Ask the Author: Kristin A. Oakley
Answered Questions (7)
Kristin A. Oakley
A Man Called Ove, Beyond the Beautiful Forever, Since We Fell, Outlander
Kristin A. Oakley
Alcohol, lots of alcohol--no, just kidding. Actually, the best cure for me is to write down anything that comes to mind. Even if it isn't good, it loosens up ideas and eventually the words begin to flow. I like to write first thing in the morning because then I find I'm thinking about my story all day, writing it in my head or working out a problem with the plot. Then the next morning, no blockage!
Kristin A. Oakley
I get to create whole worlds and the people in them. When I write, I have a vague idea of what the story is about, but when I actually put the words on the page the characters take over. It's an amazing process. It's also wonderful when my words touch someone or make them consider something they haven't considered before.
Kristin A. Oakley
Finish your project whether it's a book, short story, or even a poem. But for novelists in particular, just finish writing the manuscript. Forget about selecting the perfect words, your first draft isn't going to be perfect. It's your opportunity to get the story down. Once it's completed, you'll go back over your manuscript and make a lot of changes anyway. Also, read a lot of great books, join a critique group or get a critique partner and take a workshop or class.
Kristin A. Oakley
I've just finished the first draft of God on Mayhem Street, the sequel to Carpe Diem, Illinois. I've sent it to my critique partners for their input. While I wait for their feedback, I'm working on a third novel unrelated to the first two books. It's my first venture into soft science fiction, written in first person.
Kristin A. Oakley
Lots of things inspire me: reading good literature, watching TV or movies with a fascinating character or plot, listening to my homemade soundtrack of Carpe Diem, Illinois, and, strange as it sounds, writing because it inspires more writing. The more I write, the more ideas I get.
Kristin A. Oakley
I was listening to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and wondered why novels about futuristic societies depict those cultures as bad, worse than our own. Obviously Bradbury was making a point, but it gave me the idea to write about a society that is an improvement over today's culture. So the little town of Carpe Diem, Illinois was born.
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