Author, Renee Scattergood – An Author Interview

Shadow Stalker, Part One (Episodes 1 – 6)

Renee Scattergood – An Author Interview

Who is Renee Scattergood?

A wife, mother and someone crazy enough to spend hours a day writing and plotting out dark tales that take place on mysterious worlds. 😉

Why did you decide to write Shadow Stalker in episodes, rather than chapters?

My first plan was to write a series of novels, but after failing a few times to finish a novel to what I felt were quality publishing standards, I decided I should start smaller and get some real practice with self-publishing rather than just reading about it. At first I was considering publishing each chapter as I wrote it, but I wasn’t sure how that would work because they’d be relatively short. I basically found myself running into the same problems I had with trying to write a novel, but in a different way. The format would be the same, but once the chapter was written, I couldn’t go back and change it.

Then the idea came to me to write it as though it were a TV series. Since I already had the entire series planned out in my head, it would be easy enough to break it down into smaller stories that would be easier to edit than a novel, and also a lot easier to publish. I also figured it would be a good way to get the story out there to see if there was an interest without spending time writing an entire novel only to find no one liked it.

I still intend on writing the series in novels. The series will be called Savior of the Serpent Isles and is going to start with The Galvadi Invasion as book 1. The difference between the episodes and the novels is the episodes are only from the point of view of one character…Auren. The novels will have 5 or 6 point of view characters and the reader will experience more of what’s happening in the world during the events of the Shadow Stalker series.

What method do you use to get into your character’s heads?

I close my eyes and imagine myself as the character, and let the events play out as though in a movie. Then I write what I’m thinking, feeling and seeing at the time. I usually do this during the first rewrites though. When I do the first draft, it’s based off very detailed chapter notes and I just write without thinking about the story too much. If I don’t get the story out first, it’s harder for me to focus on the finer details, like making the characters seem more like real people.

How many episodes will Shadow Stalker contain when it is finished?

There are going to be 4 parts in all, with 6 episodes in each part. So there will be 24 episodes in all. Then each novel in the series is basically going to include the events in three of the episodes. So at the moment (I haven’t planned it all out yet) I’m expecting there to be 8 novels in the Savior of the Serpent Isles series. I’ve also got plans for a prequel novel about the first war with the Galvadi and maybe even a series about the first shadow stalkers. And I would love to start writing other novellas and short stories that take place in the world, but we’ll see what happens.

Is there any writing advice you would like to give to authors that are just starting to write?

One of the things that kept me from being able to finish anything I started in the beginning was I had a bad habit of editing as I wrote. I worried about how things sounded and whether or not the story was making sense. I had to have the dialogue perfect and make sure the characters were exactly where I wanted them, doing what I wanted them to do. I was very rigid in how I wrote, and I had a very hard time completing my novels because of this.

So my advice would be to just write. Whether you plan your stories or write off the top of your head, just write it. Don’t worry about it if you realized you’ve messed things up. You can always leave notes or comments to yourself about things you can fix later. Just keep writing until you get to the end. Then go back and edit. You’ll find you write faster and get much more accomplished that way.

Make sure to visit and join the Shadow Stalker Bundle Tour at:  https://www.facebook.com/events/934003236631251/ for information on registering for a signed copy of Shadow Stalker, Part One (Episodes 1 – 6)

Auren learns that she is destined to enslave the people of her world, and Drevin, emperor of the Galvadi Empire is determined to end her life before it happens. Her foster father, Kado, has sworn to protect her and trains her as a shadow stalker. But her training is cut short, when their people are overrun by the Galvadi Empire. Now she has to find a way to help her people without succumbing to the prophecy.

Purchase Links:

Amazon Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VI2ZCY8

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/532091

Createspace Store https://www.createspace.com/5402222

Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She has always been a fan of fantasy and was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn’t start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing fantasy. She is currently publishing her monthly Shadow Stalker series, and she has also published a prequel novella to the series called, Demon Hunt. Aside from writing, she loves reading (Fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her daughter. Find out more about her, and sign up for her newsletter on her blog: http://reneescattergood.com

Author Pages:

Renee Writes: http://reneescattergood.com/ – my personal website and blog.

Renee’s Author Spotlight: http://reneesauthorspotlight.blogspot.com.au/ – a blog where I feature indie and small press authors.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00NTJY1W2

Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/rscatts

Social Media:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/reneescatts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeScatts

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/118427336236369690813/+ReneescattergoodAuthor/posts