Ask the Author: Kate Wrath
Answered Questions (10)
Kate Wrath
Aren't they the greatest? :D So glad I'm not the only one who knows it!
Right now I'm working on writing the spinoff book to The E Series, which takes place a few years after the end of Endgame. I'm not sure if it's going to be a standalone book or if it will be more. I intended it to be mostly about new characters with only some little glimpses of the old ones, but so far I find myself writing a lot about the old ones. So hard to say goodbye to them, I guess!
Meanwhile, the second book of the Fairytale Evolution series, The Dark Road is in edits. Pol has been swamped lately, so it's taking a bit longer than expected. This book starts a couple of months after the end of Flipped and continues Honaia's story as she tries to come to terms with all the stuff that happened in Book One while pretty much all Hell is breaking loose around her.
Now I want to go and watch Battlestar again! There's just nothing like it. I think I'm going to add it to my list to watch again soon. :)
Right now I'm working on writing the spinoff book to The E Series, which takes place a few years after the end of Endgame. I'm not sure if it's going to be a standalone book or if it will be more. I intended it to be mostly about new characters with only some little glimpses of the old ones, but so far I find myself writing a lot about the old ones. So hard to say goodbye to them, I guess!
Meanwhile, the second book of the Fairytale Evolution series, The Dark Road is in edits. Pol has been swamped lately, so it's taking a bit longer than expected. This book starts a couple of months after the end of Flipped and continues Honaia's story as she tries to come to terms with all the stuff that happened in Book One while pretty much all Hell is breaking loose around her.
Now I want to go and watch Battlestar again! There's just nothing like it. I think I'm going to add it to my list to watch again soon. :)
Kate Wrath
That’s a great question!
Firstly, I’m really bad at favorites. Like, if you asked me to choose between tiramisu and strawberry shortcake on any give day, I might have to off myself. Favorite color? Depends. I work more in groups of ‘loves’. So, since I can’t really think of just one, and since I’m probably forgetting some of my absolute favs, here are some off the top of my head….
Kara Thrace and Lee Adama (Starbuck and Apollo) from the newer Battlestar Galactica, which is probably my all-time favorite series ever. (That’s saying something, given my earlier statement about favorites.) Their relationship has so many levels-- this kind of slow-dying agony and a true bond. You know they know each other better than anyone else in their lives, they love each other fiercely, and yet they can’t seem to get it together. And then there are all the mysteries to sort out, and a hell of a lot of roadblocks. And Kara is just Kara, this abrasive wench, and yet, somehow, she’s totally lovable.
Possibly because I’ve just watched this one again, and it’s fresh in my mind, but also because it’s awesome: Mal and Inara from Firefly (and the follow-up movie Serenity). Great complexities and plenty of humor thrown into the interesting set-up of their relationship. Damn whoever made the decision to cut that series. What were they thinking?
Going back… to The Little Mermaid (not Disney). The original story wherein the little mermaid turns to sea foam rather than stab the prince in the heart to save herself. That’s dedication, huh? There was this (probably incredibly dated) anime-style movie of it that I loved as a kid. Just so much feeling in that one.
And possibly keeping with the theme of sacrifice and all that, Meredith Ann Pierce’s Darkangel trilogy: Aeriel and Irrylath. I have read these books so many times it’s ridiculous. Let’s just say that anytime that someone would rather cut out their own heart than see harm come to the person they love… that kind of gets me. These stories are myth-meets-fairytale but there is so much truth in their depths, and I think that Aeriel, though sometimes naïve, knows how to love better than most people I know (and not just her man). It’s all about the transformative power of true dedication, conquering demons, healing, growing into something more. A truly beautiful story in so many ways.
And I’m just going to throw in here Lucy and Henry from Fifty First Dates because 1) Drew Barrymore + Adam Sandler and 2) total sweetness. Aside from being massively silly, this film was really touching. I mean, dedication, overcoming challenges, and happy endings. Sold.
Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, because I cried a year’s worth of tears over those two in the span on one afternoon. John Green is evil. :p
Roberto (Robert Jordan) and Maria from For Whom the Bell Tolls, for this beautiful, innocent tenderness in the midst of We’re all going to die.
Cutter and Leetah from Elfquest, because Elfquest.
Rosalind and Orlando from As You Like It, my fav Shakespearean comedy. It’s like Who the hell are you but I love you anyway.
I seriously almost forgot Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. I adore the old Anne of Green Gables movies w/ Megan Follows, though I never could quite get into the books or that Avonlea Disney spinoff thing. Anne is totally a kindred spirit in so many ways. I hear there’s a new series and I’m terribly frightened and excited by it, but have not yet worked up to watching it and am not sure if I will.
…And I’ll probably be coming back to add to this post because I’m really so bad at remembering when I get asked things like this. I’ll probably be going “Oh yeah, and—“ for the next few months.
Firstly, I’m really bad at favorites. Like, if you asked me to choose between tiramisu and strawberry shortcake on any give day, I might have to off myself. Favorite color? Depends. I work more in groups of ‘loves’. So, since I can’t really think of just one, and since I’m probably forgetting some of my absolute favs, here are some off the top of my head….
Kara Thrace and Lee Adama (Starbuck and Apollo) from the newer Battlestar Galactica, which is probably my all-time favorite series ever. (That’s saying something, given my earlier statement about favorites.) Their relationship has so many levels-- this kind of slow-dying agony and a true bond. You know they know each other better than anyone else in their lives, they love each other fiercely, and yet they can’t seem to get it together. And then there are all the mysteries to sort out, and a hell of a lot of roadblocks. And Kara is just Kara, this abrasive wench, and yet, somehow, she’s totally lovable.
Possibly because I’ve just watched this one again, and it’s fresh in my mind, but also because it’s awesome: Mal and Inara from Firefly (and the follow-up movie Serenity). Great complexities and plenty of humor thrown into the interesting set-up of their relationship. Damn whoever made the decision to cut that series. What were they thinking?
Going back… to The Little Mermaid (not Disney). The original story wherein the little mermaid turns to sea foam rather than stab the prince in the heart to save herself. That’s dedication, huh? There was this (probably incredibly dated) anime-style movie of it that I loved as a kid. Just so much feeling in that one.
And possibly keeping with the theme of sacrifice and all that, Meredith Ann Pierce’s Darkangel trilogy: Aeriel and Irrylath. I have read these books so many times it’s ridiculous. Let’s just say that anytime that someone would rather cut out their own heart than see harm come to the person they love… that kind of gets me. These stories are myth-meets-fairytale but there is so much truth in their depths, and I think that Aeriel, though sometimes naïve, knows how to love better than most people I know (and not just her man). It’s all about the transformative power of true dedication, conquering demons, healing, growing into something more. A truly beautiful story in so many ways.
And I’m just going to throw in here Lucy and Henry from Fifty First Dates because 1) Drew Barrymore + Adam Sandler and 2) total sweetness. Aside from being massively silly, this film was really touching. I mean, dedication, overcoming challenges, and happy endings. Sold.
Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, because I cried a year’s worth of tears over those two in the span on one afternoon. John Green is evil. :p
Roberto (Robert Jordan) and Maria from For Whom the Bell Tolls, for this beautiful, innocent tenderness in the midst of We’re all going to die.
Cutter and Leetah from Elfquest, because Elfquest.
Rosalind and Orlando from As You Like It, my fav Shakespearean comedy. It’s like Who the hell are you but I love you anyway.
I seriously almost forgot Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. I adore the old Anne of Green Gables movies w/ Megan Follows, though I never could quite get into the books or that Avonlea Disney spinoff thing. Anne is totally a kindred spirit in so many ways. I hear there’s a new series and I’m terribly frightened and excited by it, but have not yet worked up to watching it and am not sure if I will.
…And I’ll probably be coming back to add to this post because I’m really so bad at remembering when I get asked things like this. I’ll probably be going “Oh yeah, and—“ for the next few months.
Kate Wrath
That's such a great question, Leo! I would like to know the answer, myself!
The thing about E is that I never planned to write it at all, so it's hard to know where it all came from. The story is... I was working on the third book in another series (that I haven't gotten around to publishing yet). I was buried in a lot of research, trying to sort some things out in my head. Needless to say, that's not the funnest part of writing! I really needed a break from it, and I desperately wanted to write something. I couldn't really move forward with the book I was writing because the research wasn't finished, so I decided to take a little break and just write something for fun. So I grabbed a notebook and pen and started free-writing (where you write as quickly as you can, without stopping, without knowing what you're going to write). I didn't have the slightest idea what would come out, let alone what point of view it would be in! And voila. Eden was born. So no, I don't have any idea where the inspiration for first person came from!
Another funny thing is that, up until I wrote The E Series, I hardly ever wrote in first person. I've always greatly preferred third person. Really, I never even liked first person! But I suppose each story has its own voice, and maybe that's just the thing. Eden had her own story, and she wanted to tell it. I have to say, it has been incredibly fun writing from her perspective. There's an immediacy to first person that I've definitely come to appreciate. And yes, it has worked well with some of the plot twists. :)
So glad to hear you've enjoyed the series so far! I'm a little more than halfway through writing the last book as we speak, and after this, it's on to a spinoff series set a few years after the end of The E Series. I'll be writing the next series in third person, which will be fun because it will open up a lot more possibilities with different characters.
The thing about E is that I never planned to write it at all, so it's hard to know where it all came from. The story is... I was working on the third book in another series (that I haven't gotten around to publishing yet). I was buried in a lot of research, trying to sort some things out in my head. Needless to say, that's not the funnest part of writing! I really needed a break from it, and I desperately wanted to write something. I couldn't really move forward with the book I was writing because the research wasn't finished, so I decided to take a little break and just write something for fun. So I grabbed a notebook and pen and started free-writing (where you write as quickly as you can, without stopping, without knowing what you're going to write). I didn't have the slightest idea what would come out, let alone what point of view it would be in! And voila. Eden was born. So no, I don't have any idea where the inspiration for first person came from!
Another funny thing is that, up until I wrote The E Series, I hardly ever wrote in first person. I've always greatly preferred third person. Really, I never even liked first person! But I suppose each story has its own voice, and maybe that's just the thing. Eden had her own story, and she wanted to tell it. I have to say, it has been incredibly fun writing from her perspective. There's an immediacy to first person that I've definitely come to appreciate. And yes, it has worked well with some of the plot twists. :)
So glad to hear you've enjoyed the series so far! I'm a little more than halfway through writing the last book as we speak, and after this, it's on to a spinoff series set a few years after the end of The E Series. I'll be writing the next series in third person, which will be fun because it will open up a lot more possibilities with different characters.
Kate Wrath
Yes, but I don't have all the details. For instance, I've known since I began writing Book One of The E Series how the series would end. I knew some of the things that would happen along the way, but not all of them. For example, there's an event in Elegy that completely blindsided me and made me scramble to pick up the pieces around it. That one event changed some of the things that I had seen happening at the end of the series, but it didn't change the overall outcome.
I think it's important to know where you're headed, or you might never get there, and the story might suffer. But, personally, I like to have a good deal of freedom with my writing, so that I can discover things along with the characters. Their choices guide the story, just like in real life. If things are too structured, you run the risk of having a "canned" plot (something I personally cannot stand in a story). Anyway, there's a balance in there, somewhere in the middle, and that's how I tend to write. I'm not saying that's how everyone should write, because all writers are different. But for me, it works quite well.
I think it's important to know where you're headed, or you might never get there, and the story might suffer. But, personally, I like to have a good deal of freedom with my writing, so that I can discover things along with the characters. Their choices guide the story, just like in real life. If things are too structured, you run the risk of having a "canned" plot (something I personally cannot stand in a story). Anyway, there's a balance in there, somewhere in the middle, and that's how I tend to write. I'm not saying that's how everyone should write, because all writers are different. But for me, it works quite well.
Kate Wrath
I currently have an exclusive contract with Amazon, which means that my books are only available for purchase in mobi format. However, if you need a different format, you can purchase the book on Amazon, email me (kate [at] katewrath [dot] com) with the time/date of your purchase, and let me know what reading format you require (PDF and EPUB are the two most common). I will then email you the format that works for you.
Alternately, you can download free software that will convert the file to a different format. I use Calibre e-book management software, which is free on the web, and is quite handy to have in general.
Sorry that there is not a more convenient solution at this time. Hopefully in the future I will branch out to make my books more easily accessible to all readers. Thanks for your patience. :)
Alternately, you can download free software that will convert the file to a different format. I use Calibre e-book management software, which is free on the web, and is quite handy to have in general.
Sorry that there is not a more convenient solution at this time. Hopefully in the future I will branch out to make my books more easily accessible to all readers. Thanks for your patience. :)
Kate Wrath
...I didn't. Well, it was subliminal, I suppose. I just had this need to write something. I usually plan, but I had no idea at all this time, except that I needed to write. So I sat down and wrote. I didn't know what was going to come out, who the character was, or where it was going. I didn't know a single word. That's how E was born.
Once the story started going, I sat down and made myself do some organization, but this is one story that really took me on a wild ride. It was its own thing.
Now I'm working on the sequel, and it is easier for me to handle, because I know what I'm getting myself into!
Once the story started going, I sat down and made myself do some organization, but this is one story that really took me on a wild ride. It was its own thing.
Now I'm working on the sequel, and it is easier for me to handle, because I know what I'm getting myself into!
Kate Wrath
How do I NOT get inspired to write? That's a better question.
I am always full of stories. They come from everywhere. E came entirely out of my subconscious.
Things that result in writing inspiration on a very regular basis:
*history
*dreams
I cannot stop the ideas from coming when I am in a history lecture, and most every morning I want to write a story out of my dreams. I don't have time for them all, though, so I collect the good ideas for sometime down the road, and do what I can. There is not enough time to write everything!
I am always full of stories. They come from everywhere. E came entirely out of my subconscious.
Things that result in writing inspiration on a very regular basis:
*history
*dreams
I cannot stop the ideas from coming when I am in a history lecture, and most every morning I want to write a story out of my dreams. I don't have time for them all, though, so I collect the good ideas for sometime down the road, and do what I can. There is not enough time to write everything!
Kate Wrath
I am currently doing my first edit of the second book in my E series. (I was calling it TMT as a working title, but I believe that is going to change.) I am also occasionally doing some work on the prequel to E, which will be published last, after all the other books in the E series. I know, it doesn't make sense to be writing it right now, but I just can't stop myself!
I also have two fantasy books in edits, though they are not priority right now.
I also have two fantasy books in edits, though they are not priority right now.
Kate Wrath
Write for yourself, because you love it. I think that's the only reason to become a writer. It is tons of work, and the payoff is iffy at best. But if you love it, write, and keep writing. Don't expect your first writing to be good (even though we all think our first writing is good, it's more than likely not, and that's OK.) No matter how talented you are, writing takes time to develop. The more you write, the better you get. It's all about passion and pursuing what you love to do, no matter whether anyone will ever read it or not.
That said, don't put too much stock in advice that other writers give you. (Like me, right?) You can learn a lot from other writers, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that what works for one person is the way you have to, or should, approach your writing. Every writer has their own way of doing things. You have to find out what works for you.
That said, don't put too much stock in advice that other writers give you. (Like me, right?) You can learn a lot from other writers, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that what works for one person is the way you have to, or should, approach your writing. Every writer has their own way of doing things. You have to find out what works for you.
Kate Wrath
The absolute best thing about being a writer is the writing. You know how, when you get into a good book, you feel like you've gotten to live in that world for a little while? Well, when you write the world, you get to live in it even longer, and know it even better. You get to live a million stories that might not ever go into your actual book, because you need to know your world and your characters that well. It's like Disneyland for the mind... only considerably darker in my case!
Also, connecting with my readers is awesome. I love getting feedback on my work. Those are some happy author moments.
Also, connecting with my readers is awesome. I love getting feedback on my work. Those are some happy author moments.
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