Authors from A to Z: K

K = Keaton

I had a really, really good first quarter this year, reading-wise. Very good. When I think about it I just can’t believe how lucky I’ve been! So many awesome books, not the least of which is Kelly Keaton‘s Darkness Becomes Her, which I LOVED! It was one of those books that I just didn’t want to stop reading. I didn’t want to have to use my bookmark at all. (Of course, I had to, but such is life.) Just click on the book’s title to read my full review.

Anyway … Kelly kindly agreed to write a guest post for today. So here we go!

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Krispy Kremes & Some Commonly Asked Questions

Hello Readers of Proud Book Nerd! Very happy to be here for the A-Z event. I tried to think of a topic that began with a K, and all I could think about was Krispy Kreme donuts… Hmm. This is perplexing indeed, not like me at all. No wait. Yes it is! I could write an entire post dedicated to those lovely concoctions, but . . . I shan’t. Instead, I thought I’d share two common questions I get from readers who also happened to be aspiring authors. (I know, you were really hoping for the Krispy Kreme post weren’t you?) So this one’s for the writers out there, or those interested in my writing process.

Q: How do I write my book? Do I outline, plot, or just wing it?
A: There is no one right approach to writing a novel. The keyword here is ‘approach.’ I’m not talking grammar. I’m not talking plot elements and things necessary to make a good story. I’m talking the process you use to get your story on paper. If anyone tells you must do it a certain way, think again. If you’re a beginner, it’s great to test things you might have heard us authors talking about (plotting, outlining, note cards, writing by the seat of your pants). Find what fits you best, what feels right. Feel a need to outline every chapter in detail? Go right ahead. Feel like writing half the book by the seat of your pants and the other half with an outline? Awesome. Feel like writing random scenes? Have at it. Let your creativity flow. There is no one right way to do it. Every single book I’ve written has come out of me differently. I have outlined and plotted, written with no notes at all, started at the end and written backwards, and I have written scenes out of order. My process is to have no process in particular. That’s not by design; it’s just how I am. I know authors who write their books the same way every single time. That’s their process, it works for them, it’s right for them. So, my advice is always to listen to your creative self, find what works best for you, and let it come how it wants to.

Q: I’m stuck, what do I do? Or how do I get over writer’s block?
A: Give yourself permission to skip and/or write poo. Ha! And to think you wanted a post about Krispy Kremes. Now before I go any further, I’m not talking about final drafts and submitting bad work. I’m talking about rough drafts here. And why do I give this advice? Well, this is a great way for me to keep moving forward without losing a lot of time. If you’re under deadline or only have small windows in which to write, getting hung up at this early stage can really eat up time, cause you stress, and keep you smack dab in the middle of the hump that’s going nowhere. So it might be worth a try. The point at this stage is to get to the end, to get your story down on paper whether it’s a skeleton version of what’s in your head or meatier than you’ll ever need. And sometimes this involves pushing through the tough spots with not-so-great writing. I have literally written: “And Ari and Violet dress up for the ball.” I’ve written truly mundane dialogue just to get it out of the way (because I knew once I came back to it, I’d have something far better). All so I could get to THE END. So if you’re having trouble with a scene and can’t seem to move past it, try giving yourself permission to write a short note and skip the details, or to write something not so great. Because guess what? It’s a rough draft. You will be going back to fix it. And this way, you actually have something to fix!

So those are two of the most common questions I get, besides: Will there be a sequel to DARKNESS BECOMES HER? It tickles me to death that this is one of the most often asked questions! Anyway, the answer to that is affirmative. The sequel is called A BEAUTIFUL EVIL. It’ll release February 2012, and picks up right where Ari and friends left off. (And a big, big thank you to readers for supporting the book and writing to me to ask!).

Hope this advice was useful to some of you out there. I’m off to get some donuts! And as always Happy Reading!

~ Kelly

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That was so much fun to read. Thank you, Kelly! (And I CANNOT wait for A Beautiful Evil!)

FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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