Ask the Author: Kelle Z. Riley
Answered Questions (6)
Kelle Z. Riley
I am currenlty plotting anothe murder--in a book, of course! That will bring the Undercover Cat mystery series up to 5 full lenght novels, plus the short stories I'm giving away.
I'm also getting ready for a 5th romance in teh Riches & Royals series...But don't worry, I'll be releaseing books 2-4 over the next months. The series started with Read My Lips, in September of 2021. Royally Scandalized (book 2) is scheduled for release in early 2022.
I'm also getting ready for a 5th romance in teh Riches & Royals series...But don't worry, I'll be releaseing books 2-4 over the next months. The series started with Read My Lips, in September of 2021. Royally Scandalized (book 2) is scheduled for release in early 2022.
Kelle Z. Riley
WOW. I love creating something that didn't exist before I put words on the page. Worlds. People. Places. Creating a fictional world is as close to performing magic as a human can get.
I am constantly reminded of the writer's version of an old theater saying:
"In a book the writer is God, but, unfortunately, the characters are all atheists."
Characters do unexpected things (I'm not a plotter.) Sometimes their actions make it harder for them to achieve their happy endings. Still, I work like crazy to try to bring them back to happiness.
It makes me wonder if God ever feels that way about us...
I am constantly reminded of the writer's version of an old theater saying:
"In a book the writer is God, but, unfortunately, the characters are all atheists."
Characters do unexpected things (I'm not a plotter.) Sometimes their actions make it harder for them to achieve their happy endings. Still, I work like crazy to try to bring them back to happiness.
It makes me wonder if God ever feels that way about us...
Kelle Z. Riley
Hold tight to your dreams. Work you butt off. Don't listen to those who try to discourage you. Join a professional writer's organization and learn from everyone.
Kelle Z. Riley
I have always loved storytelling. As a child I made up characters and slipped into their shoes to help me deal with difficult times. Later, if I read a book or saw a movie where the ending left me cold...I simply rewrote the ending in my head. (Romeo and Juliet lived happily-ever-after, by the way.) Eventually, I realized that I could share my stories with a wider audiance. I joined a writers' group (then several more) and I have never looked back!
Kelle Z. Riley
I love unlikely pairings when it comes to romance characters. The trick is putting a twist on something tried and true. In Read My Lips, the main troupes are falling for the billionaire boss, and hidden identities. But I wanted a hero with some vunlerabilities. Since I love reading, I tried to imagine what it would be like without the ability to read...and my dyslexic hero was born. The literacy teacher who found the key to helping him read was an obvious match. From there I had to imagine how the hero made his billions despite his challenges with the written word. SO...
I asked a stranger what her favorite junk food was. When she said ice cream with chocolate sauce...my billionaire hero became a chocolaitier. The research from there was fun (and tasty), but that's the answer to another question. See my youtube channel for more on chocolate research.
I asked a stranger what her favorite junk food was. When she said ice cream with chocolate sauce...my billionaire hero became a chocolaitier. The research from there was fun (and tasty), but that's the answer to another question. See my youtube channel for more on chocolate research.
Kelle Z. Riley
Usually if I'm "blocked" it is because something is going wrong, either in the manuscript or in life. It it is a life issue (family crisis, for example) I take time to deal with that and allow the writing to slide a bit.
If it's a self care issue (too little sleep, too much stress) I also try to deal with the root cause. This goes hand in hand with the life issues I talked about above.
What if it isn't any of the above issues? Often the answer is to just give myself permission to write "crap" that I will edit later. Silencing the inner editor is a great way to get back on track. And you know what? That "crap" is sometimes really good. I just need to convince myself to put it on the page and edit it later.
Another good tactic is to post a goal where I can see it. A post-it note on my monitor telling me what manuscript page number I want to reach this week is a great motivator for me! And a sneaky little trick--if you're really stuck--is to make the goals really tiny and build on them. My smallest goal is this: open the file where you manuscript is stored and open the manuscript. That's it. Even if I close the file immediately after opening, I've met my goal. And I never close the file immediately after opening.
IF you are a writer or need to achieve other goals, I hope these tips help you!
If it's a self care issue (too little sleep, too much stress) I also try to deal with the root cause. This goes hand in hand with the life issues I talked about above.
What if it isn't any of the above issues? Often the answer is to just give myself permission to write "crap" that I will edit later. Silencing the inner editor is a great way to get back on track. And you know what? That "crap" is sometimes really good. I just need to convince myself to put it on the page and edit it later.
Another good tactic is to post a goal where I can see it. A post-it note on my monitor telling me what manuscript page number I want to reach this week is a great motivator for me! And a sneaky little trick--if you're really stuck--is to make the goals really tiny and build on them. My smallest goal is this: open the file where you manuscript is stored and open the manuscript. That's it. Even if I close the file immediately after opening, I've met my goal. And I never close the file immediately after opening.
IF you are a writer or need to achieve other goals, I hope these tips help you!
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