Ask the Author: Khristina Chess
Answered Questions (11)
Khristina Chess
My first novel, Straight A's, was inspired by some of my own experience with academic pressure and depression. The later novels are entirely fictitious. I start with a topic I want to write about, like teen pregnancy or anorexia. The story evolves from that. I find John Green, Jennifer Niven and Laurie Halse Anderson three YA authors whose books are similar to my category, who I admire.
Khristina Chess
Yes! Since publishing "The Future Unborn," I've written 3 more YA novels, and I am represented by the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, who is working to find a traditional publisher for my work. Meanwhile, I'm writing another new book. I love writing and try to find time every day to do it.
Khristina Chess
Everywhere I went, to the bookstores, in the libraries, on my Kindle, and in my home shelves, all the books had disappeared. The end of the world was here.
Khristina Chess
It's strange. I don't read much science fiction, but when trying to answer this question, all I could think about was Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles," which I read in college. I would want to be in the future, planting trees on another planet and making a new life.
Khristina Chess
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. Also I am reading All the Bright Places by Jennifer given again. I'm looking for some new authors and titles.
Khristina Chess
Inspiration doesn't really play a role in writing for me. I have so many ideas. Time is the problem because I have to squeeze my writing into such a small sliver of my life. When I have time to write, I write. I don't wait around for inspiration to strike.
Khristina Chess
I love the process of writing. In the beginning, it was all about getting published. When that didn’t happen, and didn’t happen, and didn’t happen, I kept writing because I still loved it.
Khristina Chess
I play with the cat a lot while I’m mulling over something that’s not working. She really enjoys writer’s block. Also, sometimes later that day or on the weekend, the block will resolve itself while I’m out walking.
Khristina Chess
My latest novel is about a runaway teenager. I knew I wanted to write about the issue of runaways. Grace was a character I pulled from my old slush pile of stories that didn't work out, but she was beautiful in this part, along with her parakeet Romeo. The plot unfolded as I researched the idea and constructed the supporting cast.
Khristina Chess
I just finished my novel about teen runaways and teen domestic violence, "Junior Missing." I don't yet have a publication date for it.
Meanwhile I've started writing a new novel. It's too soon to speak about it.
Meanwhile I've started writing a new novel. It's too soon to speak about it.
Khristina Chess
Write every day, even if it’s only an hour and a half. Don’t give up because it takes a long time to learn your craft. You have to be patient with yourself during the process. Read some books about writing, both practical and chicken-soup inspirational. Read lots of novels in your own genre, and when something is really great, try to figure out why.
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