My featured guest today is author Author CM Doporto. She is the author of The Eslites, a Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy short story. I asked her to discuss her writing with us today. The interview is below.
To learn more about CM Doporto, check out her links:
Visit her heroine blog at: http://cmdoporto.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cmdoportowriter
Twitter: @cm_doporto
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cmdoporto
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/cmdoporto
Email: cmdoporto@att.net
I really enjoyed reading The Eslites. What inspired you to write the story?
I had a dream a few days before Halloween that was a cross between Avengers and The Hunger Games. I immediately wrote it down and a few days later decided to write it for a short story contest.
When I finished reading, I was really compelled to find out what happened next. Do you plan on continuing the story?
Yes, I do with a series of novellas. The Arrival, will be book 2 for The Eslites and should come out by the beginning of Summer 2013.
What authors inspire you?
Amanda Hockings because she started out as an Indie author and believed in her writing and worked hard to let others know about her stories. There are others with similar stories and all of them have taught me to keep trying, work hard, and never give up.
When did you decide you wanted to write and what was it that peaked your interest?
I had been writing from a business professional viewpoint for over fifteen years but had never ventured into creative writing. Four years ago, I decided I wanted to write fiction after feeling tapped out in my professional career. The Twilight Saga peaked my interest with the young adult genre.
What is your process as you're writing? Do you listen to music, or do you prefer quiet? Do you follow a specific writing style? Do you plan out every part of your story in advance, or do you prefer to let the story lead you as you write? Is there a certain time of day that works best for your writing?
Listening to music inspires me write and think creatively. However, there are times when I prefer silence so I can concentrate and focus on the details. I’ve written from two different processes. With The Eslites, I did some research and light plotting and then sat down and wrote the story in eight hours. For Element, I did quite a bit of research, plotting, character development and scene layout.
Since I was laid off from my professional day job last Fall, I have taken advantage of writing during the day time. It allows me to have a work-life balance and devote time to my son and husband in the evenings.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer.
Every writer once in a while experiences writer's block. How do you overcome it?
I take a break, which can be either a few hours or weeks. If the words are not flowing, then I allow my brain to rest and have down time.
Your new book, Element, comes out on March 29th. Describe a little of what we can look forward to there.
Element Part 1 and Part 2 is very different from The Eslites, because it’s an upper young adult book, now called New Adult, with the characters in college versus high school. It is a sci-fi story but has more romance that The Eslites. The story was initially written as an adult romance and then I re-wrote it from a new adult perspective.
Element has special meaning to me because it was my husband’s dream that he shared with me and the first fiction story I wrote. When he told me about his dream I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The next week we went on vacation and when we returned, I had the entire plot and characters written out.
You may ask, what was the dream? My husband dreamed that every time he came near me his pheromones would change me into a female Hulk. The male Hulk would sense me and come after me. My husband and I were constantly on the run but couldn’t be apart because of the love we had for one another. The problem was if he was near me, I changed, so it made it difficult to be together.
I took that dream and created the plot for Element. I obviously had to come up with something different than the main character turning into a female Hulk, unless I wanted Marvel coming after me.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Show and don’t tell. One of my editors did a great job in coaching me how to write this way and referred me to various resources to learn how to improve that craft. I’m still learning and do struggle at times.
What is the best advice you ever got regarding your writing?
To allow others to read my story and critique it before it’s published.
The cover for The Eslites garnered rave reviews. Who designed your book covers?
Cora Graphics did the cover for The Eslites. I knew it was catching and that I loved it but didn’t realize it would get so much attention. She recently did the cover Eslites 2: The Arrival. I hope it gets just as much attention as the first cover.
Do you consider yourself an Indie Author? If so, what do you feel are the pluses and minuses of independent publishing? Would you ever consider trying to find a mainstream publisher for your work?
Yes, I do now. Initially, I thought I would just self-publish The Eslites and continue looking for a publisher for Element but that changed after I took a self-publishing class and spoke to a few Indie author friends.
Being an Indie author gives you the freedom to be your own boss, which I love. You decide your own deadlines, find your own editor, determine what you want your book cover to look like, and define your marketing strategy. There is so much work involved and thankfully, my husband helps with the business part of it and I have a street team that has helped with the marketing aspect. I didn’t realize how much work I had to do until a few weeks after I published The Eslites.
I stopped looking for a traditional publisher and would only consider it if they presented a lucrative deal. If sales do well for The Eslites series and Element, I will offer them in print and probably do that through CreateSpace.
What advice would you give to other authors who are just starting out?
Learn as much as you can about the craft of writing and make a commitment to write a set number of hours a day or week. Research and take classes about self-publishing and traditional publishing to determine what is the right path for your writing.
JUST FOR FUN:
What is your favorite word?
The word ‘just’. I tend to use it in my dialogue and have to delete it.
What is your least favorite word?
The word ‘was’. I use it way too much!
What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?
Music really turns me on creatively, spiritually and emotionally.
What turns you off creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?
Reading and hearing a lot of foul language.
What sound or noise do you love?
The sound of the waves rolling in on a sandy shore.
What sound or noise do you hate?
The squawks from our Mexican Redhead parrot.
What is in your refrigerator right now?
Left over pulled pork from Costco and Mama’s pizza.
What song sticks in your head every time you hear it?
Selena Gomez, I Love You Like A Love Song.
Other than writing, what is your favorite pastime or hobby?
I like doing fresh floral arranging, costume sewing, playing the piano and now jewelry making. I recently made my own author swag which consisted of bookmarkers, key chains, badge clips and my personal favorite, bottle cap purse tags.
What's your favorite movie and why?
Gone With The Wind. I watch it at least once a year. The history of the Civil War and the Ole’ South fascinates me. Combining that time period with the bittersweet romance triangle of Scarlet, Rhett and Ashley, makes it a love story I can’t get enough of.
What is one thing you cannot get through the day without?
One piece of dark chocolate.
About C.M. Doporto:
CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son
enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua,
Mexican Redhead Parrot and several fish.
She writes Young Adult and
New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do
extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way.
Books by CM Doporto:
The Eslites is a Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy short story.
Sixteen
year old, Miranda Mays, discovers she is a superior donor for the alien
race known as the Eslites, who have come to earth demanding humans to
help save their race from extinction. Will she be the one to help them
or will their quest continue?
Element, Part 1: New Adult Sci-Fi/Romance
College
freshman, Natalie Vega, offers to be a test patient for several
vitamins and supplements created by Kronberg Laboratories, a large
pharmaceutical company where she interns. Immediately her body starts
going through physical changes but when she runs into her former high
school crush, Ryan Garrett, she is unaware of the life altering affects
he will have on her.
Available March 29, 2013:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Ibooks, Kobo
Element, Part 2 coming May 2013
The Eslites, The Arrival (Book 2) coming Summer 2013
$25 Amazon Gift Card
$10 iTunes Gift Card
$5 Amazon Gift Card
2 Element Metal Book Markers
2 Element Magnets
2 Autographed 11x14 'Element, Part 1' book cover poster
2 Autographed 11x14 'The Eslites' book cover poster
5 Autographed 'Element, Part 1' 5x7 book cover poster
5 Autographed 'The Eslites' 5x7 book cover poster
