Today we are talking with Avalon Roselin about her creative process. Avalon Roselin is the author of Stellar Eclipse, Like Falling Stars, and ALiCE.
About Author
As an independent author, Avalon Roselin’s goal is to explore as many different genres as she can. Her focus right now is on an urban fantasy/thriller-mystery series, and her plans for future books include a magical school story, an animal fiction drama, and a sci-fi romance with robot characters. She hopes to have a wide range of stories under my belt eventually!
So let’s get into the questions!
First, tell us about your book!
My most recent release is the second book in the Stellar Eclipse series, Dark Lightning! This sequel builds on the relationships founded in the first, and introduces more elements of fantasy-adventure as they journey into new environments that expand on the lore and world of the Stellar Eclipse series.
How did you come up with this idea? What inspired you?
I’ve always loved camping! As a child, my family would take me camping at least once a year, and I’ve been in love with the outdoors ever since. In fact, the very first rough draft of Dark Lightning was completed on a camping trip! The first book in the Stellar Eclipse series, Cloudless Rain, takes place almost exclusively in an urban setting, so I wanted to explore beyond the city limits and introduce the readers to more of the natural world that the series is set in.
Tell us a little bit about your main character(s). Were you inspired by anyone particular when writing them?
All of my characters carry some of myself within them. For example, Eureka’s fear of heights–that’s all me. I can’t even climb up a ladder at a playground without freezing up, so it was cathartic to express that fear through him having to climb trees that are multiple stories tall!
What about your setting? What inspired you to choose where the story took place?
Despite my aforementioned fear of heights, I’ve always been fascinated by giant trees and the idea of living in them. I took many trips to the redwood forests during my childhood, and I think it was here that my desire to write a story where a society of people live in such massive trees began!
Obviously, stories change from their initial inception. How has your story changed while working on it?
Dark Lightning is actually an older story despite being a sequel, so it had to change a lot as its predecessor did. One of the biggest changes was shifting the setting–originally, the main characters passed through the forest on the way to the mountains, where the second and third acts took place. In the final version, they stay in the forest, which allows the story to move forward with the plot much faster and gives more time to develop characters that will return in future installments!
What is your writing process like?
I start with outlining and planning, then draft and redraft as many times as I feel is necessary, until I think I’m ready to show my work to people. After that the unfinished manuscript is shown to beta readers to get feedback on the story, and I make adjustments and general improvements as needed. Next it goes to my content editor, who goes into more depth of which specific details or plot points should be altered to tell the story I really want to tell. I revise again, then go over the semi-final draft with my line editor. Once everything’s set, I send it off to my proofreader, and then it’s ready for publication! Dark Lightning finished this process in the shortest amount of time (just under two years), but I anticipate the next book will take 2-3 years.
What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?
I actually love the editing process. Seeing my story become its best self is a beautiful and wonderful thing, and even if it’s hard, it’s always rewarding and I learn something new about how to write better.
What was the most difficult part in writing your book? How did you overcome it?
Committing to major changes is always difficult. There’s always a sense of doubt, and I tend to question my judgment quite a bit, but thankfully my critique partners and editors are usually available to talk it through and, usually, they’re good changes.
Now let’s talk personal inspiration: did anyone or anything inspire you to be a writer?
I always loved writing as a hobby when I was a kid, but it was a particularly spirited discussion on The Giver in middle school that inspired me to take it seriously!
Finally, do you have any words of inspiration or tips to new authors?
Never let the fear of writing something that’s not “good” stop you! All writing has worth as practice, and you never know what ideas you might reuse later.
Thank you for joining us today! If you’re interested in [author], check out the links below!
Social Media
Books
Until next time,
E.S. Barrison
E.S. Barrison 
Love the idea of living in trees…
LikeLike