Prologue

It seems appropriate for my first blog to introduce myself. I am a writer, designer and student. Here I will be sharing my writing and design with you and musing on life in general. More specifically I will be discussing the challenge that is life; how I have survived so far; how I will survive the future and how I survive my everyday existence. I work full time and am studying for an MA in Professional Writing in my spare time so my life is a juggling act; a challenge to my sanity but nevertheless full of inspiration and material. You can find out more about me at http://www.elloisehopkins.biz.

Writing is my main passion and I tend to concentrate on fantasy fiction. My desire to write in this area stems from following fantasy writing from a young age and I am currently working on a trilogy of novels that I hope to be publishing over the next few years. The story revolves around three brothers, the last remaining of an ancient race, The Sentinels: Protectors of the Landfolk and I will be sharing more of their story as it grows, on my website. I also write short stories delving deep into the highs and lows of human emotion; loss, love, pain and fulfilment. I have another set of characters in mind that I am exploring with a view to producing a fiction novel set in the 19^th century.

I dabble in design for web and print, mainly for my own pleasure, following completion of a BA(Hons) in Creative Digital Media last year. I have designed a few websites, including my own, and also enjoy photography, 3D animation and creating small designs for cards, posters and so on. I use graphic design to enhance my writing, particularly in the concept and planning stages. I mock up characters, scenes, costumes, flashes of inspiration… Anything physical I can see of my characters or story I keep around me to constantly motivate and drive the writing. If the world and its inhabitants feel real to me, then they will feel real to my readers.

To me, fantasy fiction is the perfect medium for exploring those aspects of life that fascinate me the most: emotions, friendship and betrayal, the power of intoxication, faith and intelligence. It is the perfect platform on which to explore these aspects of life in new worlds and set them against the parallels of magic, legend and ability above normal human experience and endurance. Through my writing I convert my daydreams, fears, desires and the ordinary into fantasy and I think every character embodies a little bit of me.

So that is where I am. There is always a lot going on in my life and a lot in development in my mind. I hope that through this blog I can share my passions and ideas with you. I encourage you to do the same so follow me and get in touch if you have something to say or want to suggest ideas for me to explore in the blog. In time I will be sharing my plot and character development with the hope of taking fantasy fiction to the next level and delivering it to a wider audience. I really believe it is something that everyone can relate to and use both as a way to put their experiences into perspective and provide a little escapism. That is certainly the way it has always worked for me.

Elloise Hopkins.