Ask the Author: K.S. Nikakis
Answered Questions (7)
K.S. Nikakis
I am biased towards my own works, so at present it is Etaine and Cormac in The Emerald Serpent. Their love affair goes amiss, with tragic consequences, through neither of their faults. In the end, both make the necessary sacrifices to right the situation, and save their people.
K.S. Nikakis
I've got a few projects in process at the moment but have just finished editing The Third Moon which I hope will be my first ebook launched later this year.
I like the idea of inherited memories, that is, the idea that memories are stored in our genes like our hair colour, height etc. The notion of inherited memories floated about in my brain for some time and then one of my students (I run a writing and publishing degree) coerced me into doing NaNoWriMo (you have to write 50,000 words in the month of November). Boy was that hard, but The Third Moon (with lots of editing) was the result. It tells the story of Warrain, a young man of aboriginal descent who lives thousands of years in the future as a Settler on another planet. Warrain carries the inherited memories of his ancestor's dispossession and when his community on the new planet are again dispossessed, he plots revenge.
The Third Moon is about Warrain's reaching of maturity but also what it is to gain a sense of belonging, and what the Settlers (as invaders themselves) owe the planet's indigenous life forms.
I like the idea of inherited memories, that is, the idea that memories are stored in our genes like our hair colour, height etc. The notion of inherited memories floated about in my brain for some time and then one of my students (I run a writing and publishing degree) coerced me into doing NaNoWriMo (you have to write 50,000 words in the month of November). Boy was that hard, but The Third Moon (with lots of editing) was the result. It tells the story of Warrain, a young man of aboriginal descent who lives thousands of years in the future as a Settler on another planet. Warrain carries the inherited memories of his ancestor's dispossession and when his community on the new planet are again dispossessed, he plots revenge.
The Third Moon is about Warrain's reaching of maturity but also what it is to gain a sense of belonging, and what the Settlers (as invaders themselves) owe the planet's indigenous life forms.
K.S. Nikakis
I think writers go around looking at things a lot, and thinking about things a lot. I write fantasy because I love creating new worlds and I would be bored if my characters had to go to work or school or got stuck in traffic jams. I'm interested in how landscapes affect people and used to teach geography in a previous life, so that fits well with fantasy as does the fact that I used to ride horses. I've also always had a love for language.
The Kira Chronicles grew out of my love for Lord of the Rings. I wanted an Eowyn-like character to have adventures and romance with an Aragorn-like character (so Kira and Caledon were born) but then Tierken appeared and the whole story changed.
The Kira Chronicles is a strong anti-war book and I was interested in how wars start and how hard they are to stop. I guess my own philosophies inspire me to write stories that explore them. I'm keen not to preach but also keen that sensitive readers pick up the deeper questions the stories pose.
The Hunter duology (hopefully launched as ebooks this year), started with the old version of the word shadow -- which is sceadu. I thought it would make a wonderful name for a tribe. A shadow is also the name for a ghost, works as the opposite of light, and is in the idea of a rainshadow (an absence of rain on the leeward side of mountains). One word gave me a tribe, the female protagonist and her male opposite, and a world afflicted by drought (because of a rainshadow) which the female protagonist needs to resolve. The Hunter duology also explores intuitive v. rational ways of thinking/viewing the world.
Like most writers I write for myself but as I've got older I get a big kick out of readers enjoying my books or being moved or changed by them - as I was by Lord of the rings.
The Kira Chronicles grew out of my love for Lord of the Rings. I wanted an Eowyn-like character to have adventures and romance with an Aragorn-like character (so Kira and Caledon were born) but then Tierken appeared and the whole story changed.
The Kira Chronicles is a strong anti-war book and I was interested in how wars start and how hard they are to stop. I guess my own philosophies inspire me to write stories that explore them. I'm keen not to preach but also keen that sensitive readers pick up the deeper questions the stories pose.
The Hunter duology (hopefully launched as ebooks this year), started with the old version of the word shadow -- which is sceadu. I thought it would make a wonderful name for a tribe. A shadow is also the name for a ghost, works as the opposite of light, and is in the idea of a rainshadow (an absence of rain on the leeward side of mountains). One word gave me a tribe, the female protagonist and her male opposite, and a world afflicted by drought (because of a rainshadow) which the female protagonist needs to resolve. The Hunter duology also explores intuitive v. rational ways of thinking/viewing the world.
Like most writers I write for myself but as I've got older I get a big kick out of readers enjoying my books or being moved or changed by them - as I was by Lord of the rings.
K.S. Nikakis
I have just finished a short novel called The Third Moon which was a NaNoWriMo project. It has a male protagonist, is set on another planet and is first person viewpoint. I've never done any of these things before. I would call it fantasy rather then sci-fi because the science is limited. I am hoping to launch it as an ebook before the end of the year. I am also editing my Hunter Duology which will probably be called Heart Hunter and Rain Hunter. Again I hope to launch these two books as ebooks by the end of the year. I am finishing off book 4 of my Angel series too. I'm not sure whether I will launch books 1-4 before books 5 and 6 are done. It could be dangerous because I'm one of those writers who has to write a story to find out what it is, so I only have vague ideas about the ending. The main character is called Viv (Violet Iris Vacia) who discovers she's half angel (except she's actually more than half) and sets off under the guidance of the beautiful angel Thrisdane to find her mother. There's gorgeous angels and some romance and brilliant other worlds, but the series is really about Viv healing, and growing up, and finding her place in the world. I'm really enjoying writing it and hope my readers will enjoy it too.
I'm presently working full time but intend to be writing full time by July 2015 and then I will have a lot more books coming out.
I'm presently working full time but intend to be writing full time by July 2015 and then I will have a lot more books coming out.
K.S. Nikakis
Nothing original, I'm afraid. You should write fearlessly. Do not allow yourself to be crippled by fear and doubt. You have a story to tell and you should struggle to tell it as best you can. No writer is perfect and it would be boring if they were. Strive always to improve. Seek feedback and think about it carefully but always go with your heart. Above all, write, write, write. You cannot be a writer unless you write regularly even when you are disheartened. Write for yourself; laugh and cry at your computer; despair if you must; but write!
K.S. Nikakis
There are so many best things: you are never bored; you can live multiple lives in multiple worlds; you can create characters who become your best friends; you can write till you drop dead - there is no retirement age; you can always get better; there are so many different types of writing to dabble in and enjoy; you can use your stories to understand more about yourself, the world and the meaning of life and last but not least, it is great fun. Enjoy.
K.S. Nikakis
Thanks for the question. Writer's block just means you are sitting staring at the screen or sitting staring at the screen and swearing! I see writing as a continuous problem solving exercise. Why did the character do x,y or z? If x was to happen, what would the character do? Why would the character do it? To come up with solutions to the sorts of empty spaces in your writer's brain, you have to think about what you know about the characters and the setting and what's happened so far. If you really are at a loss, just make your character do something. It doesn't matter what; if it all goes pear-shaped you can hit the delete key (the writer's best friend). Often the story will go off in surprising directions.
I think also writer's block can be tiredness or staleness. I gaze out the window a lot. Don't be in a rush or feel pressured. Pick up your favourite book or mag and have a read. Or, jump to a scene you have been dying to write and write it first. You can write your story in any order you like. I hope this helps you because it helps me.
I think also writer's block can be tiredness or staleness. I gaze out the window a lot. Don't be in a rush or feel pressured. Pick up your favourite book or mag and have a read. Or, jump to a scene you have been dying to write and write it first. You can write your story in any order you like. I hope this helps you because it helps me.
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