Author Kristina Schram
Author Kristina Schram has written a series of Young
Adult books called The Chronicles of Anaedor. I had the good fortune of
receiving a copy of the first from Hive Collective – a self-publishing
collaboration between authors and publishing service providers.
Titled, The Prophecies, this fun, quick-paced novel
catches a ride along with Lavida Mors – a 15-year-old girl who is forced to
attend a private school and board at an enormous mansion of which only a
handful of people live. Most of the story is recited in first person and as a
result, you are granted access to the thoughts of a very intelligent, but
sarcastic teenager who cannot believe the disastrous hand she has been dealt.
With the discovery of a secret tunnel, she is plunged into an enthralling
adventure filled with oddities rivaled mostly in Guillermo del Toro films. Soon
she learns that the fate of this world is dependent upon her and it will form
her destiny - whether she wants it to or not!
This book was captivating and exciting – one I
greatly enjoyed and was eager to find out a bit more about Ms. Schram.
Graciously, she agreed to answer a few of my questions.
1.
How
did your interest in writing begin? I was always such a big
reader as a kid that the idea of being an author seemed to be a natural
progression for me. I thought, I love reading, so I should love writing. And
lucky me, I do love writing! I love being able to create my own worlds…it
engenders a feeling of power that probably feeds into my egomaniacal ways a bit
more than is healthy.
2. Was The Prophecies your first
published novel? Yes, though I wrote several ‘starter’
novels before that. They’re currently gathering dust on my computer.
3. Did you begin this book with the
knowledge that it would become a series? If so, how did that influence your
writing process? I did, and it definitely affected my
process. Mainly, I wanted to write the whole series before I published the
first book, meaning I had to be very patient with myself. I knew it was going
to be a complicated story with lots of characters, and since I don’t do
outlines (I should, but that would be too rational), I figured I’d better get
my story straight before the first one gets into print.
4. How long does it typically take for
you to finish writing a book? When I first started writing,
it took me a LONG time since I did it in between changing diapers and grocery
shopping and doing laundry and feeding everyone. Now it takes me about 6-8
months. It might take less, but I’m also editing several books at the same time
and running the boys to soccer practice and getting interrupted by requests for
eggs and vinegar (don’t ask – I don’t) and they still seem to want to be fed on
a daily basis. I guess I like to multi-task, which isn’t always the best course
for maintaining one’s sanity.
5. Did you have to conduct any
research for this book? For example, Druids? Oh, yeah. A
lot. But then, I like research. The Internet is a great resource, though I
encourage writers to use more than one source (I love me some Wikipedia, but I
cross-check my facts whenever possible). One way to gather information is to do
it in person. I didn’t want to rely on the Internet to describe the town where
I set the Anaedor series, so I drove there and stayed for a couple days. It was
difficult and time-consuming research, though others might call it a nice
vacation. I didn’t find any Druids, so I had to rely on the Internet to gather
my information. Their absence was disappointing, but I managed to carry on.
6. Which part of The Prophecies
was the most challenging part to write? Writing
dialect is always challenging for me. For example, Gruamach, a Dwarf character
in the book, has a Scottish accent. Why? I don’t know, though I blame the LOTR
movies. Dwarves tend to be a tough breed, however, and everything I’ve read
indicates that Scottish people are a hearty race. So it fits. But anyway, writing
dialect means you’d better be on your toes and check and double-check every
conversation your character is involved in and every word they speak. I’m sure
I missed a dae (do) or a canna (cannot) somewhere, which, of course, frustrates
the perfectionist in me.
7. Do you find YA an easy genre to
write about? Why or why not? I do, though I’m not
sure what that says about me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a kid at heart
or just immature, but I prefer writing for this age. Maybe I simply don’t ever
want to grow up. Unfortunately, the problem with writing YA is that some adults
think they know what kids that age act like. They’re wrong, but they think you,
the writer, got it wrong. What they don’t know is that I have a teenager, I
have my journals from that age, and I’ve counseled and worked with teens. Kids
this age can be both terribly naïve (even in this day) and stunningly wise,
obnoxious and charming, self-focused and giving. It’s these contradictions that
make teen-hood such a difficult and yet poignant and memorable time.
8. The description in this book is
quite beautiful. For example, one of the earlier scenes describes a character’s
sweat on their forehead similar to dewdrops gathering on a mushroom. In another,
you write of leaves falling like hang-gliders on a runway of green grass. So
vivid! People who write this way tend to see the beauty in every-day things. Do
you draw on your own personal experiences to form these scenes?
Thank you! I’ve worked very hard on doing description right, mainly because
it’s so easy to get wrong. When I first started writing, I overdid. I wanted to
be a writer. Now, like Stephen King
says, I sometimes have to ‘kill my darlings,’ meaning I can’t include all the
description I’d like – it bogs down the story. So I struggle to write good
description and with taking it out again when necessary. To answer the second
part of your question, yes, I love the beauty in every day things. I think
that’s why I like photography. I can’t go anywhere without wanting to take
pictures. I do draw a lot from my own personal experiences when writing
description, but when I haven’t experienced something (like battling mythical
creatures), I close my eyes and imagine the scene I’m trying to describe. When
I do that, I become the scene, I feel what my character is feeling, see what
they’re seeing, smell what they’re smelling (though that just might be my kids’
dirty socks). When I get it right, I feel like I’ve been there myself, which is
actually a pretty amazing feeling.
9. Which of your characters do you
most connect with and why? Oh, tough question! I identify
with a number of them, actually. But I suppose I connect with Lavida the most,
especially in terms of her feeling like an outcast. I felt like that a lot
growing up and understand how hard being left out can be. I like that she’s a
smart aleck, but is also respectful toward others. I also like that she isn’t
perfect and knows it. In some ways, Lavida’s very real to me – the whole world of
Anaedor is – and it’s hard to leave them behind…so I don’t. Not really. Lavida
and Anaedor will always be a part of me.
10. What are some ways your husband
helped you through the process of writing about Anaedor?
My husband is surprisingly creative (and I say surprisingly because he tends to
be more left-brained - he’s a software engineer), and has given me some great
ideas. He’s helped me get over bumps in my plot, come up with ways for me to
get around obstacles I’ve created, and been so supportive throughout the whole
process. I might have been able to do this without him, but the end product
wouldn’t be as good as it could have been.
11. What
has been your favorite author moment to date? I think one of my favorite
author moments is a series of moments. As an author, I’ve run writing workshops
at several local schools. What I’ve learned from them (even though I’m supposed
to be the one doing the teaching) is that these kids really want to reach for
the stars. Their willingness to work hard and not give up inspire me to keep
doing what I’m doing. In one particular workshop, one young girl – a 3rd
grader – was trying to figure out a simile to describe her partner. She
struggled and struggled, but finally, on her own, she came up with an excellent
simile. She was just so proud of herself, and I was so proud to see her persisting
even though in the beginning she could hardly grasp the concept. I hope that
she carries that perseverance with her.
12. Do you plan on writing your entire
life, or is this a goal you have achieved and you’d like to move on from? The plan at this moment is to keep writing. I
like being challenged and writing still remains a challenge for me. I’m always
finding ways to get better. Plus, I have so many ideas in my head. If I don’t release
them, they’ll stay there, festering, and believe me, that’s not good for a
person.
13. If you had to
choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? C.S. Lewis. His Narnia books really inspired me as a child,
and I will always connect him to my first realization of the wonders and joys
of reading. If I can do for people, by even half, what he did for me, I will
consider my foray into writing a great success.
14. What are your
current projects? Like I said, I’m a
multi-tasker, so I’m juggling several different projects right
now. Currently I’m working on three different series… One series consists of
stand-alone paranormal gothic romances. The first book, The Wrath, is out in e-book form and will soon be in print, and another
book is in the works. Another series I’m brewing up is a fantasy trilogy. Book
one is complete, I’m editing book two now, and I’ve started writing book three.
Like with The Chronicles of Anaedor,
I plan to finish the trilogy before publishing it. I hope to get it out some
time in 2014, but that might be pushing it. The third is the Pandora Belfry Adventures series and is about
a 14-year-old girl who was raised in an insane asylum. It sounds dark, and it
is, but it also has a light side. I’ve also started my own publishing company,
Mischief Maker Media, so I’ve been learning how to format e-books, make book
covers, and figure out how to prepare a book for print. I love it!
15. What is your advice for other
authors? One thing I’ve learned is to be persistent. Don’t
give up! If you have a book and you’ve tried the traditional route (get an
agent, go through a publisher) but are unable to catch anyone’s interest, then look
into doing things yourself. These days, we’re at a crossroads in the writing
and publishing world, which can be both good and bad for authors. I went the
traditional route and was left feeling frustrated and dissatisfied with the
slow pace and lack of control (I wrote an e-booklet, The Battle to Become an Author: When Great Expectations Go Awry, to
capture that frustration, and which offers real-world solutions to handling it).
Now I have my own publishing company and am in complete charge of my destiny,
which I love! I only have myself to blame if things don’t happen and that’s
what I like. If you need more guidance early on, you might try a myriad of
companies aimed at helping you reach your goal. Before going off on my own, I
went with Hive Collective to get me on the right track.
16. What are you reading right now?
The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell. I
love her main character, Ellie Haskell, who’s refreshingly feisty and funny.
I’m also reading National Geographic, which I cherish, and one of my own books
(for editing purposes). On lazy weekend mornings, I dig into a Jane Austen book,
which happens to be Persuasion at the
moment. I just finished reading a YA book, Far
Far Away by Tom McNeal, which I found unique even though the plot centers
around fairy tales (which seem to be the big thing right now). I like to have a
lot of things to read at all times. I get a little weird if my supply gets low.
17. Give me three good to know facts
about you! I love to play basketball. We even have a basketball
hoop in our barn so we can play in the winter. I can throw a tomahawk and knife
and have taught my boys how to do so, as well, in case there’s a zombie
apocalypse. One of my favorite things to do is to explore caves. I’m just a
rookie, but someday I hope to go off the beaten path and do some ‘real’
spelunking! This summer we visited South Dakota and hit three caves in two
days. I was in heaven!
http://hiveauthors.wordpress.com
http://bit.ly/14A3DxQ
http://www.kristinaschram.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment