Author Interview with K. M. Weiland

I can't begin to tell you how excited and thrilled I am to bring you a very special interview from a very amazing Christian author: K. M. Weiland. A couple weeks ago, I wrote a nervous, fangirly email to one of my new favorite authors on her website, asking if she would be willing to do an interview with me on my blog.
To my surprise (ok, I may have had a small heart attack...one of those good heart attacks that fangirls get every once-in-awhile) SHE SAID YES!!!!! And I...like the proper fangirl I am...totally freaked out on the inside.



Since being led to her website by my older sister, I have read three of her fiction novels and one of her nonfiction works. After the first book I read by her: Dreamlander, I was hooked. The fascinating characters, unique plot lines, sweet and humorous romances, faith building lessons, and page-turning action all sucked me in, making it hard to put any of her books down.
I'm a fan.
And, if you have read any of her works, you probably are too. ;) If you haven't read any of her works...I'll tell you now, Dreamlander is a free e-book right now on Amazon, so go read it and join the fan club. :) For those of you who judge books by their covers...these are the covers of the fiction stories I've read. Judge away...if you can.

 

Ok, ok. I'll try to tone down the fangirling at this point. It probably won't last long...but note that I made a valiant effort.

About this fabulous author:

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY, NIEA, and Lyra Award-winning and internationally published author of Outlining Your Novel, Structuring Your Novel, and Creating Character Arcs. She writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in western Nebraska and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Let's go onto the interview, shall we? After all, that's kinda why I wrote this post. :P She gave me the limit of five questions... *cough* I may have stretched that line a bit. But I only numbered four of them, so we're even. ;)

1: Which authors inspired/impacted your writing style the most?

As a novelist, I am inspired by countless excellent authors and filmmakers. Specifically, Brent Weeks’s epicness, Margaret Atwood’s prose, and Patrick O’Brian’s sheer genius speak to me and urge me on. As a blogger, I’m inspired by the professionalism and creativity of people such as Joanna Penn, Porter Anderson, and Jody Hedlund.

 

I love reading authors who are masters of characterization, adept with subtext, and players with their prose. Authors who can put all the puzzle pieces of a story together seamlessly always have something to teach me.

2: What part of writing (brainstorming, typing, outlines, editing, publishing etc.) has been the hardest for you? And on the flip side, which parts are the easiest/most fun?

Sometimes starting is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But it only takes five seconds of courage, and it only gets easier from there.

The conception stage, before I’ve put the idea down on paper, is always my favorite. The story is free and full of possibilities and uncaged by my words. But I also love the outlining period, when I’m really digging into the story and discovering the path it’s going to take.

3: I know this is like choosing a favorite child for you, but if you had to narrow all your fiction stories down to one favorite, which one would you choose and why?

Yes, to paraphrase Dickens, authors aren’t supposed to have their favorite children. But my medieval epic Behold the Dawn still manages to maintain a special place in my heart. Aside from the fact that it was a comparatively uncomplicated book to write, I’m still just as much in love with those characters as I was when I first created them. Marcus Annan—surly, broken, and good-hearted—and crazy, funny, irreverent Peregrine Marek were such a blast write.

 

4: Finally, since you probably noticed the extra questions I slipped in there...would you mind giving some writing advice to all of us aspiring authors?

Don’t scrimp on the small stuff. Understanding the details of your craft—and the publishing industry—is what sets the pros apart from the amateurs. If you’re really serious about selling stories, perfectionism needs to be a constant goal. In a cutthroat market such as we have today, nailing the small details will make all the difference.

 

Special thanks to Katie for being willing to take the time and answer some questions that I hope you all will find as helpful as I did. Again, if you haven't checked out her website, I put a link in the intro paragraph. Her blog has been incredibly helpful to me, and I know it will be to all you fellow aspiring authors who I know read my blog. :)

Should I do more of these interviews with authors we constantly fangirl/boy about? If so, who should I have next? Give your vote in a comment below and I'll see if I can round up another awesome author to question. ;)



~Let everything you do be done for the glory of God~