Ask the Author: C.A. Pack
Answered Questions (8)
C.A. Pack
Kel bounced once and landed face up, blood spattering her face. Her open eyes rested on the guillotine fitted into her bedroom window—a window she would never sneak out, again.
C.A. Pack
My immediate response is to say I want to visit my own book world in the Library of Illumination series, because all the books come to life, and I could see what goes on in more than one book world. But putting my own books aside, I would love to visit "The Great Gatsby" and experience one of the lavish parties at Gatsby's mansion in "West Egg." I would eavesdrop on the conversations, take note of women's fashion, and dance the night away—after I break away and take an unauthorized tour of the house.
C.A. Pack
I like to write episodically, each Library of Illumination novelette a complete story, while still part of a larger tale of another curator's thirst for power and desire to control all knowledge in the universe. So each novelette—short as it is—needs its own heart and soul. The earlier adventures dictate where some of the later adventures will take us, and my ideas for content are derived from pop culture, literary classics, and what's going on in the media. In Myrddin's Memoir, book 7 of the Chronicles: The Library of Illumination series, the inspiration is part Merlin the magician, part service to continuing the storyline, and part vehicle for developing Johanna's character, although it may not be completely apparent in this particular adventure. C:LOI is a slowly woven tapestry, and it's quite a job to make sure the stitches don't unravel (unless they're meant to). In the end, I hope to have built a story that's entertaining; one filled with drama and humanity and humor. But the end is still a long way off, and at this point, I'm sure there will not only be a Second Chronicles of Illumination but a third one as well.
C.A. Pack
Everything inspires me to write: people I meet, news stories, dreams; I'm one of those people who never have a shortage of ideas on what to write about. I used to belong to a writers group that sent out a prompt before every meeting to give members something to write about. I never needed the prompts because my imagination has always been pretty fertile. I do enjoy listening to my nephews' conversations (they're in high school) because they're alway filled with phrases and ideas that inspire me.
C.A. Pack
I write an episodic series of young adult fantasies about a library where the books come to life, and this year I released the first five segments as "Chronicles: The Library of Illumination." Now I'm at work on "The Second Chronicles of Illumination" and I'm in the middle of book seven. Each story builds on the one before it, and I've noticed they're becoming much more involved as the characters grow. I also have another ghost story coming out this fall, "Evangeline's Ghost: Houdini." In it, Evangeline helps a young girl who was murdered while trying to locate her father. He came to this country to demonstrate an illusion for the magician, Houdini, and disappeared. I write about things that interest me and they're always a lot of fun to write, probably because I enjoy the research so much.
C.A. Pack
My top five tips for aspiring writers is 1) never give up. At times the process of trying to finish a book can be overwhelming, but as the New York State lottery used to say, "you've got to be in it to win it." 2) Read, read, read. It's the only way to know what already out there and how to turn a phrase. 3) Get through the first draft without editing it. You can re-edit a sentence to death and never get past the first page. Just get the entire story down on paper and polish it in your rewrites. 4) Hire an editor to go over your manuscript before you send it out. They will help you polish it so it shines. At the very least, have it proofread so it doesn't go out with careless mistakes. And 5) enjoy the process. The ability to write is a wonderful gift, and you should enjoy the journey as much as the end result.
C.A. Pack
The best thing about being a novelist is being in control of an entire world that springs from my imagination. I create characters I love, and characters I hate, and none of them are me, so I can do whatever I want to them. And I get really involved in ancillary projects like designing maps and floor plans. One of my books is a fantasy about ghosts, and I created a handbook for life after death to go along with it that I put on my website. That stuff is fun.
C.A. Pack
I plod through at least a page. I usually know where the story is heading, so even if my writing doesn't seem inspired on a particular day, I'll be able to polish it during the rewrite. The idea is not to lose momentum.
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