Today, I have Ellen Sarnoff here at The Book Bag talking about the voices in her head.
My thoughts about this entertaining book were posted yesterday and can be found here.
THE VOICES IN MY HEAD
My thoughts about this entertaining book were posted yesterday and can be found here.
Ellen ~~ I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me.
When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention, others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?
THE VOICES IN MY HEAD

The voice of my protagonist Jane, aka the Evil Queen, took off the minute I wrote the first line of the book. It was a snarky, first-person voice similar to my own everyday voice. While I had a general idea about Jane's backstory and dark secrets and how the book was going to begin and end, I'm a "pantster," so the story and her character unfolded as I typed away. I got deep into the roots of evil as I explored what made her and the other fairy tale villains evil, like Cinderella's stepsisters, the witch from Hansel and Gretel, and Captain Hook. While writing, I re-read virtually every Grimm fairy tale and researched numerous psychological disorders, including narcissism, alcoholism, and anorexia. There were frequent surprises--and narrative challenges--along the way. I soon discovered I was the inspiration for my main character, drawing from my own journey through life, dealing with fading beauty as one gets older and the challenges of motherhood, friendship, and love.
Writing DEWITCHED was a very cathartic experience. It released a lot deep emotions within me and helped me mend my relationship with my stepson. And as Jane rewrote her life, I rewrote my own. I became a novelist.
Author Bio
Ellen Levy-Sarnoff, writing under the name E. L. Sarnoff, has enjoyed a prolific career in the entertainment industry, creating, writing, and producing television series, including the original Power Rangers. She lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, twin princesses, and a bevy of pets. She’s also a not-too-evil stepmother. When she’s not writing in her PJ’s, she likes to dress up and pretend she’s Hollywood royalty.
DEWITCHED: The Untold Story of the Evil Queen is Ellen's first novel. The sequel, UNHITCHED, will be available on October 29, 2012.
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