In Conversation ... with Elaine Ouston

     

In Conversation with 

Elaine Ouston

Tell us about your most recent publication. 

I have long been bothered by the amount of graffiti and other forms of destruction of public and private property I see and decided to write a book for children that would help them realise how wrong it is, how the person on the other end of their abuse feels and how they would feel if it was done to them or something or someone they loved.

The book is Fearless Friends- Graffiti Fighters. Hopefully, some will take the message on board.

Published @ MORRIS PUBLISHING AUSTRALIA

You can read more information and a review by author and school teacher Robert Favretto on the Morris Publishing Australia website: 

What do you enjoy most about the writing community?

I enjoy the encouragement and support writers, published or otherwise, give to each other. We are always there to share the moments, good or bad that occur. Being an author is full of highs and lows and having this support helps make it worthwhile.

What is the hardest aspect of promotion?

Getting others to believe in your book as much as you do is difficult. There are so many great choices out there for readers. Reaching your audience takes a lot of work. But it can be done. Blog sites like this one and their owners are valuable to authors. You have to spend as much time promoting it as you can and look for many avenues of promotion.

Why are writing workshops so valuable?

When aspiring writers ask me if I think workshops are necessary, I usually ask them if they would go to a doctor who had no training, just the desire to be a doctor.

No matter what you want to do in life, education is vital. Having a good imagination is not enough. To create a story that your reader will enjoy takes much knowledge of story structure and much more. There are so many things to learn. I went as far as getting a Masters of Letters in creative writing to make sure I had that knowledge but that is not necessary for all. The local writers’ centre and many other places offer valuable workshops and I urge aspiring writers to take their courses.

Have you had a fan moment and met somebody famous? Tell us about it.

I had the pleasure of meeting Australian author Matthew Reilly at a writers’ conference where I was speaking. We had a chat about how difficult it is to get started in the industry. Matthew couldn’t get a publisher to take his first book, Contest, so he self-published it. It was so successful that publishers were more than happy to take on his subsequent books.

So being rejected does not mean your books won’t be popular with readers. It is important that if you take the self-publishing route you make sure your book is professionally edited and created in a professional way as Matthew did.

 

Do you have any writing rituals you can share?

Getting writing time is difficult for most of us. I spend a lot of time on my computer editing and setting up books for others. I usually set a day for writing. I check emails at my office desk before I start then close the computer down until I finish my writing for the day.

I find that if I try to use the same computer and area for writing I am too distracted by emails etc. I have a laptop that I use to write, and I can move that to wherever I feel comfortable; another position in the office, the back verandah if the weather is nice or my comfortable recliner chair in the lounge if I need extra comfort. I don’t connect it to the internet so I can’t be distracted by emails etc.

Do you have a favourite character from your stories? Spill the beans and tell us about them. 

In this book, all the characters are close to my heart as I have used the personality and names of some of my grandchildren to create this story. Evie is an active and feisty child, and I had no trouble imagining how she would react in the situations in this story, so she became the main character.

How can we learn more about you? 

 

  

 

    

Thank you for joining In Conversation this week. Remember to always 

Dream Big ... Read Often.