E. L. Bates

A storyteller from the time she could talk, as soon as E.L. Bates learned to write she began putting her stories down on paper and inflicting them on the general public. Stories of magic and derring-do have been her favorites from almost as young. She is a firm believer in Lloyd Alexander's maxim that "fantasy is not an escape from reality; it is a way of understanding reality." Also, it's a lot of fun to both write and to read.

When not writing, Bates works as a freelance editor. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, sewing, reading (always reading), and hiking with her family.

Get to know E. L. Bates...

Birthdate? 03/14/1982

When did you start writing? About as soon as I learned to hold a pencil! My mother still has stories packed away that I wrote in first grade, and an essay from second grade where I stated my intention of becoming an author when I grew up.

When and what and where did you first get published? My first publication experience was in college, where a poem and a short story of mine were accepted into the university's literary magazine. I was so proud!

Why do you write? The short answer to this question is "because I can't not write." The longer answer is because I believe that stories help us understand ourselves and the world, and show truths that can't be grasped in any other way.

Why do you write Science Fiction and/or Fantasy? Science fiction and fantasy capture the imagination and sense of wonder at the world as no other genre can do. Once you've stepped through the wardrobe into the realm of magic, you never really leave it behind.

Who is your favorite author? Your favorite story? Has any reader ever been able to pick one favorite? I'll try to stick to three, each from a different genre: Lloyd Alexander, Jane Austen, and Agatha Christie. As for a favorite story, that's even harder! The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis, and Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers are the first two that spring to mind, though LM Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is hard on their heels.

What are you trying to say with your fiction? If I knew exactly what I was trying to say with my fiction, I wouldn't have to write an entire story to get it out! The most common themes that come through in my work are hope tied to perseverance, the importance of community, and the value of individuals for who they are, not what they do.

If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say? "She loved well"

Do you blog? I blog at StarDance Press