Ella’s writing tips!
Meet Ella Kahan-Taylor! At 15 years of age, Ella is a new author releasing her debut young adult novel ‘Star’s Can’t Shine Without Darkness’ under the Marginal Publishing House. We asked her a few questions about her writing process and what inspires her to be creative.
What inspired you to start writing?
Although I have been writing since I could hold a pencil, I can remember what inspired me to start writing. The first story I wrote was a 3 part series called Bob Bungalow. I don’t remember much about it other than it was inspired by the book Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. So, I suppose that book is what inspired me to start writing.
What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?
Don’t be too hard on yourself, especially when you’re just starting out. Having high expectations of yourself, in the beginning, can be a good thing but being overly critical of yourself can be demotivating and hurt your self-esteem. Make sure not to get the two mixed up and be sure to take care of yourself!
What comes first for you-the plot or the characters?
I think characters are a priority in Stars Can’t Shine Without Darkness. It’s a character-driven story, which mainly focuses on relationships between characters and inner character development.
What is the most difficult part about writing for you?
For me, the most difficult part about writing is being overly critical about little details. I may have writing sessions where I have been staring at my page of words, not liking anything I have written and doubting my own ability. But, other times, I may get into the flow of writing and be proud of what I have written. It has definitely been a challenge to get into that state as much as possible.
Is there a lot to do before you jump in and start writing your story?
I like to grab a cup of tea, sit on the sofa with my laptop tray and put on a ‘write with me’ YouTube video (usually by Abbie Emmons) to play in the background. I like to have my chapter outlines and Pinterest board open on another tab so I can flip between them whilst I’m writing. Then I’m ready to go!
How do you think being a writer has helped you as a person?
Being a writer helps me see the world from multiple different viewpoints. I have to step into the shoes of each of my characters and understand why they act the way that they do, even at times when I wouldn’t make the same choices they do. This helps me in daily life, as I can see things from other people’s perspectives, and become more open-minded by not just seeing things from my point of view.
How do you deal with the emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing?
When writing, I want to achieve that emotional impact, as I want my readers to feel impacted emotionally, so usually I feel a sense of achievement. But if I am strongly affected, which has happened when writing a few chapters, I will take a break, drink my tea, and come back to writing later.
Describe your perfect book hero or heroine.
For me, it’s useless reading a character with unachievable, stereotypical heroic traits, like ‘’super strength’’. It may sound generic, but it is very important to me that a strong hero or heroine has to be relatable in the way that they show emotion. That is real super strength.