Ask the Author: L.S. Hawker
Answered Questions (9)
L.S. Hawker
I would definitely go to Narnia. I'd take a sailing ship like the Dawn Treader and visit all those crazy islands and to the ends of the world!
L.S. Hawker
Great question! Just went to a signing last night with debut author Margo Catts, and I'm about to dig in to her AMONG THE LESSER GODS. Also PALINDROME by E.Z. Rinsky, DEPARTURE by A.G. Riddle, ATTACHMENTS by Rainbow Rowell, TWO HEADS ARE DEADER THAN ONE by Elena Hartwell, FATES AND FURIES by Lauren Groff, GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, RISE OF THE MACHINES: HUMAN AUTHORS IN A DIGITAL WORLD by Kristen Lamb, and WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR by Paul Kalanithi. I'm sure there will be more!
L.S. Hawker
I'm stealing my answer from an interview I gave on Nina Mansfield's blog (read her book! It's wonderful!):
Pay attention in psychology class. Study history and current events. Try to understand the motivations of people who do evil or desperate things. Read widely in your genre. This will help you internalize the structure and elements of what makes a good story.
If you're truly committed to getting published, then listen to industry experts. Go to conferences. Learn the craft—don't rely on your "talent." I can't tell you how many writers I've heard say things like "That (editor/agent/publisher) doesn't know what's good. My work is so unusual and brilliant that they're just too dumb to get it." NO, THEY'RE NOT. They're the ones who know what sells. Don't expect them to conform to your expectations and desires. You're the one who needs to adapt and change according to the industry. LISTEN TO THEM AND DO WHAT THEY SAY.
And most importantly, don't ever give up—no matter how discouraged you get, no matter how long it takes. I gathered more than 100 rejections before I got to yes!
I've had the same quote hanging over my desk since I was in college:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. – Calvin Coolidge
Pay attention in psychology class. Study history and current events. Try to understand the motivations of people who do evil or desperate things. Read widely in your genre. This will help you internalize the structure and elements of what makes a good story.
If you're truly committed to getting published, then listen to industry experts. Go to conferences. Learn the craft—don't rely on your "talent." I can't tell you how many writers I've heard say things like "That (editor/agent/publisher) doesn't know what's good. My work is so unusual and brilliant that they're just too dumb to get it." NO, THEY'RE NOT. They're the ones who know what sells. Don't expect them to conform to your expectations and desires. You're the one who needs to adapt and change according to the industry. LISTEN TO THEM AND DO WHAT THEY SAY.
And most importantly, don't ever give up—no matter how discouraged you get, no matter how long it takes. I gathered more than 100 rejections before I got to yes!
I've had the same quote hanging over my desk since I was in college:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. – Calvin Coolidge
L.S. Hawker
Primarily deadlines...but those are motivation more than inspiration. For inspiration, I turn on the hundreds of Christmas lights on my office ceiling, turn on a sound generator like mynoise.net, burn a candle with a scent like tobacco-cedar or silver rain, and dream.
L.S. Hawker
Hearing from and meeting readers is a thrill. Some of them want to talk about my novels with me and pick apart the plots, which is gratifying, to say the least! I dreamed of doing this my whole life. And while the gig is challenging and difficult in ways I couldn't have foreseen, I find myself in a state of perpetual wonder and gratitude. That's what happens when your dreams come true.
L.S. Hawker
When I was 19, I was working at a ski resort (that shall remain for our purposes unnamed) when one evening as I cashed out my register a cop approached me and asked to speak to me. I said sure, and he led me into the manager's office where the manager, the assistant manager, the resort's general manager, and the head of security waited. The cop locked the door and the five of them interrogated me for four hours. Someone had accused me of purposely under-ringing items and pocketing the difference. Since they couldn't find any money on, they had me strip searched. When they still didn't find any money, they asked me who my partner was. Then they told me I'd have to take a lie detector test, which, if I failed, I would go straight to jail.
L.S. Hawker
Hi, Pari! I've been asked this question multiple times, so I answered it on my blog: http://lshawker.com/what-happened-to-.... I can tell you're a dog lover (as am I!), so read the blog post to ease your worries!
For your information, I have a six-year-old Lhasa Apso named Sunny Pancake. Have a great day!
For your information, I have a six-year-old Lhasa Apso named Sunny Pancake. Have a great day!
L.S. Hawker
I'm working on two projects--a suspense novel with the working title Yonder Stands the Sinner and a chick lit novel with my daughter Chloe called How to Wreck a Wedding.
L.S. Hawker
About twelve years ago, an acquaintance told me a story about her mother that I filed away in my mind. Then in 2013, I read about a man who went on a road trip to learn more about his father's secret life. I put those two things together, and came up with THE DROWNING GAME.
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