An Interview with Author Elaine Corvidae

http://onecrow.net/

Faith McKay

FantasyIsLove.com
Would you like to start off by introducing yourself?

Elaine Corvidae
My name is Elaine Corvidae, and I live in a little town just outside of Charlotte, NC, with my husband and several cats. I've been writing for most of my life, and have been published for about 6 years now. I write mainly dark fantasy, and the occasional science fiction.

FantasyIsLove.com
: How many books have you published?

Elaine Corvidae
I currently have nine available, with another already in the queue at the publisher. I'm also in the process of wrapping up a science fiction novel that I've been serializing for free on my website for the last three years.

Elaine Corvidae
And I've got a few random short stories in some anthologies as well.

FantasyIsLove.com
What inspired you to post the science fiction novel for free on your website?

Elaine Corvidae
A number of factors, I think. One is that I'm a big reader of webcomics, which are generally posted for free, and I wanted to give something back to the internet community. Another is that I'd never tried my hand at serious science fiction before, so if I turned out to be terrible at it, at least no one wasted their money on it! I also liked the idea of having to stick to a posting schedule. The idea that I couldn't go back and change things I'd already posted if I came up with something better later was terrifying--which clinched it for me. :-)

FantasyIsLove.com
I love that all of your reasons seem to be about advancing your writing capabilities. Have you taken many writing courses?

Elaine Corvidae
Not really. I had a creative writing class when I was a kid in public school, and I've taken an online class here or there. What helped most when I first got started as a writer was having a couple of really good critique partners who would tell me when something wasn't working. I also recommend Orson Scott Card's books on writing--one was How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the other was on characterization (I can't remember the title at the moment).

FantasyIsLove.com
What are your early writing stages like? Do you dive right in or make out meticulous outlines, etc.

Elaine Corvidae
I let the novel germinate for a while in my head before I ever put anything to paper (except maybe a few scrawled notes here or there). My first ideas are not usually my best, and sometimes it takes me a while to see the connections between disparate parts of the story, so letting everything stew a while is important to me. When I think I have an idea of where the story is going, I start to outline it. Some parts of the outline might be a lot more detailed than others if I have a clear idea of what is going to happen, while others may be very vague, and I figure out what I'm going to do as I actually write that portion of the book. Usually a novel mutates quite a bit as I write, so the early outlines seldom bear much resemblance to the final book. The major exception to that was Tyrant Moon, which more or less followed the entire original outline.

FantasyIsLove.com
How long does it usually take you to write a novel?

Elaine Corvidae
The average is about a year from start to finish. I've written one in as short as three months, and another took almost two years. I'm not really sure why some take longer than others--I guess they just come to me more easily. Curiously, the amount of research I have to do doesn't really seem to make much difference.

FantasyIsLove.com
How much time do you think you spend writing a week?

Elaine Corvidae
That varies tremendously. My hours at my day job can be highly variable, so the actual time I have allotted to write can vary hugely. If I get in the "zone," I can write for hours at a stretch, but other times I have to drag every word out and can only put in a couple of hours a day. If I had to average it all out, I'd say maybe five hours a week.

FantasyIsLove.com
What is the publishing process like?

Elaine Corvidae
Which part? ;-) Sending in a submission and waiting for acceptance or rejection is agonizing to everyone, I think. But the work only begins when the acceptance comes, and the contract signed. There's the edits, the galleys, getting advanced review copies printed and sent to reviewers that the publisher doesn't send copies to, the inevitable delays that are part and parcel of the biz...a lot of it is waiting broken up by frantic activity, lol. And of course once the book is out there (ideally before the book is out there), there is all the promotion and marketing to be done. It's a lot of work!

FantasyIsLove.com
Do you have a favorite and least favorite part of the process?

Elaine Corvidae
My favorite part is opening the first box of books I receive after the novel is published! I don't have a specific least favorite part, other than it all takes time away from writing the next book.

FantasyIsLove.com
Do you see yourself ever giving up writing?

Elaine Corvidae
About the time I give up breathing, yes. ;-) Seriously, though, it is the biggest part of who I am. I've made up stories for as long as I can remember, and I can't envision what my life would have been like otherwise. Even if I knew that I'd never have another book published, it wouldn't stop me from writing.

FantasyIsLove.com
Is fantasy always going to be there, or do you foresee yourself ever abandoning the genre?

Elaine Corvidae
I love fantasy too much to even consider abandoning it. I've always read fantasy, and even though I also enjoy the occasional mystery or horror book, they really make up a fairly small percentage of my reading. I love the freedom of the fantasy genre, both as a reader and a writer. No other genre has such wide boundaries--a book could be set (or based on) any place or time, inhabited by creatures and magic limited only by the author's imagination. There is room for an infinite number of stories. As a reader, fantasy challenges my ways of thinking and broadens my horizons like no other genre. As a writer, I can continuously push the limits of my own abilities.

FantasyIsLove.com
Are your friends and family supportive of your fantasy writing?

Elaine Corvidae
Extremely! I've been incredibly fortunate in that department. My husband is my biggest supporter--his encouragement and love are truly unending. All of my friends are terrific about it; I even have one who calls bookstores for me to set up signings because I feel horribly uncomfortable making those sorts of calls myself. Sadly, though, the cats don't seem to really care about my writing, and are quite willing to climb onto the keyboard at inopportune moments.

FantasyIsLove.com
Ha! I'm fighting Chloe (my stubborn cat with a strong attitude) off of my keyboard right now. She seems to think it's all about her. But it's fantastic that you have such a strong support system, I'm sure it helps keep you going! Do your family and friends seem to have a particular favorite of all your works?

Elaine Corvidae
Everyone has their own favorite. Several people seem to feel really strongly about the Tyrant Moon series, though.

FantasyIsLove.com
Including you? I'm curious because you said that Tyrant Moon had been the easiest for you to write.

Elaine Corvidae
It was very easy to write, but honestly, my favorite book is whatever I'm working on at the moment. I form a strong emotional attachment to my characters while I'm writing their stories, and it's hard for finished stories to compete with that. If I really had to pick just one, it would be Prince of Ash, because that book was the most fun to write, even if it wasn't the easiest.

FantasyIsLove.com
The fact that you seem to really love your work so much just makes me feel all excited about it. As a reader, your attitude is entirely what I love about reading. What are some of your favorite fantasy novels? (by other authors)

Elaine Corvidae
Louise Cooper's Time Master Trilogy made a huge impression on me when I was younger. The Silent Tower and The Silicon Mage by Barbara Hambley just blew me away when I first read them. The Fall of Ile-Rien series by Martha Wells, and The Wheel of the Infinite by the same author, are wonderful; I particularly love her use of settings not usually found in traditional fantasy, and her world-building is amazing. River by Skyla Dawn Cameron is a great read, and an example of how you can take something that seems done-to-death--in this case, werewolves in an urban fantasy setting--and make it fresh again. The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop is another favorite. And of course I love the Harry Potter books. :-)

FantasyIsLove.com
In closing, would you like to give a quick "Why you should check out onecrow.net and read my novels!" shout out?

Elaine Corvidae
You should check out my website and novels if you like character-driven fantasy with unique world building. I have the first chapter of every novel posted on my site, so that readers can figure out whether or not they're interested in a particular book. I also have free short stories posted to the site, and of course my free serialized sf novel, Exile's Burn.

To find out more about Elaine Corvidae and to check out her published works (including the free pieces provided on her website!) please visit http://www.onecrow.net/