Ask the Author: K.D. McCrite
Answered Questions (7)
K.D. McCrite
This is the Big Question, isn't it? I wish there was a definitive answer that worked, but I've never found one. Social media is teeming with authors screaming "BUY MY BOOK!" You see this for yourself, I'm sure. To me, authors promo-ing their wares relentlessly is like junk mail. It becomes extremely annoying and is instantly ignored and/or discarded. It might not translate into a lot of money for me, but I prefer to engage my friends, readers, and followers in simple dialog or sharing common interests. Once in a while I mention a book I've written and provide a link, hoping that someone will buy it. I refuse to plead or promise to give you $100 if you read it. To me, that's a mark of desperation.
Let me underscore that the best way to get a repeat reader is to write a book that's so good they want to come back for more -- and do!
Remain friendly, humble, and approachable. No one likes an uppity author who is full of herself.
Also, don't spend so much time doing promotion (or worrying about sales) that you neglect your writing. :-)
Let me underscore that the best way to get a repeat reader is to write a book that's so good they want to come back for more -- and do!
Remain friendly, humble, and approachable. No one likes an uppity author who is full of herself.
Also, don't spend so much time doing promotion (or worrying about sales) that you neglect your writing. :-)
K.D. McCrite
I've always wanted to write a ghost story, and decided to give it a shot. Our local library (where I used to work) has a reputation of being haunted, so I've taken some of my inspiration from there. But I don't want this to be a simple ghost story or a predictable horror story. It will have elements of suspense, danger, secrets uncovered, and love, but the haunted aspect will be a strong theme throughout.
K.D. McCrite
I love spinning stories. When I'm writing, I am a lot of different people, living a variety of lives in different times and places. Just like reading, only better! Plus, the independence of being a writer allows me to set my own hours, have my own dress code, answer the phone or not, and take as many breaks as I want, for as long as I want and need. Even if I'm taking a long walk or sitting in my easy chair, I'm at work, making up stories.
K.D. McCrite
I don't believe in "writer's block". Sometimes we get stuck because we're forcing our story or our characters to go in a way that is unnatural to them. I take a little break, maybe an hour, maybe a day or two. In that time, I push the problem out of my thoughts. When I am ready to fix whatever is stuck, I'll do a little meditation to prepare myself. Then I sit down and get back to work. Somehow, my subconscious has done the hard work for me, and the flow is unblocked.
K.D. McCrite
Learn how to write well. Practice by writing daily. Listen to those who've "been there and done that" and be willing to learn. Write for the love of the story, not because you want to become rich and famous. Put you ego aside. Respect your readers and listen to them.
K.D. McCrite
I'm doing something right now that I usually caution new writers against: working on two books at once. One book is the next cozy mystery for Annie's Mysteries, tentatively titled "Honey-Dipped Secrets". (The editors may change that title) The other is a ghost story, something I've always wanted to try. Some of the story is set in a haunted library. I'm using elements from our own local library, which has the reputation of being haunted. In fact, I used to work there and have actually experienced some of the strange things my character will witness during this story.
K.D. McCrite
I see a story in everything, even the most mundane details of daily, ordinary life. All I need to do is think about that event, person, or object in a state of change, danger, or fulfillment, and a story idea blooms.
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