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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, poets Cendrine Marrouat and David Ellis talk about the creative process behind their new book of love poems, A Particle Of You.
Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Cendrine Marrouat and David Ellis about their writing careers, what inspires their poetry, and the work that went into their new book of love poems, A Particle Of You.
Tell me a bit about who you are.
Cendrine Marrouat: I am a poet, photographer, fiction writer, podcaster, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms, a platform dedicated to inspirational art. I have authored and co-authored more than 40 books in several genres, including poetry, photography, and theatre.
I am the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.
David Ellis: I am a poet, multi-genre writer/author and co-creator of literary forms, with a fondness for found poetry.
I have released several poetry collections including Life, Sex & Death (which won an Inspirational Poetry Award), Soul Music the Colour of Magic, Lemons, Vinegar & Unvarnished Truths, See A Dream Within (based on the entire collected poetic works of Edgar Allan Poe), along with a Fifty Shades of Grey parody 50 Shapes of Cakes.
Think of me like a thriller novel – fast paced, relentless and impossible to put down!
When did you first WANT to write poetry?
Cendrine Marrouat: I never wanted to write poetry. I actually hated it when I studied it in school then at university. Poetry just stalked me until I was ready to let it in. 😉
David Ellis: Just like Cendrine,I found poetry extremely difficult to get into at school because we would be forced to overanaylse the meanings and nuances of writers, like we were translating what they were saying as a foreign language, instead of appreciating the sheer beauty of their language/prose.
In my twenties over two decades ago (yikes, saying that out loud makes me feel old!) I was crafting song lyrics and people would often tell me that what I was writing was poetry without music. It took me years after this to realise that I was actually practicing for the writing of poetry styles that I wanted to define me, as a cumulation of the experiences I have gained throughout my life.
When did you take a step to start writing poetry?
Cendrine Marrouat: One night of January 2005, I suddenly felt the urge to write a poem. Half an hour later, I was hooked!
David Ellis: It was only when I started publishing poetry on my blog/website about ten years ago that I realised that poetry was where my heart truly soared. I needed regular content for blog posts on my website. Since I found I could write and edit poetry quickly to a level that received much positive praise/feedback, that became my most powerful muse. I’ve been inspired to do so ever since then.
How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?
Cendrine Marrouat: Back in 2006, I didn’t release just one book. I released three collections at the same time!
Due to my lack of experience in self-publishing, I spent many hours documenting myself on the best practices in the industry. I did a lot of research and ended up reading six or seven books on the topic.
At the time, people did not read ebooks as much as they do now. So I knew that the only valid option would be print books. It took me several months to find a good local printer for my needs.
The poems in my three collections had been written over a period of a year. So, all in all, I would say that it took me about 13 or 14 months to complete the projects.
David Ellis: For my first three books, I completed them quickly in succession. I had been accumulating poetry over several years and since I could not find a traditional publisher, I was forced to go down the self-publishing route. I’m glad that I did because my first publication won an award after I submitted it to a couple of award competition places. I ended up publishing three books in the first three months of 2016 but I did not truly become a prolific author until I teamed up with Cendrine in 2019. To put in comparison, I have gone from being involved in three publications back in 2016 to over thirty to date since 2019, thanks to collaborations/projects with Cendrine!
There is a temptation to keep accumulating material without “following through” but in the end, it is important to create an outlet to let others enjoy the fruits of your labour. I believe that if you are going to self-publish, the most important thing is to have an idea for the theme/structure of the book, assemble your chapters/pages, get it properly edited and make sure you design or purchase a professional cover.
I factored all of these things into my first publications. When I analysed the poetry I had created, my themes were specifically centred around inspirational, romantic and humourous genres, since these areas motivate me the most to write. This ultimately helped give me clarity, structure and focus, which enabled me to publish my books because it guided me into how to assemble a collection properly. After that experience, I now follow a similar template to every book that I create to this very day.
How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?
Cendrine Marrouat: A Particle of You: Love Poetry features poems that I wrote over a period of 16 years. I just had to spend a few days re-reading my old poetry…
David Ellis: It really did not take long for us. Cendrine had some romantic poems that she wanted to put into a project and I constantly write romantic poetry all of the time. We both have styles that complement each other wonderfully and we jumped at the chance for a collaboration that enables us to showcase our sensitive sides.
Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write A Particle Of You?
Cendrine Marrouat: As with all my other books, I wanted to release something that inspires people to think differently. What this book seeks to demonstrate is that love often blossoms in the mundane. You do not have to practice grand gestures to have meaningful relationships with others.
David Ellis: I am compelled to write and share poetry that celebrates the best parts of the human experience. Love, romance, kindness, hope, respect, all of these things made me want to create a collection that embraces these aspects to the fullest. We are all emotional, sensual creatures that need to feel positive about ourselves.
What were your biggest challenges with writing A Particle Of You?
Cendrine Marrouat: None for me.
David Ellis: My biggest challenge would be to keep developing endless variations on a particular theme. I do not like repeating myself, which can become a real challenge if there are only finite ways of looking at something. Thankfully, I am a very resourceful person and inspired to keep creating, due to my own lovely internal muse constantly working overtime 🙂
Do you keep to a theme with your poems, or just go where the mood strikes?
Cendrine Marrouat: David and I share the same idea about poetry — and art in general. It has to be inspirational and uplifting. So, while I cover a large variety of topics, I always write with this guiding principle in the back of my mind.
David Ellis: Yes, my themes are mostly romantic and inspirational, I will let the mood of the poems be dictated by these themes. I will also explore abstract and humorous moods as well, if the theme or meaning of the poem would benefit from this approach.
What is your favourite poem in A Particle Of You about and what inspired it?
Cendrine Marrouat: My favorite poem is “Moments”. It is inspired by two great examples in my life: my maternal grandparents who loved each other deeply; and my own relationship with my partner of 20+ years.
There is something very Dickinson-ian about David’s poetry. Like Emily, he knows exactly how to use words to convey meanings. “We Are Bound by Invisible Threads” is one of my all-time favorite poems from him.
David Ellis: My own personal favourite of the collection that I have written is “Changed Into Wine”. I was combining feelings of how romantic love can spill over into everything, how it is so frothy, fizzy and uplifting in its nature.
There is so much to savour within Cendrine’s luscious words in this collection, it is very difficult for me to pick my absolute favourite but I will go with “A Poetic Moment”. To me, great poetry is about indulging in the flow of a piece and how it builds to something climatic at the end. This charming piece connects to our innermost senses, building bridges softly, assuredly and fleshing out an experience of tenderness between lovers that is both life-affirming and intensely intimate.
Does music help you write or is it a distraction?
Cendrine Marrouat: It actually depends on my mood. There are days when I cannot write without music. And sometimes, silence is the only muse.
David Ellis: I don’t listen to music all of the time when I am writing but if I do, it is definitely as a mood enhancer. Soundscapes or instrumental music with little/no lyrics to distract me from my writing are my favourite writing aids to spur me into literary action.
Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did A Particle Of You need?
Cendrine Marrouat: When it comes to poetry, editing is not a prerequisite. I actually believe that it can do more damage than good to a collection. With that said, proofreading is necessary.
David Ellis: I am in agreement with Cendrine, I edit for flow and make sure that to the best of my ability, everything is spelled/proofread correctly. Since poetry is a far smaller universe to work with than a novel or short story, I do not find editing troublesome, since you can usually read it multiple times to form a cohesive whole in one sitting without breaking a sweat!
It also can help to look at something with a fresh pair of eyes, so perhaps leave what you have written until the next day and then edit again to make the flow as smooth as possible.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write poetry?
Cendrine Marrouat: Have fun writing and your readers will have fun reading!
David Ellis: Try to focus on the rhythm, feeling and emotional impact of your words. Study other poets, see what you like about their flows and develop your own inspired by their endeavours!
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
Cendrine Marrouat: I have recently started my foray into AI-generated art. It’s fascinating!
I have an idea for a multimedia collection that would feature my photography, fractals, AI-generated art, and poems in the forms that I created and co-created with David.
David Ellis: I still have an infinite amount of found poetry books to write, I have enough to keep me going for several lifetimes! Someday I hope to write a novel soon and dabble in screenplays for movies but for now, expect plenty more poetry books on the immediate horizon!
And, finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?
Cendrine Marrouat: Of course! As long as you give your 110%, anything is worth the effort.
David Ellis: Absolutely! Every artistic project you can truly be proud of, if you have put your heart and soul into it, along with making sure that it is as professionally presented as possible.
Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
Link to A Particle of You: https://abpositiveart.com/particle-you
Cendrine Marrouat:
Website: https://creativeramblings.com
Blog: https://creativeramblings.com/latest-posts/
Books: https://creativeramblings.com/books
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/cendrinemarrouat
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haiku_shack
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haikushack
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cendrinemarrouat
David Ellis:
Website: https://toofulltowrite.com
Email: davidellisbusiness@gmail.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/toofulltowrite
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TooFullToWrite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TooFullToWrite
Auroras & Blossoms:
Website: https://abpositiveart.com/
Blog: https://medium.com/auroras-blossoms
Books: https://abpositiveart.com/store/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ab_positiveart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abpositiveart
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