Rediscovering the Writer Within
For Elaine Evans, writing has always been a quiet passion—one scribbled in notebooks tucked under her bed and displayed proudly on the walls of her childhood bedroom. From poetry to short stories to song lyrics, her creativity flowed freely in her youth. But as life moved forward—marriage, motherhood, and a busy career—writing took a backseat. She thought that chapter of her life had closed. Until recently.
Now, with her debut novel Becoming Mallory, Elaine has reignited her love for storytelling and embarked on an exciting author journey she never imagined would take center stage. What started as a leap of faith has grown into a fulfilling creative outlet that she’s wholeheartedly embraced—and there’s no turning back.
When Elaine isn't crafting her next story, you’ll likely find her with a camera in hand, testing out new recipes, or curled up with a good book. She wears many hats—wife, mother, devoted dog mom to her black Pomeranian, Vinnie—and still finds time to serve her community as a pediatric Medical Assistant at a children’s hospital in Ohio, a role she adores.
Elaine’s story is one of rediscovery, heart, and perseverance—a reminder that it’s never too late to chase a dream or pick up a pen again. With passion and purpose, she’s writing a new chapter—and we can’t wait to see where her story goes next.
To learn more about Elaine and her books, visit www.elaineevansauthor.com.
Join me as we delve deeper into Elaine's creative process, inspirations, and more in an exclusive Q&A session.
Q&A:
Can you explain your journey of being a self-published author? Are there any tips you would give an aspiring writer who wants to self-publish?
Becoming an author was something that was never on my radar. When I was a teenager, I loved to write. I had notebooks full of poetry, song lyrics, and short stories. I even wrote a few that were my favorites on my walls! Thankfully my mom didn’t mind. It was more like a hobby than anything, but I did always wonder what it would be like to write a novel. Fast forward to my mid-forties and I was asked to Beta read for a friend of mine who was writing a novel. I agreed and confessed to her that I have always wanted to write a book. She encouraged me to write just one chapter to see how it made me feel. Well, needless to say, it made me feel fantastic and the rest is history!
So that is the same advice that I would give anyone who is aspiring to become a writer. Sit down and write just one chapter and see how it makes you feel. If writing is something that they love to do, I can guarantee it will be the spark needed to start the fire.
How do you handle writer’s block or periods of low creativity? Are there any specific strategies you use to get back on track?
Man! Writer’s block is real! Only recently, I’ve experienced this. Initially I was forcing myself to write through it and I wasn’t enjoying it and, in fact, it made it worse. So when writer’s block hits, I walk away and try to find inspiration in other places. Like rereading a novel that I loved, or watching a new show that’s in the same genre I’m writing. Music always inspires me. If my cover design process hasn’t begun, I’ll start designing it and that always helps. The story will always be there when I return.
Could you share some insights into your writing process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay productive and creative?
I am a very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda writer. I literally have no process. In reality, I try to write everyday, but sometimes, with my job and responsibilities at home, that’s just not feasible. I never want to burn myself out and lose the love of writing just because I’m in a rush to publish something. So, I write when I can. Sometimes that’s everyday, sometimes, it’s once a week. But somehow, the novel always gets done. When it comes to creativity, playlists are HUGE for me. Music is always my inspiration. As soon as I have an idea for a novel, I curate a playlist and listen to it on repeat. That’s when the ideas really come alive for future chapters or plot points. When I actually sit down and write, I always listen to instrumental music, or YouTube has some great videos with immersive writing sessions. I’ll have them playing while I write and it helps the flow and keeps me motivated.
How do you create complex and relatable characters in your novels? Are there any specific techniques or inspirations you draw from when developing their personalities, motivations, and arcs?
Something that I love to find when I’m reading books is flawed and relatable characters. Because, as humans, we are flawed and imperfect. It makes the reading experience more human, in my opinion. So when I create these characters, I don’t want them to be cookie cutter versions of people who float through life and love making no mistakes or having no struggles. Instead, I strive to make them real. My characters make poor decisions, lose their cool on occasion, say things they don’t mean, you know, stuff like that. But, they always learn from those mistakes so that they can grow, change, and become better humans. But also, they have personal struggles. Issues like autism, dealing with mental health, chronic illness, overcoming grief, past traumas. Again, all are things we deal with as humans, daily.
With that being said, what I really aim for is for readers to finish my novel and think, “Wow. I feel seen and heard.” That’s the greatest compliment!
What advice would you give to new writers?
There are a few things that come to mind:
First, just write - If you’re thinking of writing a novel, more than likely have a story idea in mind. Don’t overthink it. Sit down and write what comes to you. It won’t be perfect at first. Far from it. But as you continue to write, you’ll grow as an author.
Second, is to do your research - And I mean research EVERYTHING! How to write, what to write, how to format, when to publish, where to publish, how to self-edit. There is so much out there available, for free (hello YouTube!), at your disposal that can help you in the beginning and beyond. Utilize all of it.
And third, avoid imposter syndrome - Yes, research and learn from those who have been around a lot longer than you, but don’t compare yourself to them. Learn from them, don’t strive to be them. This is your path, your journey. Someday, you’ll be the author the newbies come to for advice.
Can you tell us about a scene or character that was particularly challenging to write? How did you overcome those challenges?
In my first novel, Mallory, the FMC, has a panic attack on the page from her POV. I wanted the reader to feel like they were experiencing the attack with her. Mallory is loosely based on my daughter who has autism and mental illness. So when writing this scene, I went straight to the source. She explained to me, in detail, what she experiences when she herself is having an attack. It was hard to hear her experience first-hand, in detail. Which made it even harder to write. But once it was published, and people started reaching out telling me how accurate it was, that made the struggle to write it, much more rewarding.
What future projects or ideas are you excited about? Can you give us a sneak peek into what you’re working on next?
I have so many new book ideas brewing in my head at the moment! I’m currently writing my fourth novel. I’m trying out something new in order to challenge myself. It’s a romantic suspense that is part second chance romance, part mystery. It takes place in a hotel over the span of only four hours. It’s been super fun so far! I’m also trying to decide if I want to write a sequel to my first novel, Becoming Mallory. There are so many fans that have requested it. So, you never know!
Elaine’s Work:
