Ask the Author: Ken Stark
Answered Questions (7)
Ken Stark
I take supreme joy in pouring my guts all over the page. It is the one place where I can be entirely truthful. I can say what I want in the way that I want, and the only possible consequence is that someone out there might not like it. That is a wonderfully intoxicating world in which to live.
Ken Stark
The sheets pulled back and I felt a warm body pressed against mine, then a moist pair of lips whispered a gentle, "I didn't mean to wake you," in my ear, and the blood froze in my veins.
I lived alone.
I lived alone.
Ken Stark
Besides working on the next Stage 3 novel, I'm also working on my first foray into self publishing! I've always wanted to try the indie thing, and I have a short story that grew into a novella too big to post on my website, so it is perfect for my first attempt at self-publishing. I can't reveal the title yet, but it is about a man forced to face his greatest fear, and I hope it causes all of you many sleepless nights. It should be ready to go in a few weeks.....hopefully;)
Ken Stark
Thanks for the question, David!
I put it down to the TV shows I watched growing up, especially shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone & Night Gallery. I loved that I could be completely engrossed in the story, and then there would come a little twist at the end that turned the whole thing upside-down and threw it right back at the viewer, usually to illuminate some dark corner of mankind's nature. Rod Serling was a master at the art, and he more than any other inspired me to start dreaming up my own stories. I'll never be able to do what he did, but if I could have even a fraction of that man's talent, I'd be a happy man!
I put it down to the TV shows I watched growing up, especially shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone & Night Gallery. I loved that I could be completely engrossed in the story, and then there would come a little twist at the end that turned the whole thing upside-down and threw it right back at the viewer, usually to illuminate some dark corner of mankind's nature. Rod Serling was a master at the art, and he more than any other inspired me to start dreaming up my own stories. I'll never be able to do what he did, but if I could have even a fraction of that man's talent, I'd be a happy man!
Ken Stark
After long deliberation, I have to say Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. I know that they aren't a couple in the traditional sense (all fan fiction aside), but I grew up with those two, and I love that they compliment each other. Holmes was the brain, Watson was the heart, and in them was the proof that the um of the parts was greater than the whole.
Ken Stark
I always say to follow your bliss. Write what the voices in your head are telling you, and ignore all background noise. You might sell a few books by following a template, but you miss out on the chance of standing out from the crowd, and you will have muffled your own inner voice in the process. So, write what you write, and write how you write. If you can't find a mainstream publisher with the same vision as you, publish it yourself. You might not make millions, but like Van Gogh, your works will live on.
Ken Stark
I've found two ways to work through writer's block. I always have at least two or three pieces on the go at any given time, so if I get stuck, I either leave it and dig into another story, or else I go back to page one and spend a few days editing what I have so far. More often than not, the simple act of rereading the story from the start will get the juices flowing again.
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