Check out Ellie White’s Instagram and her latest book, Playing For Her on Amazon.
What inspired you to start writing?
I have always loved reading, ever since I was little I’ve always had a book in my hands. But it wasn’t until later in life that I started to write. I was working in the city and on my commute I would write little bits and pieces, character bios, plot points, bits of dialogue, that sort of thing. But it wasn’t until I was made redundant from my job in corporate travel in lockdown that I started to take things a bit more seriously. In June 2019 I lost my cousin in a road traffic incident. He was twenty-two years old and had so much to live for. I had struggled to come to terms with his loss, and I really struggle to talk about that kind of stuff, so when I had all this time in lockdown, I decided to try and cope with that loss using fiction. I picked out some of the material I’d gathered in the notes app in my phone on my commute and started writing. The character in the book was dealing with a loss and I got to understand my own grief, by writing hers. And that’s where it all began.
Can you sum up your latest book in one sentence?
Playing For Her is a second-chance, forbidden love story with lots of banter, laughs and love.
What’s your writing routine—early bird or night owl?
I’m definitely a night owl when it comes to writing. I guess because I need to write in complete silence, it’s easier at night to concentrate once the house is asleep.
Which character of yours do you relate to most?
Maggie from Love and London. I wrote Maggie to cope with my own grief so a lot of me went into her.
Biggest challenge you’ve faced as an author?
Criticism. These characters and stories come straight from my own imagination so when people criticise them it’s hard not to take it personally. In reality, we need criticism, it helps our stories and characters grow. One thing I’ve learned is not to go looking for reviews. If I’m tagged in them on social media or sent them by a reader then that’s a different story. But reviews are for readers, and I respect those spaces.
What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Just write. Your first draft will likely be a pile of trash, but it’s your trash and you can edit it. You can’t edit a blank page.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
Probably working in PR or Advertising since it’s what I earned my degree in. Or something involved in sports – although not as an athlete, I have as much athleticism as a sloth.
Favourite book of all time?
No don’t make me choose! But if I had to, Forget Me Not by Melissa Morgan is my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a little magical realism in their life.
What’s next for you—any exciting projects? I
I have three more books in A Wearside Story which will be released in March, April and May and then I’m not sure. I have so many books I want to write but picking the one I’m going to focus on next is such a hard choice.
One tip for aspiring writers?
Just write the book. Don’t edit as you write (easier said than done, I know) just get the words down while they’re in your head and save the editing until later.
What are your top five favourite things to do in Sunderland?
One of my most favourite free places to visit is Penshaw Monument. There are so many lovely walks around the monument too including Penshaw woods and the old quarry. Pack a picnic and see where the day takes you.
See a show at the Sunderland Empire or better yet take a behind-the-scenes tour, you might even meet one of the resident ghosts, most famously the ghost of Sid James or Molly Moselle. The theatre itself has been through a lot. Although it was spared in the blitz, the grand entrance was heavily damaged after an air raid on the site next door shattered the windows and sent shrapnel flying through. The damage is still visible today most notably on the brass handrails. Make sure to look up once you walk in the door though, you’ll see some familiar faces. The Sunderland Empire is my favourite theatre and inspired my book Love in the Wings.
Roker and Seaburn Beach. This is a lovely bustling area and appears in a lot of my books. There are endless options for food and drinks (The Stack, Blacks Corner Tram Shelter, Michellas Fish and Chips and Love Lily are firm favourites of mine.) The beaches are beautiful and there are a lot of green spaces around too. There is always stuff to do around Cliff Park and Roker Park.
Walk along the River Wear. The sculpture trail along the river also appears in my books. It follows a trail along the riverside displaying sculptures that represent the rich ship-building and mining history of our city. You can also stop into the Glass Centre on the route and watch a free glass blowing demonstration and learn all about the impact Sunderland had on industrial glass making.
Sunderland Museum, library and Winter Gardens. This brings back so many memories of a happy childhood with exhibits of Sunderland in the years gone by. Visit the coy pond, crawl through a coal mine and walk around a tropical rainforest all in one building. My favourite exhibit however, is Wallace the Lion who stands guard over a Nissan Bluebird. Another nod to industrial Sunderland and Lambton Lion Park. Bonus: Beamish Museum. Okay, this is technically located in County Durham but there are so many parts of Sunderland which have been dismantled and reassembled in the living museum over time. These buildings would have been lost in history without the museum. It’s educational and nostalgic all in one. Make sure you visit the sweet shop. It’s worth the queue.
A bonus number 6
Beamish Museum. Okay, this is technically located in County Durham but there are so many parts of Sunderland which have been dismantled and reassembled in the living museum over time. These buildings would have been lost in history without the museum. It’s educational and nostalgic all in one. Make sure you visit the sweet shop. It’s worth the queue.