Ask the Author: Kyra Geddes
Answered Questions (6)
Kyra Geddes
The idea for THE STORY THIEF came in 2014 during my university studies in English and Creative Writing, when I first read Henry Lawson's story, 'The Drover's Wife', and some of its best known retellings. It bothered me that Lawson chose to leave the heroine and her daughters unnamed in his story, while naming the two boys, and even the family dog! THE STORY THIEF is my attempt to give agency to the baby girl on her 'left hip', and to add my own voice to the longstanding literary tradition of drover's wife retellings.
Kyra Geddes
There is no shortage of inspiration. A walk in nature, a casual conversation, a painting in a gallery, a single brush with any of these is sufficient to inspire a scene, a chapter, an entire novel. The key is to tune into your senses and be receptive to the world around you.
Kyra Geddes
To write well, one must first read well!
Kyra Geddes
I have always read voraciously, ever since I was a child borrowing ten books on my library card, and then another ten on my mother's card. Becoming a writer feels like a natural extension of reading, as though I'm giving something back to the source of my own lifetime of joy, while simultaneously gaining entry to the wonderfully stimulating and supportive Australian author community. Ultimately, writing for me is about legacy and self expression - the words I leave behind for my children, and their children, will paint an enduring picture of who I was and how I saw the world.
Kyra Geddes
In the early years of writing my debut novel, I had a terrible fear of the blank page. It was always easier to keep researching, planning, put on a load of washing or make yet another cup of tea. I was convinced there had to be a perfect way of starting the book, the chapter, the scene … if only I could find it. I was like our old Italian greyhound who used to go round and round in ever-diminishing circles before he’d finally pick a spot to lie down. Eventually I learned to tell myself there was no single right way; that they were all simply words on a page and I could change them at any time. Perfectionism is the enemy of any first draft.
Kyra Geddes
While researching and writing THE STORY THIEF, I exclusively read classic Australian literature from the same periods about which I was writing. More recently, I have thrown myself into discovering some of the wonderful new releases in contemporary and historical fiction from Australian authors, including debut authors like myself. I love books that sit in the sweet spot between literary and commercial, and I especially love art-inspired novels.
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