Ask the Author: Rae Knightly
Answered Questions (7)
Rae Knightly
I live half an hour East of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. :)
Rae Knightly
When you have stories in your head you just HAVE to write them down and share them. It's not like you have an option. You HAVE to become an author and write books, whether people like your stories or not.
Writing is a bit like magic, where you turn something intangible into something tangible. You turn a intangible ideas into tangible words in a book that anybody in the world can read. And if you are lucky enough that those stories resonate with someone else, then you feel like you accomplished something wonderful.
Writing is a bit like magic, where you turn something intangible into something tangible. You turn a intangible ideas into tangible words in a book that anybody in the world can read. And if you are lucky enough that those stories resonate with someone else, then you feel like you accomplished something wonderful.
Rae Knightly
Hi Jasmine,
Thank you for being a Ben Archer fan! :)
When I was a teenager, I finished reading most of the books that I wanted to read from my local library. I was hungry for more but didn't know where to get more books (note: this was pre-internet/Amazon time!). So I ended up imagining my own stories. These stories stayed with me through the years but it was only recently that I found the time and opportunity to write them down.
The Cosmic Fall was supposed to be a short practice novella to see if I was capable of writing something from start to finish. Little did I know what the story would turn into! The inspiration came to me from the beautiful region I moved to a decade ago, which is the wild and rugged West Coast of Canada.
Stories move the reader and cause powerful emotions in them. That is something I have been striving to do in my own writing.
I hope this answers your questions. :)
Rae
Thank you for being a Ben Archer fan! :)
When I was a teenager, I finished reading most of the books that I wanted to read from my local library. I was hungry for more but didn't know where to get more books (note: this was pre-internet/Amazon time!). So I ended up imagining my own stories. These stories stayed with me through the years but it was only recently that I found the time and opportunity to write them down.
The Cosmic Fall was supposed to be a short practice novella to see if I was capable of writing something from start to finish. Little did I know what the story would turn into! The inspiration came to me from the beautiful region I moved to a decade ago, which is the wild and rugged West Coast of Canada.
Stories move the reader and cause powerful emotions in them. That is something I have been striving to do in my own writing.
I hope this answers your questions. :)
Rae
Rae Knightly
Hi Dorothea,
Thank you for your questions. :)
I speak English, French, Spanish and Flemish. My mother tongue is French but I went to an English-speaking school and have a BA in Translation.
For some reason, I've never been able to write in any other languages besides English. I think it's because I grew up reading English books and enjoyed them so much I felt compelled to replicate that feeling. That said, maybe I'll translate my own books one day... :)
Thank you for your questions. :)
I speak English, French, Spanish and Flemish. My mother tongue is French but I went to an English-speaking school and have a BA in Translation.
For some reason, I've never been able to write in any other languages besides English. I think it's because I grew up reading English books and enjoyed them so much I felt compelled to replicate that feeling. That said, maybe I'll translate my own books one day... :)
Rae Knightly
That's a funny story, actually!
I used to have a 90-minute commute to work every morning and every evening. I'd be stuck in traffic for hours. And I'd get bored.
One day I was trailing an old van. I had nothing to look at except for its dirty doors. The company name had peeled off and the only remaining letters were: M-E-S-M-O. For about twenty minutes, I found myself trying to figure out what word it had been and which letters were missing.
The letters stuck. And since I couldn't figure out what the original name or word had been, I decided right then-and-there, "I'm going to create a story around Mesmo."
And so The Alien Skill Series was born.
I used to have a 90-minute commute to work every morning and every evening. I'd be stuck in traffic for hours. And I'd get bored.
One day I was trailing an old van. I had nothing to look at except for its dirty doors. The company name had peeled off and the only remaining letters were: M-E-S-M-O. For about twenty minutes, I found myself trying to figure out what word it had been and which letters were missing.
The letters stuck. And since I couldn't figure out what the original name or word had been, I decided right then-and-there, "I'm going to create a story around Mesmo."
And so The Alien Skill Series was born.
Rae Knightly
The best thing about being a writer is experiencing your abstract thoughts becoming a concrete book. The former belongs to you only, the latter belongs to all.
Rae Knightly
I have several methods to deal with writer's block.
First, I listen to inspirational music. I have a playlist on Youtube that I always listen to when I'm writing. It's as if, as soon as the first tune begins, my brain switched to writing mode.
Second, I write in the car - yes, the car! There's no internet and no distractions. Highly recommended!
Third, the brain is a muscle, and, like any other muscle, you have to warm it up until it's well oiled and running smoothly. So I'll throw out some random phrases and paragraphs that may or may not make sense, but that gets me started. I can always rework later. I've also had to overcome an innate fear that my writing won't be good enough. Then I tell myself: just try.
Do I suffer from writer's block? Yes, I do! But that's usually a sign that I need to take a break from writing, go for walks, watch a movie, read a book or photograph beautiful landscapes.
First, I listen to inspirational music. I have a playlist on Youtube that I always listen to when I'm writing. It's as if, as soon as the first tune begins, my brain switched to writing mode.
Second, I write in the car - yes, the car! There's no internet and no distractions. Highly recommended!
Third, the brain is a muscle, and, like any other muscle, you have to warm it up until it's well oiled and running smoothly. So I'll throw out some random phrases and paragraphs that may or may not make sense, but that gets me started. I can always rework later. I've also had to overcome an innate fear that my writing won't be good enough. Then I tell myself: just try.
Do I suffer from writer's block? Yes, I do! But that's usually a sign that I need to take a break from writing, go for walks, watch a movie, read a book or photograph beautiful landscapes.
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