Welcome to another writer feature! This interview is with Elodie Iver, a twenty year old author from Denton, Texas. She writes young adult, action/adventure, thriller, and gothic lit, and she’s been writing since she was in the fourth grade. You can find her two novels The Violet Theory and When the Blackbird Sings on amazon, check out her website here and follow her on Instagram @elodieiver.

What are you currently working on? When/where will it be available to read?

My second book, When the Blackbird Sings, is scheduled to be published on Halloween [2020]. It will be available on Amazon and Kindle. I’m also working on a gothic work in progress set in Paris!

Do you get strongly attached to your characters?

Very much so. I think it’s impossible not to. People always say there are plot-driven writers and character-driven writers. I’m definitely the latter.

What is something that, as a writer, you couldn’t live without?

Probably coffee! 

What inspired your novel, “The Violet Theory?”

I created the characters when I was 14, and they have kind of grown alongside me. It wasn’t until I was a senior in high school that I decided I wanted those characters to actually have a story. My favorite English teacher in high school had a purple question mark tattooed on her pinky. I guess that really stuck with me because when I sat down to write the book, I knew I wanted this idea of a purple question mark to be one of the main images. The theme of governmental conspiracy came after that and the story evolved from there. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of writing?

My favorite part about writing is that it allows me to express myself in ways that just aren’t feasible in everyday conversations. I love how it allows me to be as creative as my mind can expand, and that I can share that with the world around me. My least favorite part is the technical stuff that goes with it. Editing is the bane of my existence, I’d rather just freewrite all day long.

Can you share a quote/sneak peek from a current project?

Here is a bit from the first chapter! 

“When I see him, I’m going to kill him. 

Maybe they’ve broken me, and I’ve finally stopped being who I was the night that I lifted a blade to my throat and threatened to erase seventeen years of a crown’s reign. Maybe I’ve lost that goodness. I was a young, naïve girl, and maybe my fire has been traded for ice.”

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

I honestly wish my younger writing self could tell me a thing or two about courage and passion. When you grow up, you tend to stop focusing on why you love something, and begin to feel the heaviness of not doing that thing perfectly. If I could tell my young writing self anything, it would probably be to not let the love and passion for writing be tarnished by the fear of what other people might think. Write, and write bravely. Unconditionally. Guard your words and keep them close to your heart where no one’s abuses can make you feel less about them. 

Who is your favorite author? How have they affected your writing?

That’s a tough one! My favorite author is probably Gillian Flynn. She taught me that boundaries are meant to be broken and that unspoken rules defining genres are never concrete. Because of her I’ve pushed myself more creatively, and have written the things that have scared me. I also really admire her attention to details and how she doesn’t back down when writing well-developed female characters. 

What is your biggest writing struggle?

Imposter syndrome, definitely. I push myself really hard and sometimes become consumed with my projects. Despite knowing I’ve completed projects to the best of my ability, it’s still hard to fight the self doubt and recognize that my writing is valid, and that my work is something to be proud of. Self doubt is the killer of creativity, and I sometimes have a hard time planting myself in what is true instead of feeding into the lies my mind conjures up about myself and my ability. 

What advice would you give a less experienced writer?

Read intentionally and diversely. Once I became a writer, I started to read stories like they were textbooks. I analyzed the writing style and questioned creative choices to try and understand why an author would do certain things, and what effect it would have on the readers. It’s also important to not set boundaries when reading. You are doing a disservice to yourself by sticking to only the genres and writers that you’re comfortable with. Not only will expanding your literary consumption make you a better writer, but a more open-minded and empathic person as well.

Thank you to Elodie for her amazing interview! If you would like to be interviewed for my blog, send me a message on Instagram @elizarkent.