Ask the Author: Kathleen J. Shields
Answered Questions (9)
Kathleen J. Shields
Where to start? I'd vacation at the "Shack". I'd get drinks with friends at "Diagon Alley". I'd walk through a "wardrobe". I'd go make friends with some "talking spiders" because they are amazing at marketing! And when I was done... I'd probably escape into some of my own, like take a quick visit to the "Dream World" and have in in-depth telepathic conversation with my favorite hottie "Tom". ...it's hard not to go into some of the worlds you've written even though there are so many other worlds I haven't yet discovered! Great question.
Kathleen J. Shields
There are so many to chose from! While I know this may be a tad cliche the very first couple that came to my mind was Romeo and Juliet. While I hated the tragedy of them both dying in the end they remind me about the separation we are experiencing in our country. I personally would have loved to have seen them work it out. Bring the families together, solve some of this conflict. Stories like this bring out the writer in me. They make me want to write a better story - not that I could ever compete with Shakespeare...
Let me ask YOU a question. Have you ever read a book, watched a movie or a TV show and thought "That was a horrible ending!" Well when I say that - I make that my days writing challenge. I'll write the ending I would have liked to have read or watched. Even if no one ever gets to read it - it's my way of doing what I do. Have YOU ever done that?
Let me ask YOU a question. Have you ever read a book, watched a movie or a TV show and thought "That was a horrible ending!" Well when I say that - I make that my days writing challenge. I'll write the ending I would have liked to have read or watched. Even if no one ever gets to read it - it's my way of doing what I do. Have YOU ever done that?
Kathleen J. Shields
The story came to me - at a time in my life that needed a valuable lesson about friendship and humanity. God spoke to me through this story and showed me the error in my ways.
Kathleen J. Shields
Write about something else. Skip the scene that is stumping you and go back to it later. If you force it, it will feel forced.
Of course, I have so little time to write; what with work, marketing and life - but when I get that opportunity - that last thing I want to do is stare at my last sentence and write nothing. I'll enter a few empty lines, highlight a note that says work on this, and go to the next scene. Most of the time, the scene comes to you later or you realize it wasn't meant to happen in the first place (or wasn't important).
Of course, I have so little time to write; what with work, marketing and life - but when I get that opportunity - that last thing I want to do is stare at my last sentence and write nothing. I'll enter a few empty lines, highlight a note that says work on this, and go to the next scene. Most of the time, the scene comes to you later or you realize it wasn't meant to happen in the first place (or wasn't important).
Kathleen J. Shields
Escaping the real world!
Granted, if you write about history, politics, a biography, your memories or something like that, I guess you can't really escape. But for me - it's about dreaming, imagining, leaving the dull and creating magic and joy. It's something we see so little of these days - so yeah, I'd rather escape it.
Granted, if you write about history, politics, a biography, your memories or something like that, I guess you can't really escape. But for me - it's about dreaming, imagining, leaving the dull and creating magic and joy. It's something we see so little of these days - so yeah, I'd rather escape it.
Kathleen J. Shields
Don't follow the rules. That is to say; don't force yourself to write everyday, don't start with an outline and stick to it. Don't edit chapter one over and over again until you are bored with the story before you move on to chapter 2.
Write when you are inspired. Write when you have time where you will be uninterrupted. Write what is exciting for you at that moment. If you are excited, your story will be.
If your ending changes, good - it's probably for the better. If you don't let your characters 'teach you' they won't be realistic enough to teach others.
That's just my opinion.
Write when you are inspired. Write when you have time where you will be uninterrupted. Write what is exciting for you at that moment. If you are excited, your story will be.
If your ending changes, good - it's probably for the better. If you don't let your characters 'teach you' they won't be realistic enough to teach others.
That's just my opinion.
Kathleen J. Shields
Since I just finished "The Painting" I have been writing ideas down for "The Painting 2 - Gerald's son visits" but currently, I am focusing my attention on our 12th Hamilton Troll book "The Big Race!"
Kathleen J. Shields
Inspiration comes in many forms: a bad ending to a TV show or movie, the nature that surrounds us, a dream, a nightmare, or even a friend. I get ideas for stories all of the time. I write those ideas down (so I don't forget) and when I have time, I embellish upon them. If you keep embellishing, you'll write a book.
Kathleen J. Shields
My latest novel is called "The Painting" and the idea came from above - that and a feeling of utter loneliness. I had a dream that Gerald Oliver Delaney was painting a world on a blank canvas. From there, the entire story literally wrote itself. To learn more about the story, my process, and read an excerpt visit my blog: http://www.kathleenjshields.com/?s=pa...
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