Ask the Author: K.R. Gangi
Answered Questions (5)
K.R. Gangi
This is a very difficult question, but most fun to talk about. I've had a lot of ideas come to mind based off of experiences I had with other books. In some of my books, I found myself saying, "Damn, I really wish it would have been cool to see more of this," or "I wish this would have happened instead of this." I think we can all agree that we felt this way with some books, regardless of how much we liked, or disliked them.
Well, I found myself saying that often, and so I basically yelled at myself, "Well, then, do it yourself?"
I had this basic, generic idea in my head of a story, and I wrote my first chapter when I was a Jr. in college. No outline of the story, no plot, no nothing. I just wrote a chapter. A week must have passed when I thought, "Oh, I should try doing this instead." Then things got a bit out of control.
I wanted to write something that had everything I enjoyed while reading a book: strong character development, dialog, tragedy, loss, love, blood, death, and elements of magic.
It really was just a hobby, but I found myself longing for my library time in between classes to review or write. And let me tell you, that basic idea that I had before is NOWHERE near what I've published today. In fact, I think I kept one, maybe two elements of my original story involved with my first book, Bloodlines.
The chaos didn't stop there. I must have written over a hundred pages, then stopped and thought, "maybe I should add this character, then I can do this, this, and this." BOOM. Things just got more complicated. Not only did I involve TWO more characters, but my story just became a lot more complicated.
If I'm being completely honest, I felt, and still feel, like I'm traveling through a tower, and every time I open a new door, or discover another room, I get another element/idea that I want to include in my story.
The thing is, I never truly thought I'd be at this level in my writing. I understand that I'm not a big author, and I accept that I might never be, but if I traveled back in time and told Jr. Kyle about the story that I've written, there's no way in hell I would believe it.
It never crossed my mind to publish; writing is a hobby. I never thought the story would be as complicated as it's become; it was supposed to be generic and basic fantasy. I never would have believed the plot; I just wanted to write about a guy fighting monsters.
In fact, I never told anyone I was writing, not until a couple of years ago, and even then I only told about three people. It was strange to think, but I only wrote for myself, never expecting to have an audience.
Well, I found myself saying that often, and so I basically yelled at myself, "Well, then, do it yourself?"
I had this basic, generic idea in my head of a story, and I wrote my first chapter when I was a Jr. in college. No outline of the story, no plot, no nothing. I just wrote a chapter. A week must have passed when I thought, "Oh, I should try doing this instead." Then things got a bit out of control.
I wanted to write something that had everything I enjoyed while reading a book: strong character development, dialog, tragedy, loss, love, blood, death, and elements of magic.
It really was just a hobby, but I found myself longing for my library time in between classes to review or write. And let me tell you, that basic idea that I had before is NOWHERE near what I've published today. In fact, I think I kept one, maybe two elements of my original story involved with my first book, Bloodlines.
The chaos didn't stop there. I must have written over a hundred pages, then stopped and thought, "maybe I should add this character, then I can do this, this, and this." BOOM. Things just got more complicated. Not only did I involve TWO more characters, but my story just became a lot more complicated.
If I'm being completely honest, I felt, and still feel, like I'm traveling through a tower, and every time I open a new door, or discover another room, I get another element/idea that I want to include in my story.
The thing is, I never truly thought I'd be at this level in my writing. I understand that I'm not a big author, and I accept that I might never be, but if I traveled back in time and told Jr. Kyle about the story that I've written, there's no way in hell I would believe it.
It never crossed my mind to publish; writing is a hobby. I never thought the story would be as complicated as it's become; it was supposed to be generic and basic fantasy. I never would have believed the plot; I just wanted to write about a guy fighting monsters.
In fact, I never told anyone I was writing, not until a couple of years ago, and even then I only told about three people. It was strange to think, but I only wrote for myself, never expecting to have an audience.
K.R. Gangi
I am currently working on my second book in The Light of the New World series. Like my first book, Bloodlines, I've broken it down in three parts, and I just finished the first draft of Part 1. I have an idea of what the title is going to be called, but I haven't fully committed to it yet. Bloodlines took years to finish, but now that I've got the ball rolling, and a full grasp of what the series will be about, I'm am making much better, much faster progress than the first book.
K.R. Gangi
The recognition that all these conversations in my head didn't lead me to insanity, but to an obsession that I spend every waking moment developing scenarios that spiral out of control until I put it on paper.
K.R. Gangi
Kyle woke up Friday morning in the hospital. It turns out that, not only did he spend the last fifteen years in a coma, dreaming a life that didn't actually exist, but he was also a seven-year old girl who's favorite food was peeps.
K.R. Gangi
That's a tough one. I'm a Fantasy geek, especially on the "gritty" or "grimdark" side of it, so most of the worlds I've experienced are based around bloody, ruthless society, and let's be honest, I wouldn't survive long in that. I would travel to Elan, a world built by Michael J. Sullivan in his Riyria series. The world he's built is as beautiful as it is ugly, littered with ancient ruins, hidden cities, and vast lands of green forests and rolling hills. I would spend my time searching for ancient tombs and castles, discovering the secrets of a long forgotten world.
But, if i'm being honest, if i'm able to travel to a fictional world, I think it's safe to assume that the same rules of that world applies to me. That being said...Star Wars universe, baby. Who doesn't want to have telekinetic power, the skill to wield a light-saber, or fly spend their time flying their spaceship from planet to planet? I'll tell you who. This guy.
But, if i'm being honest, if i'm able to travel to a fictional world, I think it's safe to assume that the same rules of that world applies to me. That being said...Star Wars universe, baby. Who doesn't want to have telekinetic power, the skill to wield a light-saber, or fly spend their time flying their spaceship from planet to planet? I'll tell you who. This guy.
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