GUESTOPIA: Multi-published author Karen King

Karen King

It's Guestopia time for July and our first guest this month comes in the form a prolific and talented author. Please meet Karen King.

Karen King is the author of over 120 children's books and has had two YAs published, Perfect Summer and Sapphire Blue. Perfect Summer was runner up in the Red Telephone Books YA novel competition in 2011 and has just been republished by Accent Press.

Karen is also the author of two romance novels, and has been contracted for three chick lit novels by Accent Press. The first, I do?... or do I? was published in 2016 and the second, The Cornish Hotel by the Sea, has just been released. In addition, Karen has written several short stories for women’s magazine and worked for many years on children’s magazines such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Winnie the Pooh as well as the iconic Jackie magazine.

When she isn’t writing, Karen likes travelling, watching the ‘soaps’ and reading. Give her a good book and a box of chocolates and she thinks she’s in Heaven.

And here's the interview...

Is this your first published book?

No, I’ve had about 120 children’s books published, two YA, two romance novels, two chicklits and there’s another chicklit in the process of publication.

What’s it called?

Perfect Summer

Which genre?

Dystopian

Which age group?

12+ there’s some gritty scenes!

Is it a series or standalone?

It’s a standalone

Are you an agented author?

No – although I have had agents in the past and may again in the future.

What created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book sneaked up on you?

I’ve been concerned for a long time about the pressure society puts on people to have perfect looks then I read a magazine article about girls as young as four or five worrying that they were too fat or too ugly. I thought that was really sad. I started wondering what would happen if people got so obsessed with physical perfection that it became a ‘crime’ to be different in any way. Another concern of mine is how disabled people are treated, so both these concerns sowed the seeds of this story.

How long did you plot/plan until you started writing it?

I always plan a bit first. I write character profiles to make sure I really know my characters well and don’t change their eye or hair colour halfway through the story. Then I work out a plot outline so I know roughly where the story is going, and then I start writing it up.

Once you started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it into submission?

I started writing the story in third person at first but I felt that it wasn’t flowing right so I changed to the first person and I was away.

Has the book changed dramatically since the first draft?

Not dramatically, the basis of the story is the same. It’s more refined I guess. I rarely change the plot when I’ve revising, but I do change some phrases that I think aren’t flowing right, or make scenes more dramatic/concise.

What part of writing do you find the easiest?

Getting the initial idea. I have notebooks full of ideas.

What part do you find hardest?

Finding the time to write up the ideas. Then getting the story out of your head and onto the screen/page!

Do you push through writing barriers or walk away?

It depends. If I’m on a deadline I’ll write through them. If I’m not I’ll turn to something else for a while then I go back with a fresh mind and can usually find that the story flows okay again.

How many projects do you have on the go at the same time?

Three or four. I like a variety, and it helps stave off writer’s block if you have another project to turn to.

Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?

That’s a difficult one. I’m a writing tutor and basically believe that writing is a skill, so like all skills it can be learned or improved – especially article and feature writing. Story writing, however, is different. You need that spark of imagination, that kernel of tale-spinning inside you, the ability to make a story out of thin air. If someone has that they can be helped to improve how they write their story down but that basic storytelling kernel of imagination can’t be taught.

How many future novels do you have planned?

I’m working on three at the moment, and also a couple of short stories.

Do you write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?

Yes, I write short stories and blog posts. I also run a blog called The Writer’s Surgery, where I post articles and tips to help new writers.

What’s the highlight of being published so far?

Signing a three book contract for chicklits with Accent Press, two of the books, I do?...or do I? and The Cornish Hotel by the Sea are now out. The third will be out next year.

Give me one writing tip that work for you.

Just write. Get your first draft down then go back and revise it afterwards.

And one that doesn't.

Write drunk, edit sober – a famous tip by Ernest Hemingway

What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be?

Can we make your book into a film? The answer would be yes!

Excellent! I imagine most authors want to be asked this, and I expect their answers would be the same too! Thank you so much for joining YAtopia today, Karen. We wish you all the best with your chick lit and YA novels.

Here's a little about Karen's latest YA, with some links to help...

Set in a society obsessed with perfection, 15-year-old Morgan is best friends with the seemingly perfect Summer. But when Morgan’s brother, Josh, who has Down’s syndrome, is kidnapped, they uncover a sinister plot and find themselves in terrible danger.

Can they find Josh before it’s too late? And is Summer’s life as perfect as it seems?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mMXTzI 

Trailer: https://youtu.be/yL0gA_q0dag

And if you would like to find out more about Karen and her work, these links might help as well!

Website: http://www.karenking.net/

Twitter: @karen_king

Facebook: Karen King Young Adult Books

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/karenkingauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkingauthor/?hl=en

Clearing out the Cobwebs in your Mind

Winter can often be a time of peace and reflection for writers who look to escape outside distractions in order to channel creative energies into new projects, or concentrate on polishing old ones. It’s a great time to hunker down with a cup of tea, without many distractions, and focus on writing.

But often times, as winter moves on, things start to shift. The atmosphere inside grows stagnant from a lack of fresh air, bulky clothes start piling up, salt and dirt are constantly tracked inside from the remnants of snow. Day in and day out, the world is painted in shades of gray, the barren trees less inspiring and more depressing than before. If you’re anything like me, the dreary cold starts to become a distraction that triggers a longing for the sun and warmth again.

At the first sign of spring, I become eager to clear out the old to make way for the new. I put away the last of the winter decorations and break out flowering spring wreaths and cheerful centerpieces. I replace earthy candles and soaps with lighter, citrus scents and start to gut my dressers and closets of clothes that are taking up too much space.  (I began this process last week, actually, when we were enjoying 50-60 degree weather in New England. Of course, I jumped the gun and totally jinxed the Eastern seaboard, and now we are in the midst of a Nor’easter.)

Regardless of the late-season snow, as my living areas got a (premature) spring makeover, I was hoping the de-cluttering would extend to my mind, freeing space to receive new inspiration. Over the course of winter, as heavy as the air in my house had become, so had my thoughts. Any levity or joy I usually find in the creative process seemed to have abandoned me. 

Regardless, I’m hopeful as new life outside grows, the seeds of creativity will start to bloom again and I will become excited about a new project, or maybe revising an old one. As Fiona stated in her previous post, sometimes new inspiration can come from picking through pieces of older work or borrowing from unfinished projects. If you’re experiencing cabin fever of the mind after a long winter, cleaning, dumping, or altering your surroundings might cause the shift in energy you need to start the creative process flowing again. And ... who knows what jewels lie beneath the clutter.

Creativity and Resolutions

Hi everyone! My name is Jennifer Galasso. I'm a YA writer and fantasy artist/illustrator who pens mostly Gothic and horror fiction with a touch of magic and the supernatural. I live in Rhode Island with my husband, Richard, and fourteen-year-old daughter, Samantha, and am SO excited to be a new blog contributor in 2017. What a way to start the year!

Most of us will agree, 2016 was a difficult year for many reasons. Despite the horrors of the previous twelve months, most try to stay optimistic and set goals to make improvements personally and professionally. Some common resolutions: eat healthier, write two novels, get more sleep, start a workout routine, sell a million books and leave the crappy day job, etc.

One of my resolutions this year was to become more involved in a writing community. As most writers know, art in any form—especially writing—can be very isolating. I tend to shut myself away just to get work done. But it’s also important to interact, especially with other writers. Rejection is a big part of the craft and it helps to have support and people who understand your pain who are more than happy to applaud your victories, and who you can cheer on through career highs and lows, as well.

Within a couple days of making my resolution, I saw Sharon’s post about becoming a YAtopia blog contributor on my Twitter feed. Oddly enough, I had just been thinking about Sharon and how I hadn’t seen many Twitter posts from her lately. Seeing her post that day seemed like divine intervention, fate, destiny … in a nutshell, meant to be.

Ironically, a few years ago I made a similar promise to break out of my hermit tendencies and get more active on Twitter. The first step was entering pitch contests, and Sharon was the host of one of the first ones I entered! She taught me that putting myself, and my work, out into the world wasn’t so scary and that there are MANY supportive people in the writing community. She was right and I have never forgotten her for that.

Even more than fate, the key, I think, is opening up to possibility, and in doing so many amazing opportunities arise. The same goes for creativity. A lot of people ask artists and writers where they get their inspiration and we all know what a hard question that is to answer. I don’t think it matters where we get inspiration, just that we open our minds to the possibility of becoming inspired. It’s like shutting off your cell phone—people may try to reach you, but you won’t get any of the calls! The same goes for creativity. Sometimes you have to shout at your muse to wake the heck up and then take whatever small idea you get and cultivate it into something … anything! (Even if it sucks.)

So again, thanks to Sharon who, like my first pitch contest, gave me this amazing opportunity, and thank you to all who helped build YAtopia into a fantastic blog and awesome writer’s community—I’m so excited to be here! Here’s to 2017 being a year to inspire and grow and cheers to resolutions—hoping you achieve ALL your dreams and goals! 

 

Finding Focus

Happy New Year everyone!

I can still say that, right?

I mean, we’re just four days in.

2017 has me joining YAtopia and I couldn’t be more excited about it! But first? An introduction! Hailing from the great state of Texas (Go Cowboys), my name is Destiny Cole and I truly love chips and queso more than I love most humans.

I’m a YA writer who focuses on thrillers and mysteries, but everything I write tends to have a dark slant. I am without a doubt one of those writers who writes the questions I’m trying to understand. And sometimes those questions make people (myself included) a little uncomfortable. But I think that’s important. We need to come face to face with our own bias/ideologies sometimes to know what they truly are.

My writing is represented by my incredible literary agent, Kirsten Carleton of Prospect Agency. She is a tireless advocate and one of the best editors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. I hope to be able to share some good news with you soon about books being published, but for now, I’m still on the journey!

When I’m not on my laptop writing fiction, I’m still on my laptop writing. I work in digital marketing and social media so there are very few days that I don’t spend staring at a computer screen, coming up with catchy phrases, writing the same copy 9 different ways, or creating marketing plans… and yes I have carpal tunnel and it SUCKS. 

So, that’s me! Hi everyone! *waves*

But since this is indeed the new year, I thought it might be good to share something that I’ve been learning over the last few months. It can be summed up in one word: focus.

Or rather, what I’ve realized is my LACK of focus.

I spent the last 6 months of the year getting pulled in a hundred different directions and I said yes to all of them. It’s true that some of them were helpful to my day job, some were helpful to my writing career, some were great for my family… but many of them just took up my time and spread me too thin.

So, this year, as we stare at a fresh new calendar, I hope you’ll join me in listing out your priorities and then being brave enough to say no if you’re given an opportunity that doesn’t line up.

We can’t get to where we’re going if we’re constantly stopping.

Here’s to a focused 2017.

Want to connect?

Find me at www.destinycole.com

or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @destinywrites

Showing Character Reaction

It’s pretty tricky when writing character body language and facial expression to avoid being repetitive. As an editor I see a lot of authors struggling with this. I read an abundance of eye rolling, shrugging and lip biting and numerous times by different characters in the same manuscript. Of course, these are absolutely fine to use because they show and don’t tell.

·        Eye rolling perfectly demonstrates that ‘Urgh, this is sooooo embarrassing’ reaction.

·        Shrugging is a clear ‘I don’t know’ or ‘Whatever’ response.

·        Lip biting shows a ‘How am I going to get out of this?’ concern.

So, yeah, use them, but don't over-use them. It figures that the more extreme emotion – like fear, delight, shock – the easier to put a reaction into words. But, what about the more subtle reactions? Like intimidated or offended. Those that need ultra fine detail to let the reader know precisely what the character is feeling.

The best sure-fire way to help is to grab yourself a mirror...

 

 

And be the characters in the scene you’re writing!

Or, if you are just too embarrassed to behave in this manner or are defunct of human emotion, then analyse the actors in a movie or TV show (the lower budget and tackier they are the more helpful they can be because the actors are nearly always over-acting) or just look up some GIFs/pictures on the internet.

Like here...

Intimidated

There is a fine line between showing intimidation and fear. Because even though they are different, they definitely stem from the same receptor.

·        There could be cowering, instantly making their body smaller, rolling in on themselves.

·        The arms come in, the body turns away, the face the same, but the eyes might stay with the intimidator; maybe darting away but coming back to check where the person is, what they are doing and saying.

·        The knees might bend, backward steps are taken, even a seat.

·        If another person is there they may move closer to them, try to blend into their body, or just touch them in some way, grab their hand for protection.

·        Fidgeting, or perhaps the opposite, they stay statue-still.

And here...

Offended.

So this reaction has a number of tell tale signs and can often depend on the exact situation in which the character is offended. Like, for example, if it’s by their boss and they have to maintain ‘face’ in front of their colleagues isn't the same as when it occurs on a drunken night out with mates.

Here are a few possibilities:

·        An immediate dip of the eyebrows to create a slight frown.

·        The head could come forward just slightly like a tortoise’s head pops out its shell, but then it goes back. Or the chin comes up as if the person’s absorbing the verbal punch there. Or maybe the opposite and the head is driven back.

·        The eyes could get a little wider, maybe even the eyebrows pop up then back down in disbelief as the person moves their head to the side so they can’t be seen.

·        The mouth might open just slightly as a small intake of breath occurs. Nasty words want to come out, but it might not be the right time to react; the person might need to swallow their thoughts and move on. Or they might just grit their teeth, thin out their lips.

Or, you know, they might just do this...

It's clear when you start writing reaction and from these options that every character and situation you as a writer put them in is going to be unique, so how you convey visible reaction is going to vary tremendously. Giving your character habits they fall back on when feeling certain emotions is a great help. But also, to accompany the physical, external movement, as shown above, the best weapon you have to get a character’s true emotion across to the reader is their mind. Access your character’s thoughts so the reader can hear exactly what’s being felt and how it’s being processed.

Intimidation

‘John strides toward me, his mouth curled into a smile only I can see. I turn my body away and fold my arms. I try to keep eye contact but I can’t. His penetrating stare is boring deep, right into my grey matter. I lower my head and study some old breadcrumbs from my sandwich on the tiled floor. I would give anything not to be here right now.’

Offended

‘My hand freezes mid-restyle, my fine hair tickling my skin. Did he really just say that? How dare he? My heart is thumping like horse hooves on turf; a tingle moves up my neck as I grit my teeth. I finish my plait and swallow down my reaction. I’ll get him back. Not here, not when he’s expecting it.’

Have fun!

Orange is the Color of Creativity

Our new family of three recently moved into a new apartment, and it just so happens that our son's room is pink. Pink carpet. Pink walls. Pink closet.

Can a boy have a pink room? Sure. Do I want to give my son this pink room? No. (But to be fair, I hate the shade and wouldn't want to give it to a girl either.) So I've been thinking about color schemes, digging into the effects of colors.

Did you know orange inspires creativity?

I wonder if we infused our writing spaces with splashes of orange, would it make a difference in our creativity? Internet research points to yes, and the internet can't be wrong. (Ha.)

So my gift to you is a bunch of orange images. Soak up the orange! Wiggle your toesies in the orange. And then sit your booty down and write the most creative words of your life!

You're welcome.  

So does your writing space have any orange? If not, what color is it and why? Comment below!