Indie Author Spotlight: Ellen Senechal

Welcome to another Indie Author Spotlight! Today, we'll have a Q&A with my blogger friend Ellen Senechal, followed by an excerpt from her devotional.

About the Author

Ellen is the author of The Whispers God Gives, a beautiful 30-day devotional for tween and teen girls! Here's her official author bio. :D

Ellen Senechal is a teenaged extrovert who enjoys writing, reading, cuddling with babies, spending time outdoors, and eating tacos. She is a big sister in a family of eleven and a follower of Jesus.

To say Ellen is slightly obsessed with music is an understatement. You'll rarely find her writing or reading without something or other playing on the radio.

Pink and green are her favorite colors, new books are her weakness, and JESUS IS HER JOY. <3

You can connect with Ellen on her blog, Ellen's Musings.

Now, ready for a Q&A?

Q&A

What first inspired you to start writing?

Oh, my. I’m not sure if there was any one thing that inspired me. I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember—ever since the day I learned to spell my first word. And before that, I simply went around coming up with stories in my head. When I transferred over to typing at the age of eleven years or so, I filled the computer up with soooooo many files, Dad had to get me a new user. xD Now, however, I’ll find inspiration through music, real-life occurences, family, food (yes, food), chats with friends, old TV shows, reading Scripture, and prayer.

When did you know that you wanted to be a published author?

Again, that had always been a lifelong ambition of mine. :) I attempted it a couple times by entering contests when I was younger, but my stories never seemed to place (for understandable reasons, of course). Then one stormy night many years ago, when my siblings, dad, and I were up late playing video games and talking, I clutched my precious, crinkled stack of notebook paper and turned to Dad. “This story is going really, really good, and I just know I’m gonna finish it,” I remember telling him confidently. “Do you think I can publish it?” He answered, “We’ll see.” Good ol’ Dad, not squashing my dreams by giving a flat-out “no,” even though he knew my writing at the time was far from perfect. It’s only because of his and Mom’s encouragement and God’s grace that I finally did finish something and publish it for the world to see. :)

What is your favorite thing about indie publishing?

Hmm, probably that I have complete freedom with my project, whether I want to send out PDF files for review or simply as gifts, or change anything about my book without going through the long, drawn-out process of contacting a traditional publisher for permission.

Do you plan to keep writing and publishing books? 

If the Lord wills, absolutely!! Writing is my happy place. :) I was once playfully teased that I “write better than I talk,” which I think is a true statement. There are definitely times I feel more confident with a pen than I do my tongue, LOL.

What is your current work-in-progress?

A book chronicling my years with belly problems and how God has used the journey to grow me. :)

What is the most important thing that indie publishing has taught you?

The marketing depends completely on God—especially with COVID and lockdown happening. I need to pray and trust my book will get into the right hands in His timing and in His way, as many of my original marketing plans (i.e., attending author fairs and book signings) crumbled at my feet when so many places shut down during the pandemic. And you know what? He’s already answered those prayers so significantly . . . like having sweet blogger friends (like you) take the time to write a review for The Whispers God Gives. I’ve learned that until I was an author myself, I wasn’t fully aware of just what it meant to hear from readers about how God used my book in their lives. But now I know, and it really touches my heart. <33

What advice would you give an author looking to indie publish a book for the first time? 

HAVE PATIENCE. That’s key to everything. Take the time to pray for wisdom, edit your work, pray again, find the right self-publishing place, and keep on praying as you walk through the remaining steps, some exciting (like hitting that last “Publish my book” button), and some painful (as the chance of having your work stolen and distributed across the web, like mine was). Also, don’t be discouraged if your book doesn’t become a bestseller overnight. My thirty-day devotional has been out for almost a year, and I only just recently got my tenth review on Amazon. That’s okay, though—I know God has (and will) make sure my book reaches the people who need it the most. <3

What theme(s) are the most important to you in books? 

Ooh, good one! Christianity for sure, or essentially anything that would glorify my Creator, which to me means themes that support families, purity among young people, friendships, and/or one’s walk with God. :)

Write Your Own Story

An excerpt from The Whispers God Gives

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace . . . in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 4:10-11

 

Do you have someone you look up to in life? Your mom? A friend? Your teacher? Maybe you stare at them and think how nice it would be if you grew up to be just like one of them.

That’s understandable. My mom (who’s also my teacher and best friend) is reliable, trustworthy, kind, sweet, godly, and—might I mention—a great chef. From her example, I’ve grown closer to my Savior, and I’ve learned the special feeling of giving . . . as well as a wonderful recipe for chicken and pumpkin chili. 

I look up to others in life, as well. 

It’s easy to become influenced by them. Becoming influenced by others is like reading a book written back in the 1800s then writing a little story of your own. Your story will no doubt read much like the book you just finished, with big words expressed in true 1800s style.

With people, the process goes like this: we’re with them, we see what they do, and then we go out and copy their actions, maybe even unconsciously.

Is there anything wrong with that?

No, there isn’t . . . unless we’re influenced too much in this area. Then suddenly, everything we do is because of these people. 

Why? We may do this because we’re scared to do something on our own. Or maybe because we want the attention our role models are getting. 

However, God gave each of us a gift and told us to use it. He didn’t say, “Stash your gift in the corner while you go chase after someone else and copy them.” Nor did He say, “Your gift is determined by his or her gift.”

No. Each one of us was given a gift before we were even born (see Ephesians 2:10). We are each equipped to do our part in Christ’s body, the church. 

I learned my gift early. Ever since I was very young, I’ve loved to write. I would sit down and scribble the day away. With big, blocky letters that come from the hand of a beginning writer who has just learned how to spell, I wrote story after story. 

Do you know what your gift is? We each have one. Maybe you haven’t discovered yours yet.

If so, don’t stop searching! 

When you stumble upon this precious gift, pursue it. It may take time to develop. Your gift may seem small and insignificant to you compared to someone else’s gift, but this is your gift, the one God chose especially for you. He has big plans in mind for you. 

Plans that no one else, no matter how smart, pretty, or old they are, could ever accomplish.

However, God can’t reveal His plans to you until you’re ready to go along with Him and let other people just be “other people.” 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s fine to become influenced by others, but don’t get sucked into their lives. Their life is their life. Your life is your life.

Instead, write your own story. Make up new plot lines, and it’s okay if you misspell a word here and there.

Because no one else can write a story like you can.

 

© 2019 The Whispers God Gives Ellen Senechal

I hope you enjoyed this spotlight! Come back Thursday for my review of Ellen's book!