(Q) I think it’s pretty safe to say that most writers love reading. What are some of the books that influenced you the most? Anything you’d like to recommend?
Between the fourth and fifth Harry Potter books I grew desperate for more Hogwarts and decided I should just create a world of my own while I waited. That’s how Beware of theWhite and the underground city of Concord were born, and when I started writing regularly.
I love Maggie Stiefvater’s lyrical writing in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. It was a definite influence in the style and voice of my Weaver Tales.
The deep emotions experienced in ya books & series like Matched by Ally Condie, Divergent by Veronica Roth, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, influenced my Worth the Effort series.
(Q) What is your favorite part of the writing process? What about it makes you love it?
I really love the first draft. Getting to know the characters, discovering their journey, mucking up their lives and then giving them the tools to fix their problems, is all so much fun. The rise and fall of emotions, the joy and surprise of revelation is like the first read of a really good book. My next favorite is the editing process AFTER receiving some really insightful input from a critter or editor. That helps me to rediscover all of the above.
(Q) What’s your biggest pet-peeve when it comes to the writing world? Does anything get under your skin and itch?
I don’t if it makes my skin itch or not, but I’m not a fan of an omniscient narrator. I find it distracting to jump from one person’s head to the next and not very realistic/believable. I’d much rather discover what is going on through a character’s observations or via dialogue. I don’t mind multiple point of view books where we jump p.o.v. with a new chapter.
(Q) If you could meet any writer, living or dead, and pick their brain over coffee/tea/hot-chocolate, who would it be? What would be your first question?
I would ask JK Rowling about characterization. She says more about a person—their looks, personality, quirks—in the introductory sentence than many authors do in an entire book.
Thanks for hosting me, Meradeth!
When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.
Kai Strand can be found online:
Website: www.kaistrand.com
Hi Kai! Great influencing books, and I totally agree with Rowling's characterizations. In fact, her first book is one of the best books I've ever read--so much happens in so few words--and exactly what a book should be.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Crystal. Plus she uses really great words like squashy.
DeleteMeradeth, thanks for hosting me today and visiting my blog too. I look forward to hanging out with you all day ;)
Hi, ladies! I wish I could write like J.K. Rowling or Maggie Stiefvater! Or maybe just be them. :) Fun interview
ReplyDeleteI met Maggie at Wordstock last year and became a bumbling fangirl. It was totally embarrassing. She's so amazing it hurts a little inside. This tiny little slip of a thing bursting with awesomeness and energy. Yeah, I'd be her. Plus I have car envy. Love her Camaro, Loki.
DeleteWhat an awesome interview! I always love getting introduced to another HP fan! I think it is awesome that wanting more HP is what made Kai start one of her books. It would be amazing to talk to JK Rowling and find out how she creates such outstanding characters. She is the master! :)
ReplyDeleteWishing Kai the best of luck. I look forward to reading her books.
She is the master. It feels sort of cliche to say she was my inspiration, but, heck! It's true.
DeleteThanks for the comment Stephanie.
I love Maggie Stiefvater! The woman is some sort of writing genius, I swear! =) And that underground city sounds pretty interesting, if I do say so myself. (And I do!) ;)
ReplyDeleteMaggie's writing voice is like a blend of classical and rock & roll. She's like edgy lyrical. It's so cool!
DeleteAnd if I don't say so myself (no one else will ;) ) the underground world is pretty darn cool.
Thanks for visiting Leandra.
I like your answers, Kai!
ReplyDeleteThanks, William :)
DeleteHa! Wise words. I do love a strong line that sums up personality and physical description. And omniscient narrators tend to irritate me. Though I am fine with alternating narrators.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear I'm not alone in the omniscient thing. I recently read Dreams of Gods & Monsters and was surprised when it felt like it head hopped. I don't remember that from the first 2 books. I'm writing an alternating narrators book right now, so maybe I'm hyper sensitive.
DeleteGreat interview. I have to agree, the first draft is the most fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynda.
DeleteI enjoy Kai's writing and it was great learning more about her and her process.
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying so, Medeia! Glad you could stop in.
DeleteHi Kai! Great interview. Thanks for the insight regarding multiple POV's (one chapter after another). I'm writing my new novel in that fashion (3 POV's total). Growing up reading Animorphs where that was the case, I was able to enjoy the novels immensely from different perspectives. Lately, I've been cautioned on this approach, in that readers are likely to get "attached" to one character which I can understand. However, I have faith in the direction I'm going, but it's good to hear from another author that they wouldn't be peeved by this! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Kai was awesome!!! I love the way her brain works. This was WAY fun, Meradeth. And I wouldn't mind having a chat with JK… though I'd probably be too nervous to form coherent words, LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. Fun answers to all the questions! Congratulations Kai!
ReplyDelete