Welcome to my in-depth writers series Fighting Prose. Where I talk to authors in the industry on what their process is like and what it takes for them to keep on creating, through all the odds.

This weeks interview is

with

Elle Ann Brown!

How long have you been writing?

Fiction writing since 2016, but I also wrote five two-act plays for youth dinner theaters from 2005-2009 and always enjoyed writing throughout school.

If you've written several books, which is your favorite?

I joke this is like picking your favorite kid, but I think my favorite is Mental Perspective because I got to tell the series story from the guy's point of view and it stretched me as a writer.

What's your favorite genre to read? Write?

I really like anything with a love story and also dystopian type stories. I also tend to gravitate to stories that have main characters in YA and NA ranges.

How do you get in the mood to write?

Since I write while at home with my 4 kids, I have to get up and down dozens of times, but I typically light a candle and go for it. I try to write until a scene is done so I don't forget the feelings and emotions that are going into the story. And lattes. I make those a bunch too.

How do your characters come together?

I usually have the characters loosely sketched from the very beginning when I have the skeleton of the story, but they come to life as I write them, i.e quirks and how the respond to each other. Usually in all of my initial brainstorming of the plot, the characters don't have a name, but once I pick their names, the muscles and skin start to bring the character to life in my mind.

How do you get your ideas?

My ideas usually come in the form of a question: How would a story about XYZ play out? And then I go from there. Some scenes I base off of real life experiences, like when my husband and I went on a couples painting class date, and other times I use good ol' google if I need to know what it looks like during the fall in New York.

What do you admire the most about the writing world?

OH MAN, that is a huge question. I didn't actually start reading for pleasure until I was 32 years old, so the literary world is still relatively new to me. I try to take something away from every book I read and use it to help perfect my skill, even though I am mostly reading for entertainment.

If you're not busy writing, what are you busy doing?

Mom. I mom so hard. My kids range from 14-5 and are in a mixture of online and local public schools, so my days are full. I also pastor a church with my husband where music is a major part of my life. My first love, if you will. :)

Have you always been creative?

Other than writing, I am a musician and singer, as I said above, but I also made custom cakes and cookies for weddings, birthdays, baby showers, gradations, etc. from 2009-2017. I actually stopped when writing became a part of my life because it was too much to keep on juggling both at the same time. Maybe one day I will pick it back up, but I enjoy writing so much that I don't miss baking really.

Have you ever had writers block? If so, how did you get out of it?

I think about this sometimes because I don't think I have had writers block, *knock on wood*. I will say that sometimes it flows a lot easier than others, and if that is happening I just don't force it and go back to it later.

When you sit down to write, is it easy or hard? If it's hard, what makes you keep showing up?

The hardest thing about writing for me is overthinking. I will look at a sentence and can see five different ways to say the same thing, so trying to pick the version I like the most is what I probably spend too much time on.

For a writer starting out what advice would you give them?

Have your main idea of the plot, and go for it. Don't worry about how many words you have down or even what genre it will fit in (I still can't pick the right one for myself either) and let it come to life. You are the one telling the story, so take it where you want. If you have an idea, jot it down so you don't forget. I usually have a running note on my phone for ideas on my current WIP and books yet to be written.

What is your dream writing location?

My family and I went on a twelve-day RV trip from Texas to Idaho and back a couple of summers ago, and that was so cool to write while having some of the best scenery to enjoy. However, most of the time I am writing on my couch or the desk at home.

In reference to your books, what question do you get asked the most?

What is your book about? Which I never know how to answer of course, mostly because of spoilers, ha!

If you could bring one of your characters to life who would it be? Why?

Wow, what an awesome thought! I'm going to have to go with Luka on this one. He looks at the gift of life in a way I wish I could every day.

What do you think makes a good story?

When I get drawn in and can picture the scene in my head like a movie and feel connected to the characters, that is a great story. Even more so if it makes me want to binge. If it takes me more than three days to read a book, that usually means I am not as into it.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I always thought I would be a teacher, but my mom thought I would be a professional cheerleader. In a way, I have traits of both. I help my kids with their school and (most days) enjoy it, and I am a natural encourager to others. Plus, does the inner cheerleader ever die? Mine hasn't. ;)