Ask the Author: Kevin Wright
Answered Questions (7)
Kevin Wright
The couple that comes to mind is Petruchio and Katherina from Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" (though my wife will probably hit me and suggest a better couple). But I like them because they have such a unique love affair -- clearly dysfunctional -- and yet end up being such a perfect match for one another. Their dysfunction elements actually help tame one another, and they have a healthier love at the end of the play than either one of them would have thought possible. On top of that, they're a blast to watch... :)
Kevin Wright
The best thing about being a writer is that you get to create a whole world -- a whole new mythos -- and then play with it. As one person told me, "Reading your books is like reading a movie!" and that's just the way I wanted it.
I mean, where else are you going to be able to play with vampires, real-life Chicago gangs, old pulp characters, medieval knights, rakshasas, sci-fi movies, Native American legends, and a pink umbrella, all in the same universe? To keep it all straight when I'm writing, I actually have a timeline of this universe mapped out from 39,000 BC to three hundred years in our future, and it's over 50 pages long.
I mean, where else are you going to be able to play with vampires, real-life Chicago gangs, old pulp characters, medieval knights, rakshasas, sci-fi movies, Native American legends, and a pink umbrella, all in the same universe? To keep it all straight when I'm writing, I actually have a timeline of this universe mapped out from 39,000 BC to three hundred years in our future, and it's over 50 pages long.
Kevin Wright
I've always loved writing (just ask Mrs. Smith, my third grade teacher), but what really inspired me to write this trilogy was being a Dad. My children love to read, and I got tired of hearing about "sparkly" vampires, or reading books where the good characters aren't really very good (or interesting) and the bad characters are so rich and sympathetic that you find yourself liking them more than your heroes. So I wrote the book to give my kids some characters to root for, and to show them how, when I was a boy, vampires were, y'know, bad...
But on a given day, what inspires me to actually sit down and type is exactly the same feeling that I'm hoping inspires you to read the next chapter -- that I've become invested in these characters myself, and I want to see what happens to them just as much as the readers do.
But on a given day, what inspires me to actually sit down and type is exactly the same feeling that I'm hoping inspires you to read the next chapter -- that I've become invested in these characters myself, and I want to see what happens to them just as much as the readers do.
Kevin Wright
Part of how I write is to keep the main story going, while also writing these "historical" backgrounds for what's going on, in totally different "voices" and styles. So if I'm struggling with one part, I'll step back, take a deep breath, and write one of the other parts. It really helps to have plotted everything pretty thoroughly before I start writing, so that I can jump around and write chapters out of order, if I have to, since I already know what's going to happen (and, thanks to the wonders of word processing, it's easy to tweak things later on).
It also helps that I have a full-time job elsewhere, so if I get writer's block some day, there are probably enough other things to do to keep me off the streets...
It also helps that I have a full-time job elsewhere, so if I get writer's block some day, there are probably enough other things to do to keep me off the streets...
Kevin Wright
Believe it or not, a lot of the inspiration that I get is from really intense nightmares that I've had. Lovecraft and Shelley said the same thing. So if you have a really good dream (or a really bad dream), make it a point to scribble down the details as soon as you wake up -- especially the most vivid details that affected you the most.
Kevin Wright
The best two things that you can do as an aspiring writer are these:
1) Read. Read everything that you can get your hands on. Read things that are in the genre that you're wanting to write in, but also make it a point to read things that are completely different from your own style, so that you can stretch yourself.
2) Write. As with any discipline, you'll only get better by practicing. So write as much as you can, to hone your style -- and then get people whose opinions you trust to look over what you've written and give you honest input.
1) Read. Read everything that you can get your hands on. Read things that are in the genre that you're wanting to write in, but also make it a point to read things that are completely different from your own style, so that you can stretch yourself.
2) Write. As with any discipline, you'll only get better by practicing. So write as much as you can, to hone your style -- and then get people whose opinions you trust to look over what you've written and give you honest input.
Kevin Wright
I'm currently finishing up the sequel to The Knight of Cups -- it's called The Queen of Pentacles, and it should be available by Christmas. I'm also working on the third book in the trilogy -- The King of Swords.
We're also in the process of getting our new website up and running -- www.kevinwrightbooks.com.
We're also in the process of getting our new website up and running -- www.kevinwrightbooks.com.
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