Ask the Author: Kyoko M.
Answered Questions (11)
Kyoko M.
The votes are in. Trump is reelected.
Kyoko M.
Anyone who knows me knows the answer to this question.
My favorite book series of all time is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. So, naturally, I'd go into Harry's world and try to marry his lanky ass. But depending on what book I'd land myself in, I'd also settle for just being his friend because he is just such a rich, layered, interesting character and on top of that, he's just a good man. I'd want to help him any way I could. I'd climb a mountain or fight a demon for the guy. Jim Butcher puts him through so much hell and if I could make things even the tiniest bit easier for him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I would also stand in the corner and heckle Harry and Murphy until they finally got together, because my God, do they NEED to get together already. Sheesh.
My favorite book series of all time is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. So, naturally, I'd go into Harry's world and try to marry his lanky ass. But depending on what book I'd land myself in, I'd also settle for just being his friend because he is just such a rich, layered, interesting character and on top of that, he's just a good man. I'd want to help him any way I could. I'd climb a mountain or fight a demon for the guy. Jim Butcher puts him through so much hell and if I could make things even the tiniest bit easier for him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I would also stand in the corner and heckle Harry and Murphy until they finally got together, because my God, do they NEED to get together already. Sheesh.
Kyoko M.
Weirdly enough, like The Black Parade, this idea was partially inspired by a movie. I'm of course embarrassed to admit it, but hey, you can't help when inspiration hits.
The book I'm currently working on was partially inspired by the 2002 film 'Reign of Fire.' Yes, the goofy brainless action flick starring Christian Bale and bald, shirtless, growly-whispering, over the top Matthew McConaughey is the inspiration for my new science-fiction series. I am so sorry.
To be fair, though, it's not actually borrowing from it or anything. It's basically the idea that dragons someday overrun the world and we have to try to win it back. It's still just a WIP and I've logged in 12k words as of today, but I've already gotten the idea for two books based on what I've written so far. If nothing else, it might have the juice for a trilogy of books. If I'm lucky, I'll find enough material for a whole series, but we'll see how that goes.
It's still too early for me to reveal a title or a plot synopsis, though. Stay tuned as we continue into 2016, as I hope to release this novel in the summer of next year.
The book I'm currently working on was partially inspired by the 2002 film 'Reign of Fire.' Yes, the goofy brainless action flick starring Christian Bale and bald, shirtless, growly-whispering, over the top Matthew McConaughey is the inspiration for my new science-fiction series. I am so sorry.
To be fair, though, it's not actually borrowing from it or anything. It's basically the idea that dragons someday overrun the world and we have to try to win it back. It's still just a WIP and I've logged in 12k words as of today, but I've already gotten the idea for two books based on what I've written so far. If nothing else, it might have the juice for a trilogy of books. If I'm lucky, I'll find enough material for a whole series, but we'll see how that goes.
It's still too early for me to reveal a title or a plot synopsis, though. Stay tuned as we continue into 2016, as I hope to release this novel in the summer of next year.
Kyoko M.
Yes, definitely. There is a fine line to walk when you use or consider using a cliche, and unfortunately a lot of writers don't want to stand the cliche on its head or examine it, and instead just follow the lemmings right off the cliff.
For example, I'm a moderate fan of Agents of SHIELD. They are in their second season, and for the first half of it, things had gotten interesting and they improved on some of the lackluster things that happened in the previous season. However, ever since they came back from the mid-season finale break, it's been cliches left and right. I've been seeing plotpoints and character beats thirty minutes before they even happen because the writing is relying too much on cliches and old tropes.
Laziness accounts for a lot of the cliches we see day-to-day. I think that's the problem moreso than sheer lack of knowledge. Writing is a long, tedious process that requires investment and creativity, so authors who don't want to commit just sit back and plop a cliche down when they hit a difficult spot.
However, it's the nature of the beast. I always admire authors who poke fun at cliches or avert/subvert them. Some cliches do work, but for the most part, you can't take it at face value. You have to add onto it and improve it if you really love the craft of writing.
Great question! Thanks for submitting it.
For example, I'm a moderate fan of Agents of SHIELD. They are in their second season, and for the first half of it, things had gotten interesting and they improved on some of the lackluster things that happened in the previous season. However, ever since they came back from the mid-season finale break, it's been cliches left and right. I've been seeing plotpoints and character beats thirty minutes before they even happen because the writing is relying too much on cliches and old tropes.
Laziness accounts for a lot of the cliches we see day-to-day. I think that's the problem moreso than sheer lack of knowledge. Writing is a long, tedious process that requires investment and creativity, so authors who don't want to commit just sit back and plop a cliche down when they hit a difficult spot.
However, it's the nature of the beast. I always admire authors who poke fun at cliches or avert/subvert them. Some cliches do work, but for the most part, you can't take it at face value. You have to add onto it and improve it if you really love the craft of writing.
Great question! Thanks for submitting it.
Kyoko M.
This job is not for the faint of heart.
So, yeah, everyone who wants to be a hard ass always uses that line, but I'm being serious. I know what you've probably seen already. You've read up on the Amanda Hockings and the E.L. James and the J.A. Konraths--people from all walks of life who hit the jackpot and quit their day jobs and they're diving into vaults full of gold like Scrooge McDuck.
I hate to break it to you, kid, but...that ain't gonna be you.
Here's the secret to becoming a self-publishing success: ignore your thousands of failures and don't compare yourself to successful bestsellers.
You can work as hard as you can writing a book. You can edit until your fingers bleed. You can hire the most brilliant book cover artist on the planet to commission your cover. You can tell your million Facebook fans to buy your book. You can do every single thing on the checklist that you've made to become an overnight self-publishing success, and guess what?
There is no guarantee that even one person will buy your book.
That is what you must understand above all. There is nothing you can do that will assure that your book is bought or borrowed by the multitudes. And you must make peace with that if you decide embark on this career path exclusively catered to masochists.
This life is long and the rewards are few, and it takes them forever to get here. This is a labor of love. Pure love. That is the only thing in this 'verse that will help you become a true blue author. You have to love writing and you have to love stories and you have to love reading and you have to love getting rejected over and over again until you're floating in a lake of your own bitter tears. That is what this job requires.
Are you ready for that?
If so, then strap on your guns, tie on your cape, lace up your combat boots, and get to work. If not, God bless you, find something else that you adore--something that makes your eyes light up and your breath steal out of your lungs--and do that instead.
The good news is that there is help out there. The bad news is that it's pretty inconsistent. There will be times when other authors, both those more and less experienced than you, will lend a helping hand and pull you out of your despair, but there will also be times when you are standing in a void with no one to guide you. Self-publishing is exactly that. Self. No matter how many mentors you find or friends you acquire, this job will only lift off the ground if you make it.
But that's kind of the hidden blessing. Sure, you're gonna fall flat on your face several thousand times and consider quitting literally every single day no matter how many sales you rake in (because there are never enough, trust me) but you also get to bask in your own glory if you finally get your own little following and faithful fans who buy your book(s). You did that. You're awesome. And no one can ever take that away from you.
Lastly, and this is really important: don't suck. That sounds mean, but I do mean that with all my heart. It's so easy to not put any effort into your work. People have made entire careers out of it. I mean, look at Michael Bay. He's what hacks dream about becoming when they grow up and he's a millionaire. But guess what? You're gonna be a writer someday. You are a storyteller. That is a privilege, not a right. You have to be responsible with your own power to tell stories, and have people pay you to tell them stories. So I ask you not to suck. Don't fart something out or pander to a popular demographic just because it's easy. You need to sweat and bleed for your craft. You don't have to be tortured about it, but you do need to care about your work and love it like your own child. If you do, then you will be rewarded someday for your work because you did the right thing and you tried to tell the best story possible. At the end of the day, that's what this job is all about, and you must respect that no matter where you go.
Good luck, kiddo.
You're gonna need it.
So, yeah, everyone who wants to be a hard ass always uses that line, but I'm being serious. I know what you've probably seen already. You've read up on the Amanda Hockings and the E.L. James and the J.A. Konraths--people from all walks of life who hit the jackpot and quit their day jobs and they're diving into vaults full of gold like Scrooge McDuck.
I hate to break it to you, kid, but...that ain't gonna be you.
Here's the secret to becoming a self-publishing success: ignore your thousands of failures and don't compare yourself to successful bestsellers.
You can work as hard as you can writing a book. You can edit until your fingers bleed. You can hire the most brilliant book cover artist on the planet to commission your cover. You can tell your million Facebook fans to buy your book. You can do every single thing on the checklist that you've made to become an overnight self-publishing success, and guess what?
There is no guarantee that even one person will buy your book.
That is what you must understand above all. There is nothing you can do that will assure that your book is bought or borrowed by the multitudes. And you must make peace with that if you decide embark on this career path exclusively catered to masochists.
This life is long and the rewards are few, and it takes them forever to get here. This is a labor of love. Pure love. That is the only thing in this 'verse that will help you become a true blue author. You have to love writing and you have to love stories and you have to love reading and you have to love getting rejected over and over again until you're floating in a lake of your own bitter tears. That is what this job requires.
Are you ready for that?
If so, then strap on your guns, tie on your cape, lace up your combat boots, and get to work. If not, God bless you, find something else that you adore--something that makes your eyes light up and your breath steal out of your lungs--and do that instead.
The good news is that there is help out there. The bad news is that it's pretty inconsistent. There will be times when other authors, both those more and less experienced than you, will lend a helping hand and pull you out of your despair, but there will also be times when you are standing in a void with no one to guide you. Self-publishing is exactly that. Self. No matter how many mentors you find or friends you acquire, this job will only lift off the ground if you make it.
But that's kind of the hidden blessing. Sure, you're gonna fall flat on your face several thousand times and consider quitting literally every single day no matter how many sales you rake in (because there are never enough, trust me) but you also get to bask in your own glory if you finally get your own little following and faithful fans who buy your book(s). You did that. You're awesome. And no one can ever take that away from you.
Lastly, and this is really important: don't suck. That sounds mean, but I do mean that with all my heart. It's so easy to not put any effort into your work. People have made entire careers out of it. I mean, look at Michael Bay. He's what hacks dream about becoming when they grow up and he's a millionaire. But guess what? You're gonna be a writer someday. You are a storyteller. That is a privilege, not a right. You have to be responsible with your own power to tell stories, and have people pay you to tell them stories. So I ask you not to suck. Don't fart something out or pander to a popular demographic just because it's easy. You need to sweat and bleed for your craft. You don't have to be tortured about it, but you do need to care about your work and love it like your own child. If you do, then you will be rewarded someday for your work because you did the right thing and you tried to tell the best story possible. At the end of the day, that's what this job is all about, and you must respect that no matter where you go.
Good luck, kiddo.
You're gonna need it.
Kyoko M.
Oh, you have no IDEA how much it matters to me. Strap in, my dear, this might be a long answer.
Ever since I was a little girl, I've never had trouble identifying with fictional women as long as they were written well. I've mentioned before how my all-time favorite Disney girls (girls, mind you, not just the princesses) are Meg, Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Rapunzel, and Kida. I grew up with a strong background of incredibly awesome ladies in fiction, everyone from Leeloo Dallas (MULTIPASS!) to Pippi Longstocking to Max Gibson. I love girls and I love reading about them and watching them on the silver screen or on television.
But, as I hit my twenties, I started noticing that most of my favorite TV shows, books, and movies were stories where most, if not all of the cast members, were white. Again, it's not a problem, but it did make me realize that black women don't really have a "role model" or an example of a kick ass fictional lady you think of as soon as you think about black women. The closest I can think of would be Storm or Zoe Washburne. Not to say there aren't millions of awesome black female characters out there, but almost none of them are in the public consciousness. That's how The Black Parade series came about.
I found myself wanting a story with a black female protagonist in an urban fantasy setting, but not the one you'd typically read. The market is flooded with these girls who are all chic and trendy, have fancy jobs that pay them absurdly well, and are drop-dead gorgeous with super-special-awesome powers coming out of their ears. I'm really tired of that girl. You know the one. She's everywhere, and so I wanted to create something I'd always wanted to read but hadn't seen just yet.
I wanted someone cranky and down to earth. I wanted someone who wasn't good with men and wasn't a sex symbol or temptress. I wanted someone who was a woman of color, but not your typical sassy stereotype. And I wanted her to rub elbows with the fantasy world around her and be able to keep up with her supporting characters as well as the villains.
Diverse characters make me happy inside. I'm not one of those authors who only reads something that I can identify with from a cultural stance. I read all kinds of stuff and while I'm discovering whole new worlds, I still feel sad that black women don't have the same famous awesome characters as those of other races. And so I hope that someday my series takes off and people realize that not all black women are frickin' housewives or ghetto hoodrats or stereotypes that show up in Tyler Perry movies/sitcoms. There is so much more to us, and so much more to women of color in general, that can be offered to the world. We need to show up in every medium so that people will realize that we're important and interesting and awesome and flawed, same as everyone else. We have our own voice and it's begging to be heard.
Lastly, I also think that it's important to write a diverse character in a setting where her race takes a backseat. I mentioned recently that Jordan is a Seer who happens to be black, not a black Seer. Some people automatically assume that a black character surrounded by white characters or characters of a different race will have unique problems, but I don't think that always has to be the case. Sure, it can come up in spots, but sometimes people rely too heavily on it to create a sense of drama, and sometimes it can prevent growing your audience. I think folks just need to get out of their own comfort zones sometimes and realize that you can relate to any character regardless of culture or race if they are well-written. Hell, I am in love with Harry Dresden for that exact reason. Here we have a 6'8'', gangly white guy who is a wizard, is totally awkward around women, and lives in Chicago with all manner of supernatural beasties. And guess what? I totally get him. I understand him and relate to him in several ways (especially about being a total snarky nerd with a depressingly small list of romantic partners). That's what I think is the end goal. I think we should strive to create so many stories with diverse characters that people realize it's not a limitation, it's an invitation.
...sorry for the word vomit. This is just an important issue to me and I hope to someday turn the tide for the better with my work.
Ever since I was a little girl, I've never had trouble identifying with fictional women as long as they were written well. I've mentioned before how my all-time favorite Disney girls (girls, mind you, not just the princesses) are Meg, Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Rapunzel, and Kida. I grew up with a strong background of incredibly awesome ladies in fiction, everyone from Leeloo Dallas (MULTIPASS!) to Pippi Longstocking to Max Gibson. I love girls and I love reading about them and watching them on the silver screen or on television.
But, as I hit my twenties, I started noticing that most of my favorite TV shows, books, and movies were stories where most, if not all of the cast members, were white. Again, it's not a problem, but it did make me realize that black women don't really have a "role model" or an example of a kick ass fictional lady you think of as soon as you think about black women. The closest I can think of would be Storm or Zoe Washburne. Not to say there aren't millions of awesome black female characters out there, but almost none of them are in the public consciousness. That's how The Black Parade series came about.
I found myself wanting a story with a black female protagonist in an urban fantasy setting, but not the one you'd typically read. The market is flooded with these girls who are all chic and trendy, have fancy jobs that pay them absurdly well, and are drop-dead gorgeous with super-special-awesome powers coming out of their ears. I'm really tired of that girl. You know the one. She's everywhere, and so I wanted to create something I'd always wanted to read but hadn't seen just yet.
I wanted someone cranky and down to earth. I wanted someone who wasn't good with men and wasn't a sex symbol or temptress. I wanted someone who was a woman of color, but not your typical sassy stereotype. And I wanted her to rub elbows with the fantasy world around her and be able to keep up with her supporting characters as well as the villains.
Diverse characters make me happy inside. I'm not one of those authors who only reads something that I can identify with from a cultural stance. I read all kinds of stuff and while I'm discovering whole new worlds, I still feel sad that black women don't have the same famous awesome characters as those of other races. And so I hope that someday my series takes off and people realize that not all black women are frickin' housewives or ghetto hoodrats or stereotypes that show up in Tyler Perry movies/sitcoms. There is so much more to us, and so much more to women of color in general, that can be offered to the world. We need to show up in every medium so that people will realize that we're important and interesting and awesome and flawed, same as everyone else. We have our own voice and it's begging to be heard.
Lastly, I also think that it's important to write a diverse character in a setting where her race takes a backseat. I mentioned recently that Jordan is a Seer who happens to be black, not a black Seer. Some people automatically assume that a black character surrounded by white characters or characters of a different race will have unique problems, but I don't think that always has to be the case. Sure, it can come up in spots, but sometimes people rely too heavily on it to create a sense of drama, and sometimes it can prevent growing your audience. I think folks just need to get out of their own comfort zones sometimes and realize that you can relate to any character regardless of culture or race if they are well-written. Hell, I am in love with Harry Dresden for that exact reason. Here we have a 6'8'', gangly white guy who is a wizard, is totally awkward around women, and lives in Chicago with all manner of supernatural beasties. And guess what? I totally get him. I understand him and relate to him in several ways (especially about being a total snarky nerd with a depressingly small list of romantic partners). That's what I think is the end goal. I think we should strive to create so many stories with diverse characters that people realize it's not a limitation, it's an invitation.
...sorry for the word vomit. This is just an important issue to me and I hope to someday turn the tide for the better with my work.
Kyoko M.
To be honest, I kind of wish it was going better. Then again, I put the 'social' in 'socially awkward' so that may be why I have reservations about social media in general.
For instance, I am abysmal at Twitter. I gain and lose 5 followers every day, so I've had the same follower count for a couple months now. I can't grow a fanbase that way, and I suppose my awkwardness just comes through so much that people don't want to stick around.
Conversely, I seem to do pretty well on Tumblr, but the problem there is that people like my personality AND NOT MY BOOKS. Seriously, I've posted about my novel several times and they stay the hell away from anything related to my book, even when I'm simply announcing that it's free. Tumblr is a cornucopia of disturbing concepts, to quote Ron Stoppable.
Facebook has good and bad days. Some days I want to rip my hair out because I have 330+ page likes and yet only an average of 20 people see any posts I make on a daily basis. I don't know if that's the website itself, an error on my part for when/what I post, or just bad luck (which I have a lot of).
I can't tell if I just haven't gotten the hang of social media yet or if I truly just suck at it and will always be an awkward turtleduck. I think people really find out more about me as a person when they read my fiction than when they read my Twitter feed. Social media is 100% required when you are an unknown self published author, but it's also extremely hard to get your voice heard when everyone's screaming at the same time.
But the good news is, I have found a tiny pocket of people who really like me and my books and I will latch onto them like some creepy version of Octodad until the end of time. I LOVE YOU GUYS. *gross suction cup noise*
For instance, I am abysmal at Twitter. I gain and lose 5 followers every day, so I've had the same follower count for a couple months now. I can't grow a fanbase that way, and I suppose my awkwardness just comes through so much that people don't want to stick around.
Conversely, I seem to do pretty well on Tumblr, but the problem there is that people like my personality AND NOT MY BOOKS. Seriously, I've posted about my novel several times and they stay the hell away from anything related to my book, even when I'm simply announcing that it's free. Tumblr is a cornucopia of disturbing concepts, to quote Ron Stoppable.
Facebook has good and bad days. Some days I want to rip my hair out because I have 330+ page likes and yet only an average of 20 people see any posts I make on a daily basis. I don't know if that's the website itself, an error on my part for when/what I post, or just bad luck (which I have a lot of).
I can't tell if I just haven't gotten the hang of social media yet or if I truly just suck at it and will always be an awkward turtleduck. I think people really find out more about me as a person when they read my fiction than when they read my Twitter feed. Social media is 100% required when you are an unknown self published author, but it's also extremely hard to get your voice heard when everyone's screaming at the same time.
But the good news is, I have found a tiny pocket of people who really like me and my books and I will latch onto them like some creepy version of Octodad until the end of time. I LOVE YOU GUYS. *gross suction cup noise*
Kyoko M.
The final novel in the Black Parade series, entitled The Holy Dark. It's a doozy, to say the least. It took me a year to write it and it's going to take almost as long editing this monstrosity. It recently broke my personal record for word count at a whopping 168,000, and that's BEFORE the revision process has begun. There is a lot of work to be done on it and it'll hit shelves sometime in the spring next year. I'm excited for it, but also dreading saying goodbye to my lovely cast of misfits in the Black Parade 'verse. It's been a long, painful, but rewarding experience.
However, if you're still curious, I also have an epic fantasy novel in the works that is two-thirds of the way done. After I revise the crap out of The Holy Dark, it's going to be the next book (or book series, I haven't decided yet) that I work on in 2015 and 2016. It's unlike anything I've written before and I truly hope that readers will be interested in a new gang of characters in their own unique fantasy world. It has quite a bit to go, but I'm eager to see where it leads me as an author.
However, if you're still curious, I also have an epic fantasy novel in the works that is two-thirds of the way done. After I revise the crap out of The Holy Dark, it's going to be the next book (or book series, I haven't decided yet) that I work on in 2015 and 2016. It's unlike anything I've written before and I truly hope that readers will be interested in a new gang of characters in their own unique fantasy world. It has quite a bit to go, but I'm eager to see where it leads me as an author.
Kyoko M.
It's always Pantsless O'Clock.
Y'know, except when I have to leave the house to do adult-y things.
Y'know, except when I have to leave the house to do adult-y things.
Kyoko M.
I suppose my answer is a little odd and complicated.
1) I re-read the most recent chapter and try to identify what caused me to lose my momentum. Most of the time, it's boredom or because I've accidentally written myself into a corner. I re-trace my steps and see if there's a way to untangle the knot.
2) I pop on over to Chuck Wendig's blog, specifically for two articles: "25 Ways to Unstick a Stuck Story" and "25 Ways to Defeat the Dreaded Writer's Block." Most of the time, at least one of the 50 suggestions gives me an idea on how to get myself out of the rut.
3) If Steps 1 and 2 don't work, I dig up one of my favorite films and watch it in order to become reinvigorated. Nothing gets me going like fantastic writing and amazing visuals, so movies like The Fifth Element, Lucky Number Slevin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Inception, or any manner of Disney Renaissance films can cheer me back up.
4) If I still somehow don't feel better, I find something really terrible like bad fanfiction or any of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and read that in order to become so determined to write better than them that I get back on the horse that just bucked me off. Sounds a little mean, but hey, motivation is motivation.
1) I re-read the most recent chapter and try to identify what caused me to lose my momentum. Most of the time, it's boredom or because I've accidentally written myself into a corner. I re-trace my steps and see if there's a way to untangle the knot.
2) I pop on over to Chuck Wendig's blog, specifically for two articles: "25 Ways to Unstick a Stuck Story" and "25 Ways to Defeat the Dreaded Writer's Block." Most of the time, at least one of the 50 suggestions gives me an idea on how to get myself out of the rut.
3) If Steps 1 and 2 don't work, I dig up one of my favorite films and watch it in order to become reinvigorated. Nothing gets me going like fantastic writing and amazing visuals, so movies like The Fifth Element, Lucky Number Slevin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Inception, or any manner of Disney Renaissance films can cheer me back up.
4) If I still somehow don't feel better, I find something really terrible like bad fanfiction or any of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and read that in order to become so determined to write better than them that I get back on the horse that just bucked me off. Sounds a little mean, but hey, motivation is motivation.
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