Leo-Kathy Sigrist
asked
Kate Wrath:
I just finished reading the E Series box set 1-3. (I absolutely loved it.) My question is, what/who was your influence for writing in the first person? (It was very bold. Wasn't sure how I'd like it at first, but loved it. Especially how it allowed you to put twists and turns in the plot.)
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.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Feb 06, 2016 09:16AM · flag
Feb 06, 2016 12:18PM · flag