Ask the Author: Karen Stockwell
Answered Questions (12)
Karen Stockwell
My cat Elmo had been missing for two weeks when I felt a familiar rub against my ankle as I stood at the trash can. But when I looked down to confirm it was him, I saw a transformed version of my beloved feline, its eyes on fire, its back arched like a demon, its gaping mouth with fangs ready to strike ... me.
Karen Stockwell
I knew a family in Australia whose daughter married a Canadian and moved to Honduras in the 1980s. They "went back to the land" and had a couple of children. Then she disappeared. I'm not sure what was done to find her. But her husband sent the two kids to their grandparents to raise in Australia. He went back to Canada. As far as I know, they never heard anything about what happened to her. I've been out of touch with them for years, so I don't know if there was any resolution or if the kids ever saw their father again. Was he her killer? Or connected to those who were? Was she involved in something dangerous? Or was it random? There are many mysteries in this story.
Karen Stockwell
Norman, I haven't. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look into it.
Karen Stockwell
They're from the Outlander series: Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall Fraser. I'm reading the last book in the series and even though they would be eligible for AARP at their age, their love endures. It's been a complicated journey, one that easily could have resulted in their deaths or permanent separation, they are together and as in love as ever. But it's a love that has deepened over time as they've bonded through many trials. I think that's why the series is so popular. We all wish for a love with that much depth and resilience.
Karen Stockwell
Hi Norman, I have a long list and I definitely intend not to be bored. I'm working on my third novel, which I hope will be the first in a trilogy. I'm not far into it, but it will take some research. So it's a big project. I'm also de-cluttering my house, another big project. I hope to do some traveling as well. And I have a stack of books to read! Thanks for asking!
Karen Stockwell
Hi Norman, No I haven't. I looked it up on Amazon and it looks like a fast-paced thriller. Have you read it? I think you mean "Never Go Back." Would you recommend it?
Karen
Karen
Karen Stockwell
My advice would be to read a lot of other authors, especially those you really like. Or read about subjects that you're interested in. Also, find a writing group so you can engage with other authors. It can be encouraging and supportive, but also keeps you writing. When I wrote poetry, I went to an open mic on a weekly basis, which was another way to become part of a community of writers and be forced to write on a regular basis. I also took classes and workshops.
Karen Stockwell
My biggest block was as a visual artist. I had the ability to draw, but I ran out of subjects that were engaging for me. I went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to study Art History, hoping that studying other artists would give me more ideas. But I also had to study Art Theory, which made me think of art on another level that didn't help me in creating it. My creativity moved into another direction, back to my love of writing. There are times when I get blocked there, too. But then I read books or magazines or watch films that will help to get me back in my creative mode for writing. So far, it seems to be working.
Karen Stockwell
I've enjoyed writing since I was a kid. It's a way of engaging my imagination that is challenging and exhilarating at the same time. I've written non-fiction that includes newspaper articles, press releases, academic papers and a Master's thesis. But writing poetry, songs and now a novel have been much more fun.
Karen Stockwell
Usually something triggers an idea. I keep a mental journal, but it seems like things develop on their own, perhaps in my unconscious mind. Some plots drop away for various reasons. But others keep building until they seem interesting enough and worthy of becoming a real story. Then I'll write a narrative outline, or just start writing.
Karen Stockwell
Currently I'm working on a major edit of my manuscript for The Ballad of Sam and D. Lila, my second novel. It's set in Chicago and is a musical love story, or certainly a love story that revolves around music.
Karen Stockwell
Several experiences came together in my mind that linked the story together. I visited an indigenous village in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico when I was a grad student. I was there for the Day of the Dead and met up with an artist from Chicago who was originally from there. That became the model for the town of Teotenaca in my novel.
I'm a member of Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ in Chicago whose members are involved in many different social justice issues. That setting was ideal in the book for where my main character finds answers after her "vision quest" in Mexico. There was also the rabbit hole where Michelle Hardtke has her vision quest, which was inspired by a place I visited in Kentucky, a very dark, ancient place, which I shall not name because it would be a major spoiler. But you get the idea, I'm sure.
I'm a member of Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ in Chicago whose members are involved in many different social justice issues. That setting was ideal in the book for where my main character finds answers after her "vision quest" in Mexico. There was also the rabbit hole where Michelle Hardtke has her vision quest, which was inspired by a place I visited in Kentucky, a very dark, ancient place, which I shall not name because it would be a major spoiler. But you get the idea, I'm sure.
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