We caught up with author Max Ellendale and heard about her work, her plans for leading the upcoming Genre Writers’ Workshop on July 6, and her habit of acquiring local accents while traveling.
Check out Max’s website at www.maxellendale.com and her blog at maxellendale.wordpress.com.
So, Max, what have you written and what’s it about?
I have a few projects that I’m working on at the moment but the most prominent is my Legacy Series, starting with book one titled, Glyph. This particular piece follows protagonist, Shawnee, as she navigates through the denial that’s left her blind to the world around her. Shawnee’s a doctor who finds herself working for a corrupt organization that experiments on werewolves and other werespecies. Glyph is categorized as a paranormal romance. So, if you like werewolves, quirky characters, and survivor tales, this might tickle your fancy! Book 2 in the series is complete as well and in the hands of my lovely editor. Glyph’s print release is due any moment! I’m really excited about that. eBooks are lovely but there’s nothing as satisfying as holding a book in your hands.
Hey, I know a guy writing a story JUST like that! Except the heroine is a snake instead of a wolf, and she has this boyfriend who is a scientist, and he doesn’t know, and when he finds out he tries to trap her in snake form and sell her to a special zoo… but the author is stuck. How will your workshop help him?
This workshop in particular is geared toward providing writers (both new and more experienced) with tools that can help “unstick” their work. We’ll be talking about plot turns and sub-plots that often help propel a story forward while keeping reader interest. We’ll also talk about character development. Plot-driven novels are great, but we cannot forget about depth of character. Character-driven stories are equally important! (We’ll talk about that, too!) I’m big on handouts and providing writers with something to take away with them!
What is a day in your life like? I can’t imagine having the time AND discipline to make fantasies into stories and books. Do you have a personal assistant and a private spa with a masseuse and a chef?
*blinks* wait… what? Spa? Assistant? Authors are supposed to have these things?! Dammit! Sigh… I knew I was missing something. All kidding aside, right now I have a day job (often referred to by emerging writers as the EDJ, or evil-day-job). So Monday through Friday, I’m a 9 to 5er… and then a 6 to midnight-er. Writing being the latter and weekends. A typical weekday for me is waking up way too early and spending at least fifteen minutes talking myself into getting out of bed to go to work. After that, I work at a counseling program for seriously mentally ill adults. I have a prior degree and clinical counseling license, though I recently received my MFA in Creative Writing and I’m working on making a big career change. So… I work at the program all day, then come home to my dogs. I spend some time with them and make dinner then it’s right into my home office for writing time. I’m not always as productive as I like. As I don’t yet have an agent, I’m my own publicist, director of marketing and promotions, financial manager, blogger, accountant, bookkeeper, etc. etc. I also do individual manuscript consultation and mentoring. I have several private clients that I currently work with and I’ve loved it so far! I really love helping writers find their voice and their story. The weekends are a bit different. I’m a night owl, so most of my work is done after sunset. Weekends are spent grumbling about daylight then working well into the early morning hours. How do I have the energy for all of this? Well… I don’t really, but coffee helps. Lots and lots of coffee. Coffee and writing are soulmates. I’ve come to a point where I’ve accepted that until I make the great leap and fully change my career, I’m going to have to manage my time well. And struggle with the emotional burden of my choices at times. All of it though makes for good stories and poetry. In the end, I know it will be worth it.
You have a full-time job, you’re writing a series of books, and you also have other projects? Wow. What other projects?
Of course! Along with Glyph and it’s sequel, I’m working on book 3 in the series. Right now I’ve got at least 5 books planned for the Legacy Series. I’m not sure how far I will take it. Only the characters can tell me that, but they’re being rather shy at the moment. I’ve also completed a Young Adult fantasy manuscript which I’m trying to get an agent to represent. I started the query process a little over a month ago and I’m hoping for some positive responses! That story follows an orphaned protagonist named Jessica who’s just learning the consequences of dabbling in not-so-good magic. It’s a softer fantasy rooted in practical means. There won’t be any wand waving or broomstick-ing in that story! In other projects, I’m working on another Young Adult manuscript that I like to call an “apocalypse tomorrow” kind of story. It’s not really sci-fi or dystopian. I’m not sure what genre it is just yet but I’m sure I’ll know by the end of the first draft! That’s all the work I’m doing on the genre fiction front. In the literary world, I’m working on a poetry chapbook. It’s nearly complete but I’m still very nervous about my literary stuff, especially nonfiction. It makes me panic a bit!
What do you like to do besides write? Do you have any hobbies?
I like to travel. I spent a significant period of time in Australia. Actually, large portions of Glyph were written while I was staying in Melbourne. And, yes, I did return to America with an accent. It took several months for me to ditch the high rising terminal at the end of my sentences. Some phrases have become permanent though! Other portions were written while in Los Angeles on a long layover, and I have Boston to thank for bits of chapter two. My next destination is Ireland. Other than travel, I play guitar (not very well), draw and paint (also not very well). Photography is a passion of mine, too. And of course, reading. Reading is just as important to me as writing.