Ask the Author: Christine Kindberg
Answered Questions (4)
Christine Kindberg
Thank you, Barb! How kind—I’m glad you’re enjoying the book! To answer your question, I didn’t consciously set out to write about my experiences—I wanted to tell the story of a white outsider in the 1960s and explore the divisions caused by race in the US. But since an international move is what makes Adelaide a white outsider, I did end up using some of my own experiences as a touch point for what Adelaide goes through, especially in cross cultural transition. So even though the circumstances are pretty different, a lot of Adelaide’s feelings are something I’ve felt at some time or another. Some of the feelings I didn’t even realize were my own until I re-read the manuscript later!
Christine Kindberg
I keep a notebook where I write down ideas when they strike. When I'm idea-dry and want to start a new project, I go through the notebook and pick up on whatever feels interesting. If I'm in the middle of a project and get stuck in a scene, I sometimes leave it and move to another part of the story. Also, it usually helps to get outside and go for a walk! Fresh air helps put things in perspective.
Christine Kindberg
The first germ of THE MEANS THAT MAKE US STRANGERS came from a question inspired by a book title. Several classmates in college were reading "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?", and I wondered: What would happen if someone disrupted that social norm? I started imagining the background and motivations of someone who didn't understand the unspoken rules of racial tensions in the US, and I wrote down just that question in my writers notebook.
About four years later, I was looking for story ideas, and that question stood out to me from my old notebook. I sat down to play with it, writing a few words to see where it would go. What ended up as the first scene in the book came to me pretty early on, and from there the character grew legs and a mind of her own, and then I just had to keep up with her!
About four years later, I was looking for story ideas, and that question stood out to me from my old notebook. I sat down to play with it, writing a few words to see where it would go. What ended up as the first scene in the book came to me pretty early on, and from there the character grew legs and a mind of her own, and then I just had to keep up with her!
Christine Kindberg
People-watching gives me great ideas for stories. Sometimes I catch myself studying people and making up a story about them even when I shouldn't be!
New places are also really inspiring, even if I'm not necessarily writing about that place. I think opening myself up to the wonder of discovery in a new setting also opens me up to new story ideas!
New places are also really inspiring, even if I'm not necessarily writing about that place. I think opening myself up to the wonder of discovery in a new setting also opens me up to new story ideas!
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Jan 13, 2020 04:13PM · flag