Ask the Author: Kevin Sterling
Answered Questions (6)
Kevin Sterling
My ideas usually start with real life situations and news stories. For example, with Lazar’s Mission, I got the idea for a World War II fighter plane crash-landing in the Sahara desert from the discovery in 2012 of just such an airplane. From there, I let my imagination run and did extensive research on tangential subjects that eventually sparked ideas for the plot, and I let my mind stew on all of it until I found a clever way to tie everything together. It’s funny how it all happens, too, because I usually sit amidst a sea of research with no idea how it’s all going to meld into an intriguing book. But one day I wake up, and it all makes sense. Then just try to wrench me away from my computer!
Kevin Sterling
I'm easily inspired because I love to create worlds and characters, and I enjoy crafting it all into stories. The whole writing process stimulates both my right and left brains, which in my case are almost equally balanced. So, I find writing extremely and wholly satisfying.
Kevin Sterling
I am working on the 6th book in the Jack Lazar Series, Lazar's Nemesis. Jack's really going to have a hard time getting out of THIS jam. It'll be released in Mid-September.
Kevin Sterling
Treat your writing like a business, whether you have the luxury of a full-time gig or if you're only able to write during the evenings and weekends. That means setting regimented times to write, to market, to blog, etc. Make to-do lists, set specific goals and achieve them one by one. No one will ever finish a book by writing whenever they get around to it. There are so many distractions in life, and because writing and creating is hard work, it’s so easy to gravitate toward other things and “get to the writing later”. Discipline is the key.
Kevin Sterling
There are so many fantastic things about being a writer, but the greatest joy is bringing joy and entertainment to other people’s lives. The author/reader connection is incredibly intimate, and it’s thrilling to share that with so many people. Then there’s the creative process of forming stories, inventing characters and bringing it all to life through fun writing, all of which gets me so excited that I can hardly wait to get to my study every morning. I know, in my heart, that it’s truly what I’m meant to do.
Kevin Sterling
Writer’s block just happens from time to time, and I usually put my manuscript aside and work on other book related activities such as marketing, social media, cover design concepts, video trailer ideas, etc. for a while. Since I follow a regimented work schedule, I won’t allow myself to go off and do something mindless, but I’ve found that concentrating on other tasks allows my subconscious mind to work on “the problem”, and I’m eventually able to return to the manuscript with the fog lifted.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more