Ask the Author: Kim Kelly
Answered Questions (9)
Kim Kelly
Hi Penelope. No stupid questions here! No, I didn't know there was ever a band called Elbow - I'll have to look them up! Dan's band is a completely fictional Sydney band, concocted of dozens of bands in the mid-80s.
Kim Kelly
Hi Ashley. Yes, walking – or any kind of meditative moving – is great for freeing up the mind to wander, and to focus more imaginatively on problems too. Because I mainly write historical fiction, I also love to search through old newspapers and photos, and that can lead to discoveries that then spark new ideas or directions. Another personal trick is to always try to leave myself something specific I need to get on with for the next writing session, so that my creative engine never really stops inside a story – and I’m never staring at a blank page. If I do find myself staring at a blank page, some random free-writing can kick me off – I just write anything that comes into my head – and it often helps unblock whatever it is that might be holding me back.
Kim Kelly
Hi Amie. You binged my books? How fabulous! Thank you so much for your lovely words. Lady Bird & The Fox is out April 18 - or April 11 if you're after the ebook. Can't wait to hear what you think of her. All my stories are pieces of my heart but Lady Bird & The Fox is extra special. Cheers! And happy reading - Kim x
Kim Kelly
Hi, Julie. Greta is the elder - the first to have her spirit broken. She is held captive in Bathurst by Alec while Berylda is grudgingly allowed to attend university. I hope that clarifies things. Thanks - Kim.
Kim Kelly
Hi Jennifer. It's lovely to hear from you. I do hope you enjoy whichever of my stories you have borrowed, and I'd love to know your thoughts on them. Happy reading! Kim x
Kim Kelly
You need to write. Practise, practise, practise. If you wanted to be a dancer, you would limber and train every day. If you wanted to be a musician, you would tune and play your instrument every day. Being a writer means writing every day. Eyes open to learning, ears open to advice, heart open to life – and write, write, write.
Kim Kelly
I’m currently doing final revisions to my fourth novel, Paper Daisies, which will be published in August ’15, and I’m about a third of the way through my fifth – can’t wait to get back to it!
Kim Kelly
When I’m deep inside a story, totally absorbed by the lives and experiences of my characters, I feel like I’m inside some wild time-travelling dream. And inside that space, things I didn’t know I knew, feelings and insights I didn’t know I had, emerge as if I truly am connecting with some realm outside myself. But the very best part of being a writer is when that connection is made real through a reader. Whenever someone relates to a story of mine, or finds some spark of wonder or love in it, I am thrilled beyond words. Nothing beats it.
Kim Kelly
I’m lucky enough at the moment to have the opposite problem from writer’s block – never enough time to get down all of the stories I have rattling round this head. If ever I am stuck, though, on a scene or a character issue, or just plain wondering what happens next, it usually means it’s time to pull back, go for a walk or read someone else’s story – reboot the brain. But my most favourite place to hang around and wait for inspiration is the National Library of Australia’s Trove online database – story always jumps out at me after a little wander around all of the photographs and articles there.
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