AUTHOR INTERVIEW with ELLE SEON --
Born to humble beginnings in the beautiful twin islands of
Trinidad and Tobago Elle Seon, whose full name is Michelle Seon, migrated to
the mosaic that is Toronto at the tender age of three.
Elle started writing at a
very young age using poetry as a way to reveal the mask of feelings that she
wore. Soon enough though poetry was not enough and she tried her hand at short
stories. Eventually, the short stories soon began to lengthen and the
transition from short stories to full novels was seamless.
She recently published her first book of poetry entitled
Elleoquently Yours Volume I: Life & Love and plans to release her first
full-length novel in January.
She seemingly has an endless
amount of roles that she plays and hats that she wears. Author, motivational
speaker, and activist, but when asked about which of her roles brings her the
most joy the answer is almost immediate – motherhood. Elle is a proud mother to
two beautiful little girls, who she praises for giving her constant inspiration
and motivation.
: What compelled you to write your first book?
My first book was written because I had gotten a lot of
great feedback on my poetry. Many people said they could relate and wanted to
read more or have it in book form. Hence Elleoquently Yours was born.
: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I actually used to want to be a marine biologist but I have
always had a knack for writing and I loved the creative freedom that it allowed
me to have. I have always written but finally decided to pursue it
professionally a few years ago.
: Tell us a little bit about your book/s. What
are their titles; which is your favorite if you have more than one, and briefly
let us know what they are about. Pay particular attention to your most recent
book and/or your first book:
My book is called Elleoquently Yours Volume I: Life and
Love. It is a poetry book separated into two sections. The first section called
Life focuses on many topics like growing up. It covers many social issues also
features some inspirational pieces. The second section called Love focuses on
the many phases that one must go through when in love from break ups to make
ups and everything in between.
: Are you currently working on any writing
projects our readers should watch for release soon?
I am putting the final changes on A Path for Lilly, which is
expected to be out in mid to late January. It is my first full-length novel
being released. I am also planning to release my first young adult novel which
I have already started later in the year. Both are projects I am super excited
about.
: How did you feel the day you held the copy
of your first book in your hands?
Holding my book for the first time felt like it did when I
held my daughters for the first time. It is a lot of yourself that goes into
creating a book and especially poetry, which is very personal so it really is a
labour of love. It was a remarkable feeling to hold my book for the first time
and it made me feel so proud and motivated to see my name on more covers.
: What type of music, if any, do you listen to
while you write?
That really depends on what I am writing. I find if I am
writing poetry love songs tend to inspire me or classical music from artists
like Kenny G or Yanni.
.
: What inspires you and motivates you to write
the very most?
Social issues inspire me to write novels and my family has a
lot of rich history so I tap into that for motivation. As for poetry it is
definitely love that motivates me. I do not necessarily mean romantic love but
I enjoy exploring different types of love.
: What one thing are you the most proud of in
your life?
I have been through a lot in my 25 years, so I am very proud
of where I am today. I am most proud though of launching my newest initiative
called The Power of One, which is a campaign aimed at building our community by
combating issues such as abuse, bullying and mental illness.
: What about your family? Do you have
children, married, siblings, parents? Has your family been supportive of your
writing?
I have two amazing daughters who are seven and 15 months as
well as a very special man in my life. My family actually did not know that I
was pursuing writing on a professional level until I started taking college
courses for it. They are supportive of my writing and very proud of my first
book.
: The main characters of your stories - do you
find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them
to be completely different from you?
I try not to give too much of myself into my characters or
even give them too many characteristics of someone I know. I find when you do
that you lose the character and they become that person they are based on. I
will select little things like an eye color or one personality trait, or maybe
a saying. That is about the extent of it though; I love to be able to have my
imagination run wild when creating a new character.
: Is there an established writer you admire
and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?
I do not have a writing mentor; I would have to say that you
Patti have been such a remarkable mentor for me throughout this whole process. It
is difficult in Canada to find help when you are not an established writer.
: When growing up, did you have a favorite
author, book series, or book?
Growing up I loved Isabelle Allande. I read The House of the
Spirits repeatedly. I started reading at a very early age and by middle school,
I was reading adult novels. I absolutely love Harry Potter, the whole series is
brilliantly written even as an adult now I enjoy the books.
: What about now: who is your favorite author
and what is your favorite genre to read?
As an avid reader, I wish I could say that I have one
favorite author, but I do not. I do love Maya Angelou and Omar Tyree as well as
some classics like Shakespeare.
: Bring us into your home and set the scene
for us when you are writing. What does it look like? On the couch, laptop,
desk? Music? Lighting, handwriting?
Ironically enough I cannot write in my home. There are far
too many distractions for me at home with two young kids so I tend to go to
local coffee shops late at night or on weekends to do my writing.
: Do you watch television? If so, what are
your favorite shows? Does television influence of inspire your writing?
I am not a big TV person but I am a huge fan of Tyler Perry
and his movies. His story is so inspirational!
: Now that you are a published author, does it feel
differently than you had imagined?
Being able to put the word published in front of author feels
even better than I imagined. It is something that I have always wanted but
never imagined that it could happen. To be completely honest it still has not
quite sunk in, I still pick up my copy and look at it quite often.
Would like to thank Elle Seon for answering our questions. To listen to Elle LIVE on my Blog Talk Radio program this next Tuesday, December 27th, at 5:30pm Arizona, USA time. 4:30 PT; 6:30 CT; 7:30 ET.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kwodradio/2011/12/28/following-your-writing-dreams-into-2012-with-elle-seon
Listen to internet radio with KWOD Radio on Blog Talk Radio
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