Interview With Author Ellaura Shoop
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Pet Loss Specialist originally from PA but now residing in NC. I’ve written ten novels though not all of them are available for purchase right now. I’ve been teaching myself digital art and have started the process of creating new book covers using Clip Studio Paint. Most of my earlier work focused on the middle grade fiction genre. My favorite animals are meerkats and I’ve been obsessed with them since I was seven years old and started watching Meerkat Manor with my family. Which led to my first series being ‘The Meer’ and following a family of meerkats. Now my concentration has shifted to the young adult and adult genres.
Some of my hobbies include reading, drinking coffee, procrastinating, and playing with my pets. I have two dogs, three cats, and a guinea pig who require near constant attention or they become quite dramatic. They are some of my biggest inspirations when it comes to writing. I also offer a lot of freelance severances such as Alpha Reading on Fiverr. I’ve had three poems published in anthologies over the years, the most recent being ‘Black Licorice’ in issue 35 of The Literary Hatchet. I have short stories available to read for free on Reedsyprompts, Wattpad, and World Anvil. For subscribing (which is free) to my newsletter, Extraordinary Stories, you will receive a new short story about Alkyone in the welcome email. For even more opportunities to contribute and participate you can become a Patron! There’s also a few exclusive short stories only posted to Patreon. Tiers starts at only a dollar so consider checking it out. For fellow authors I sell helpful tips for cheap prices on Koji. That about sums up how I spend my time, now if I could only start making a living from it… Just kidding! (Not really, please buy my books!)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest work is entitled ‘Tribute’ and follows the teenage Ikarus in the days leading up to his fatal encounter with destiny. I’ve been interested in Greek mythology wince I read Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan in middle school. After that experience I hungered for more and more information on the topic. This led me to read The Iliad, The Odyssey, and a myriad of other books having to do with Ancient Greece and the Greek myths. I built up quite the collection and keep them all on my desk. It is a miracle that it hasn’t collapsed under such pressure. Once I read Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller my fate was sealed. I loved those books, and the more I thought about them, the more I realized that I had my own Greek mythology retellings to share.
The idea for Tribute came about one day during my deep-dive research period, where I had so many story ideas that I wasn’t sure which to chose from. To kick off my venture into this new genre I wanted to write a novella to introduce readers to my Greek mythology retellings, but who to write about? I started pouring over the myths, marking interesting facts and happenings with sticky notes. Eventually I began contemplating how Ikarus’ story is usually rendered. In school Ikarus was always taught as a parable, his story representing the ancient Greek view of ‘The Middle Way’ or ‘Nothing in excess’. The character of Ikarus always seemed to be painted as a sad, tragic figure who should have listened to his father or a defiant fool who refused to listen and paid the price. At least, that’s how I’d always interpreted it when he was presented in classes or in books.
I realized that I wanted to redeem Ikarus. I wanted to give his character depth, emotional complexity, and give his ending a new meaning. So I did.
Tribute grew from me asking myself, “What if Ikarus was more than the boy who flew too close to the sun?”
The choice to give Ikarus a chance to shine during Theseus’ well-known exploits was easy for me. I’ve been fascinated by the dark sides of the Greek heroes for years. I was so used to referring to them as ‘heroes’ that when I learned the extents of their dark sides while researching, it took me a long time to wrap my head around. The role that myth played in ancient society took on a whole new meaning to me and I began to yearn to cast these so-called heroes in a more modern spotlight, let the world judge them for themselves.
I started with Theseus, and I don’t plan to stop there. Theseus was once my favorite Greek hero until I learned of his violent exploits and various rapes. While I was cultivating the Ikarus story, trying to figure out how to give Ikarus a chance to grow into his wings, I realized that I could explore the young Theseus alongside Ikarus by forcing them to work together. Who was Theseus to Ikarus before he developed his dark side?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I have many unusual writing habits. I do tend to get ahead of myself and change the beginning of my books more than I change the ending or middle. As I write I realize that I could add more tension or foreshadowing if I added a new opening scene. This means that a lot of my writing is just all over the place. I tend to try my hardest to schedule my writing and anything else I need to do and yet somehow always fail to follow the schedule. I try to keep count of my writing progress by tracking my word goals and targets in a planner and then ticking the boxes once I’ve met them. After a week I lose track because I forget to write down my daily word count. Sometimes I don’t outline until I’m halfway through with a novel. I try to limit my writing sessions to 500-700 words a session to keep from burning out or getting carpal tunnel. Instead of writing a lump sum all at once I try to write 500 words during three-four forty minute sessions a day, making sure to give myself breaks in between.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name! Here’s my condensed list:
Warriors series by Erin Hunter
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller
Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony by Roberto Calasso
Wereworld series by Curtis Jobling
The Seekers, Survivors, and Bravelands series by Erin Hunter
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
The Unwanteds series by Lisa Mcman
Song of Sacrifice by Janell Rhiannon
Lord of The Silver Bow by David Gemmell
Crocuta by Katelyn Rushe
Hunter’s Unlucky by Abigail Hilton
Moon Chosen by P. C. Cast
Anything from the Avatar: The Last Airbender verse
The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E. Owen
What are you working on now?
I’m working on so many projects right now! My main WIP follows the goddess Athena during the events of the Iliad through to the fall of Troy. I started it for Nanowrimo and though I’ve surpassed 50,000 words in it I’ve yet to wrap it up. This will be one of my longest novels yet! As soon as it’s finished, I’ll make it available to read in rough draft form on Kindle Vella. Once I do a second round of edits and polish it with a nice cover, I’ll publish it to Amazon in paperback and ebook formats with maybe a new short story or sneak peek thrown in. Keep an eye out!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I think I get the most traction on Facebook and through my newsletter, Extraordinary Stories. I’ve also been trying to branch out into TikTok as well. Though I’ve just learned about Awesome Gang I’m very happy with it so far! If everything continues to go smoothly then I’ll definitely be returning to promote with Awesome Gang again!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
There is so much (hopefully useful) advice I could give. There’s a few big things to keep in mind when beginning a career as an author. As cheesy as it sounds, the most important thing is: Don’t give up. There’s a lot of negativity in the world. There’s going to be people who don’t understand your book and don’t like your style. Take criticism with a grain of salt and move on. Remember that you don’t need a degree in literature to write a book, nor do you have to spend a small fortune on hiring an editor. You are the best gage of your talents. If you are good enough at self-editing then don’t spend the money on an editor. If you know that your editing skills are poor at the moment than consider hiring an editor. While it’s easier to make money when you have money to burn on ads and editors and fancy book covers, it’s okay if you don’t have the funds for those things. Do what you can and don’t let your bank account determine whether you write a book. Writing to me is about creating something I would like to read. Writing is more than a career, it’s cathartic and fun. Getting published or becoming a millionaire might not even be your goal. Every path is valid and you can always chose a new one on your writing journey if you need to. It’s possible to succeed without spending money you don’t have if you preserve against negativity and don’t give up.
Keep improving. That’s not to say that your writing is bad, just that no one is perfect and one should never be content with stagnation. Keep learning. Reading is one of the most helpful tools to me as an author. Reading good books not only increases my mood, and lessens the chances of developing writers block, but helps to teach me how good writing is done by providing an example. And practice. You will get better as you practice. Remember that you don’t have to heed the advice of everyone. Some people are going to tell you to make changes due to their preferences. Sometimes their preferences may align with most readers and the advice is helpful and you’d do well to take it. Other times it’s not. Make the changes you agree with to better your writing. If you feel strongly that a change will not help your writing then don’t take it. Also make sure to edit your writing from a fresh perspective. Distance yourself before asking hard questions. You might personally love your work but don’t let that blind you to things like plot holes or lacking character development. After finishing a book I order the proof copy in paperback from Amazon and then make myself wait at least a month to edit it. With the distance that time provides it’s easier to catch mistakes and figure out any pieces that need rewritten or cut entirely.
Do what feels best to you. Succeeding as an author is not done on a unilateral line, there are many different ways to achieve your goals. Find what works for you even if it contradicts anything I’ve said above. Believe in yourself!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best writing advice I’ve ever received is the (potentially cliche) “You can’t edit a black page.” I can’t remember who first said it but it’s advice I do my best to remember. I’m someone who abhors drafting. When I write something I want it to be perfect the first time. Beyond spelling mistakes or grammar errors, I can’t stand writing something that isn’t otherwise going to be worth sharing with the world. All that pressure can make it difficult to write. I have to pump myself up and assure myself that it’s okay not to write something fantastic on the first try. I have to give myself room to fail and to hate what I’ve written and to grow from that. It’s allowed me to learn how to improve my writing. You won’t be able to improve your writing is there’s nothing to look back on and compare it to. Write without the pressure.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading ‘On Writing and Worldbuilding Volume III’ by Timothy Hickson. Hickson has written some of the best writing advise books out there, in my opinion. The tips are easy to follow and understand. Though it’s not the usual fantasy fiction books I read for fun, I’m still greatly enjoying it. Hopefully my writing will improve from the experience as well.
What’s next for you as a writer?
A great many things I hope! I’m planning on writing several Greek mythology retellings with a focus on the gods and their perspectives. I feel like the gods don’t get their own fleshed out character arcs in a lot of stories so I want to explore their thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Once I’m done with my untitled Iliad retelling I’ll get to work on another new genre to me: YA mystery. For years I’ve had the story of an unlikely teenage sleuth in my head, I think it’s about time I gave her voice. I’ve also been accumulating and writing my own tips for other authors that I plan to publish in paperback format once I have enough to fill a book. After that things are more up in the air but I have started a little adult historical fantasy romance with some spice. Along the way I’ll keep practicing digital art, maybe giving little updates and sneak peeks of character sketches. Stay tuned for all those wonderful, random upcoming things.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. Warriors: Crowfeather’s Trial by Erin Hunter
2: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
3. Six of Crows by Leah Bardugo
4. Skyfire by Jess E. Owen
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