Ask the Author: Kristin Cast

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Kristin, how often do you get straight older males that love your books?

Kristin Cast All the time! Unfortunately, people tend to think the books I've written/edited are specifically for young women, and they're really for anyone who wants to escape into a different world.

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Your suggestion about outlining each chapter make sense although my approach is totally different. I write mostly off the cuff. It just flows based on inspiration and I rarely know what the next paragraph is going to be. I'm as surprised and excited as to where the story goes as I hope the readers will be. It works for me. I guess my question is, do you know other successful authors that work that way?

Kristin Cast I don't personally know any authors who use that method, but that doesn't mean none do. I also don't want you to think you're doing something wrong, because you should 100% do what works for you. I surprise myself with what I end up writing too! Just because I have an outline doesn't mean my characters are going to follow it. They often end up doing their own thing, and I have to update my outline as I go.
Keep writing and good luck!

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would you perfer House Of Night to be a show or movie?

Kristin Cast TV shows have come a long way, and it would be amazing if HoN could join the lineup. Plus, so much happens in the novels I'd love to see as many scenes as possible play out on screen.

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Out of all the House of Night characters, who do you think you might most be and how do you figure you are like them?

Kristin Cast Zoey was very loosely based on me when I was a teen, so I think I'm most like her. When I say very loosely based, I definitely mean it. My mom and grandpa both taught at the high school I went to, so no one ever wanted to date me. But I'm glad I didn't have all the Zo boy drama! Zoey and I do share the same basic personality traits, and we like the same things - brown pop, psketti, Count Chocula. She's like the little sister I never had!

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Can you recommend any crime/thriller books and authors, like Lisa Gardener?

Kristin Cast I also really enjoy Karen Rose, Iris Johansen, Andrea Kane, Peter Straub, and Brenda Novak. Just to name a few.

Thanks for the question, Chloe!

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How do you just sit down and write out your ideas? Do you have an outline of what will happen or just go about it as you get there?

Kristin Cast I have to have an outline of what will happen. If not, I feel like I have no direction and am running around like a crazy person. To write the outline, I have a brainstorming session with family. When I say my ideas out loud, instead of writing them down by myself, I become even more creative and motivated.

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What's your favorite singer, books, movie and TV show?

Kristin Cast It's so hard for me to narrow down my favorites and come up with only one for each category. I definitely don't have a fave singer. My choice of music totally depends on how I feel at that moment.

Some of my favorite authors are Emily Suvada, Caleb Roehrig, Pintip Dunn, Scott Sigler, Richard Preston, Kresley Cole, Jeaniene Frost... the list goes on and on.

Right now my favorite movie is Austenland, but if you ask me again tomorrow, it could be totally different.

My all time favorite TV show is Doctor Who! For all my fellow Whovians, my fav doctor is Matt Smith.

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Kristin Cast You definitely just have to start writing in order to start writing. That sounds funny and simple, but I understand that it can be really intimidating. The way I started my first novel was to write an outline for each chapter. This can be as detailed as you want it to be. It's yours. Don't be worried about how you think it's supposed to be formatted, because that doesn't matter. Mine wasn't too detailed, but it did alleviate my stress. It made it so that I wasn't all freaked out about figuring out what needed to happen next. Pull out that pen or start clicking that keyboard and do you!

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Vell thanks Kristen this advice really helps
Apr 14, 2015 08:44AM · flag

Patricia Jones Thanks Kristin.
Mar 19, 2016 07:57PM · flag

Engr Muhammad Saqib Subject: Invitation for International Co-Authorship & Collaborative Book Projects

Dear Respected Author,

I hope you are well. My name is Engr. Muhammad Subject: Invitation for International Co-Authorship & Collaborative Book Projects

Dear Respected Author,

I hope you are well. My name is Engr. Muhammad Saqib Faraz, and I am reaching out to explore a potential international collaboration in authorship and literary development.

I work as both an author and literary mentor, writing in English and Persian, with published work that spans science fiction, time-travel storytelling, and classical Persian-inspired poetry. My recent books include:

The First Humans: A New Beginning Beyond Earth – a science-fiction, time-travel novel that merges imaginative storytelling with future-oriented scientific themes.

Rah-e-Tanhai (The Path of Solitude) – a Persian poetry collection and part of a broader series focused on the classical poetic traditions of India, Pakistan, and Iran.

Alongside my literary work, I am also a civil engineer, with research experience in robotics, adaptive control algorithms, magnetic adsorption, and slip estimation, as noted in my professional profiles on academic platforms. My creative and technical interests often merge, drawing from fields such as asteroids, black holes, ancient literature, and Persian–Indian poetics.

I am currently launching a series of international collaborative book projects that will allow authors from around the world to contribute their expertise, perspectives, and creative voices. These collaborations are designed to be smooth, respectful of your time, and structured in a way that does not place unnecessary workload on co-authors. My intention is to bring together strong, diverse talent to create high-impact works that appeal to global readers.

I believe your experience and unique voice would make an exceptional contribution to these projects. If you are open to exploring this opportunity, I would be glad to share detailed outlines, themes, and publishing pathways.

Thank you for considering this invitation. I look forward to the possibility of creating meaningful and influential books together.

Warm regards,
Engr. Muhammad Saqib Faraz
Author & Literary Mentor ...more
Nov 18, 2025 11:53AM · flag

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Kristin Cast I've sat in front of my computer staring at the screen while totally feeling hopeless and defeated. I get what writer's block feels like, but that's all it is - a feeling. It's like anxiety or happiness. The way you talk to yourself while you're in it makes all the difference. If I sat there and told myself how horrible I am, I would never be able to finish my book. I believe that the most important part of overcoming writer's block is to exchange the negative self talk for positive affirmations. What also may help is to choose a different chapter or scene to write. Sometimes it's worth skipping ahead and allowing a little time to reset.

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Kristin Cast

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