When I began writing Shadow Crimes, the biggest issue for me was remembering my ideas and keeping them organized. They would pop up anytime and anywhere, and if I didn’t make a point of writing them down at that very moment, they would get lost in La La Land forever. I must admit, it was a challenge and scraps of paper became my new best friend. I had them everywhere, scattered throughout my home alongside a trusty pen.
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Twelve years of memories from long ago began resurfacing, flooding
me with ideas, phrases, descriptions, even chapter headings. I could be
brushing my teeth, or talking on the phone, cooking, or even heading out the
door, and I would have to stop, search for a scrap of paper and write the idea
down. It didn’t just happen at home either. I could be paying the cashier,
driving the car, eating a meal or walking down the street and memories
constantly burst forth. It was exciting because I couldn’t stop them coming,
nor did I want to, but I had to get a grip on organization because my life was
becoming overrun by little pieces of paper with (often illegible) notes.
I
decided it was high time to make order out of my notes on scrap paper if I was
going to write a novel worth reading, so I headed to the nearest stationary
store and bought paper clips and an accordion folder to use for dividing my
chapters. At the end of every day I clipped my scraps of paper together, and
every morning I took those papers filled with ideas and put them into the
relevant chapters in my folder. That’s it. That’s how I learned to capture the
idea and keep it forever.
The
interesting thing about writing a fiction story based on one’s life is the
opportunity to relive the past. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought about my modeling
career for years. I was too busy raising a child, being a good wife and setting
up homes in new countries. I did my share of volunteering and even taught
English for a while, so my former modeling career was the last thing on my
mind. I had forgotten about the incredible, unusual life I had. Memories of
jet-setting around the world, exclusive parties, beautiful clothes, the feeling
of being utterly special (I admit it; it was addictive) and belonging to what
some consider to be a very elite crowd, all came rushing back and I relished in
it. Then some of the horrible memories resurfaced. The ones of feeling insecure
and worthless, or confused and afraid. I began to remember all of the bad
stories I had heard or the sad stories I lived, and the true ugliness of the
modeling business came forth.
In
the end, all of the scraps of paper filled with ideas gathered from so many
memories, both good and bad, helped me weave an incredible story, a story that
can be believed, and a story that needs to be told.
Born and educated in the United States, E. J. Moran began a career as an international fashion model at the age of eighteen when she was scouted by a top modeling agency based in Milan, Italy.
Moran’s move to Italy set in motion the rest of her career. She signed with top agents and modeled for famous fashion designers and photographers. Her work took her to Milan, Tokyo, New York, and Paris.
After marrying and starting a family, she retired as a fashion model and continued life as an expatriate in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore, and Italy, where she divided her free time between teaching English and volunteering for multiple international organizations.
Recently, she decided to put pen to paper and make fictional use of the plethora of experiences she gained during her globetrotting life. Moran and her husband currently divide their time between Europe and the United States.
Catch Up With E. J. Moran On ejmoranauthor.com/ejm/ 🔗!
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