not told.

It was an amazing experience and helped take my novel writing to the next level. Now I’m able to show, not tell, a lot better than I did before. Branching out into different art forms helped my work, and it’s sure to help yours.

So if you ever feel sick and tired of writing, or need some extra gusto–then paint a picture or do macaroni art; write a comic or prune a bonsai tree; sew a quilt block or whittle a whistle; branch out into different art forms and you’ll definitely be inspired by it.

What other art forms do you practice?

The Silver Sickle by Ellie Ann

Add it to your Goodreads shelf / Amazon wishlist

The end of humanity will come through the Silver Sickle . . .

Farissa lives every moment with reckless abandon, for it may be her last. Any day now, the alien goddesses will harvest her and take her to the mysterious Silver Sickle, never to return. She’s accepted that. What she can’t accept is this new idea of freedom Zel has planted in her head. She’d give almost anything to be with Zel, but how can she run from her destiny if it means putting the whole kingdom in danger?

Everyone in the desert kingdom believes the goddesses are immortal, but Zel has invented a way to kill them. Now all he has to do is convince Farissa to run away with him and plant a seed of hope in her heart that she’s not destined to die. Little does he know that one seed of hope could change the course of the future.

Read An Excerpt!

“I don’t know why the King doesn’t have you in his harem.” His lewdness made her want to poke his eyes out with a scorpion claw. “I’d land you in bed any chance I could.”

Farissa took the money from her wallet. Still holding her breath, she tried not to move or else the great anger roiling in her might explode like a volcano. She kept her eyes down until she felt him reach over the counter.

“But I guess I can see why he doesn’t want you.” He touched a strand of her undone hair. “You are rather rough around the edges.”

For a moment she considered taking the crate and leaving. But something gave her pause. It wasn’t simply the haughty expression on his overinflated features that made her angry. It was his eyes that glanced at her and didn’t see a person, only meat.

She wanted to take something from him, as he’d done to her.

So she tilted her head up and said, “I will not take this load of sawdust. It is too thin. And it isn’t even made of carrizo like you promised. Are you trying to get me in trouble with my uncle? There’s no way he’d accept this.”

The man leaned forward, his fat belly bulging over the counter. Farissa tried not to gag on the stench of his breath. “This reed is as fresh as they come. It’s exactly what Hurin uses to keep his cogs dry.”

“Well.” Farissa sniffed. “We are not Hurin. There’s no way I’m paying fifty for this crate of rough-hewn shoe soles. Twenty, perhaps. But not fifty.”

Now the man was visibly angry. “You think me a fool? There’s no way I’m letting this go for twenty.”

“Do you know who I am?” she said, straightening to her full height.

The man started to smile. But the smile disappeared when Farissa continued. “I bet a man like you has heard of the Tyrant of Toureen.”

She covered her mouth and nose with her scarf, leaving only her eyes uncovered as she did every race. “You may have heard how I sliced off the Sand Lord’s finger with my dagger during the Nooching Race when he tried to cut my reins. Or maybe you’ve heard of the pileup on the Ghutan Trail, when I threw a rock at a lead horse and took out it and the four riders behind it.” The man backed away from the counter, rubbing his sweaty hands on his shirt. But Farissa wasn’t about to stop. “But surely you’ve heard of the fight after Reish, when the Nail Eater drew a knife on me and he ended up unconscious. You know what he’s called now? Hm?”

The man shook his hand so his fleshy cheeks wobbled.

I was born in the jungles of Thailand, was raised in a small farming village in Iowa, lived in the middle of a Texan desert, and now abide in the Ozarks. I get nerd points for being home schooled. I get nerd points revoked for being a basketball jock in high school. I get nerd points again for dressing as Aragorn for LOTR midnight showings. I’m trying to become a world-renowned geek.

I’m a creative editor for Stonehouse Ink. I’m a producer of enhanced digital books for Noble Beast Books. And I write comics for Motionworks Entertainment.

I like writing fairy tales, science fiction, thrillers, and am seriously interested in transmedia storytelling. I like reading and watching well-written adventures. Especially if they’re hilarious.

I’m specially qualified for the zombie apocalypse in that I know how to load and shoot guns, and I’m a long-distance runner. I’m specially qualified for the energy-crisis apocalypse in that I can ride a horse. I’m specially qualified for the dinoapocalypse or monster apocalypse in that I’m a certified nurse. And I’m specially qualified for the nuclear apocalypse in that I’m not afraid of death or growing a third eye.

email: ellieannwrites@gmail.com

twitter: @elliesoderstrom

Facebook: Ellie Soderstrom

Read my interviews:

AWESOMETOWN Interview with Knox McCoy

The Farthest Reaches: Behind the Words Interview with Jason McIntyre

The Giveaway!

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