Ask the Author: Kim Wells
Answered Questions (6)
Kim Wells
Mrs. Johnson's Blues is my most recent published work, and I got the idea of it by listening to some Blues music by Robert Johnson himself. I thought "what if we heard the story of the women in his life?" And then it just went from there.
Kim Wells
I use Pinterest a lot-- I search the Internet for visuals and then let them guide me. I'm very visual, I guess, and I like lots of description in my stories-- both the ones I read for fun & the ones I write. So I need that visual aid. I also research elements of my story-- myth, or folklore. Sometimes, if I know enough about the world I'm writing in, the writing feels so easy it's almost not fair.
Sometimes, the stories come to me in the first line, and then the rest of it follows. Sometimes it's a dream-- in one of my short stories, I dreamt about the main character for weeks before I finally found the first line. Then, the rest of it just seemed to flow.
Sometimes, the stories come to me in the first line, and then the rest of it follows. Sometimes it's a dream-- in one of my short stories, I dreamt about the main character for weeks before I finally found the first line. Then, the rest of it just seemed to flow.
Kim Wells
Right now I'm writing a book for the Apocalypse Weird series about the end of the world as we know it. My region is New Orleans, and I'm having a lot of fun with the story.
Kim Wells
Just write. Don't worry about if it's good or not. Just write it. It won't be good, at first. But you can edit a bad draft into a good one with time and effort and practice. You can't turn a blank page into a good story unless you put one word after another.
Also: hone your craft. Practice good grammar, good spelling. Good formatting. Do good research. Don't say "this crucial element of my story is something I know nothing of" and then say "Meh. It doesn't matter." GOOGLE IT for the love of Pete! I will not be inspired to read your story if the description is poorly written, has errors all over the place, or if you laugh at the idea of research.
Also: hone your craft. Practice good grammar, good spelling. Good formatting. Do good research. Don't say "this crucial element of my story is something I know nothing of" and then say "Meh. It doesn't matter." GOOGLE IT for the love of Pete! I will not be inspired to read your story if the description is poorly written, has errors all over the place, or if you laugh at the idea of research.
Kim Wells
The fame and fortune. HAH HAH HAH!
Actually, the best thing is when someone reads your work and says "I loved it when you..." and they can SEE that thing you imagined, and they stayed up all night reading it. That sharing of your mental space is quite exciting.
Actually, the best thing is when someone reads your work and says "I loved it when you..." and they can SEE that thing you imagined, and they stayed up all night reading it. That sharing of your mental space is quite exciting.
Kim Wells
I haven't had writer's block as a fiction writer, but when I wrote my dissertation, I had long periods where I wouldn't be able to write. I would procrastinate like crazy. It was a sign, I think, that I just wasn't ready to finish. To be a "grown up."
For fiction, I try to write a little bit every day. Even if it's just a few hundred words, if you write every day, you keep in practice. And if I can't get a little writing out, I research, do a Pinterest folder for the story, or, believe it or not, take a nap. A lucid nap can add a story element better than you realize.
For fiction, I try to write a little bit every day. Even if it's just a few hundred words, if you write every day, you keep in practice. And if I can't get a little writing out, I research, do a Pinterest folder for the story, or, believe it or not, take a nap. A lucid nap can add a story element better than you realize.
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