Author Friends: MV Ellis

Are you a panster or a plotter?

I’m what I’d describe as a recovering panster. Catching London was produced totally by the seat of my pants – sometimes there were no pants at all, if I’m totally honest! Since then, in the interests of bringing more beautiful words to more readers, more often, I’m on the way to pantsing recovery. For my second book, I plotted, but I can’t truthfully say I stuck to the plot all the time, as this definitely wasn’t the case. Maybe I’ll be more diligent with number three…who knows?

Do you believe in Writer’s Block? If so, how do you kick its arse?

I’ve never personally suffered from Writer’s Block, thankfully, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think it exists. I believe it’s very real for those who suffer from it – though hopefully I’ll never join their ranks. However, on occasion, I’ll find myself a little ‘stuck.’ This might mean I’ve written myself into a corner (that’s where those plans come in handy, if you have them!), or I’ve just run out of energy and/or inspiration for that day, or writing session. For these moments, I’ve found it best to give myself a break in some shape or form. This might be simply moving on to a different scene, chapter, or even project, and returning later with ‘fresh’ eyes. Other times it’s best to change things up completely, and do something entirely different. I might chose another creative pursuit to keep the juices flowing – maybe I’ll watch TV, listen to music, or even read a book. Other times it’s best to switch off completely – hang out with my family, go to the beach, meet a friend for coffee, or even take a nap (this last one almost never happens!). One of the most interesting, but also frustrating things about being a writer is that no two days are ever the same, so the options for how things might pan out are endless…

What book is your comfort read on a bad day? The one you go back to reread over and over.

Unusually, I’m not really one for re-reading books, or re-watching movies. If I read something, it tends to be something I’ve never encountered before.

Describe your perfect writing space:

I currently write at the end of our 3m long kitchen table. This is not a description of my perfect writing space. I have a home office which can currently best be described as a junk room (and that’s being polite). I have minimalist leanings, so I would love a large airy white space with minimal but pretty furniture, and maybe a few stunning black and white photos for inspiration, but not much else. That, or a beach in the Maldives. One can dream…

Do you write your title first or story first?

I write the story first generally, and then the title tends to fall from the narrative, but there are no hard and fast rules.

And lastly, write a one or two paragraph flash fiction inspired by the last photo or text you got on your phone:

Text (excerpt from Catching London): My hair is piled up in a messy bun. Okay, so there’s a fair bit of side boob action happening, but my For Love and Lemons triangle bra is taking care of it pretty well.
Flash Fiction
That doesn’t stop him from looking at me like he’s a starving wolf, and I’m a lamb to the slaughter. It’s a pretty accurate description of what’s going on between us right now. We’re a foregone conclusion. I don’t know when we switched from being an ‘if’ to a ‘when,’ but somewhere along the way it happened, and now we’re on like Donkey Kong. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon…
He stalks closer, sweeping another admiring glance over me. His desire blazes in his eyes like the fire of a thousand suns, and is as palpable as if it were a third person in the room between us. Every instinct is telling me to run, to get the hell out of there as fast as my legs will carry me. Despite knowing we have instincts for a very good reason, my brain has decided to pick today to override those instincts and follow my heart, rather than my gut. Actually, I’m not following anything. I’m not moving at all, in fact. I’m rooted to the spot, as solidly as an ancient oak in an undiscovered forest.
Lamb to the slaughter.
Be still my bleating heart.

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Bio

MV ELLIS knows what it’s like to fall head over heels in love with a badass musician. She followed her heart halfway around the world to be with one. She moved from London to Sydney after a steamy holiday romance with a sexy bass player in sultry Brazil.

Twelve years, two children and a dog later, and she’s still smitten. All this with a guy she sat next to on a bus for 36 hours! She has toured internationally as a ‘WAG’, and her experiences inspire her writing.

Ellis’ love of romance began when she was 11 years old, after a summer spent secretly reading her auntie’s books. She’s been a sucker for an alpha hero and strong heroine ever since.

An avid reader, Ellis always knew that she’d write a book of her own one day. She was right about that. Following a career spanning advertising, marketing, and social media, she finally wrote Catching London in 2017.

 

Bio