Interview with Horror and Romance Author Kelli A. Wilkins
1. Tell us about your
latest books and how they came to be.
Hi everyone! This year, I’ve published three books. In February,
I released my guide to writing, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to
Writing Fiction. It’s a fun and easy guide
designed for beginner writers who need a boost of motivation and simple
instructions on how to get started.
This autumn, I released two horror ebooks. Kropsy’s
Curse and Dead Til Dawn. I’ve always been a big horror fan, and over the
years I’ve divided my time between writing sensual romances and spooky horror
tales.
Kropsy’s Curse was a fun story to write. It’s about two boys
who want to conjure a spirit in a graveyard on Halloween. I came up with the
ending first, (it’s a surprise, so I can’t share the secret!) before I wrote
the rest of the story.
Dead Til Dawn is set on the Gettysburg battlefield at night. In
this novella, a group of friends goes out to explore the Devil’s Den in the
hopes of finding a ghost. As a mysterious battlefield fog surrounds them, they
quickly realize they’re not alone. This story was inspired by a trip I took to
Gettysburg and a real (and totally creepy) encounter I had with battlefield fog
late one night.
Kropsy's Curse
Late one Halloween night, two young boys venture into a secluded
graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit. Although Kyle is skeptical and
would rather be home eating candy and watching horror movies, he reluctantly
goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe Ouija boards work—until this
one starts spelling out a message…
This Halloween-themed 1500-word short story is a cautionary tale about playing
with a Ouija board in a graveyard.
My Review: I loved this story. Kyle ad Jerry go to Kropsy's grave at midnight on Halloween. It was only a harmless game, why did Kyle feel so scared? Jerry wants to use the Ouija board to talk to Old Man Kropsy who is a ghostly legend. Good, haunting story. I kept turning the pages to see what would happen. Thanks, Kelli, for a good read.
Dead ‘Til Dawn
Disturbing the
dead doesn’t prove you’re brave – it proves you’re stupid.
After
touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and Steve decide to sneak out to
the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s friend Kathy objects, and
warns them about trespassing where they’re not wanted.
Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward
the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they
find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of
their own.
Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top.
Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she
refuses to believe that what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime
battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she
quickly realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.
My Review: Another good story from Kelli. Her writing makes this story come to life. I felt like I was right there at this Gettysburg Battle. Great fun characters who all learn a lesson from their experience with ghosts. Disturbing the dead doesn't prove you're brave; it proves you're stupid.
You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s
Guide to Writing Fiction
If you’ve always dreamed of writing and getting published,
but have no idea where or how to start—THIS is the book for you!
Award-winning author Kelli A. Wilkins takes you step-by-step
through the writing process, covering the basics of plotting, editing,
revising, and submitting. In addition, she explores
ways to get your creativity flowing, explains where authors get ideas, and
shows you how to create interesting characters for your story. Helpful
tips and fun writing exercises throughout the book get you started!
My Review: Kelli uses a positive, friendly approach in this book. I feel like I'm getting advice from a friend. Getting advice from someone who knows what she is talking about. This book is easy to follow and informative.
2. What three words
best describe your main characters?
In Kropsy’s Curse, Kyle is cautious,
smart, and quick thinking. Kathy from Dead Til Dawn is level-headed,
respectful, and self-reliant.
3. Do you have a
method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes
them believable?
I’m not sure I “create” the characters. Whenever I get an
idea for a story, the characters usually “show up” at the same time. For
instance, when I got the idea for Kropsy’s Curse, I immediately knew
it would be about two grade school boys out on Halloween. One is pushy and
wants to fool around with a Ouija board, while the other one is sensible and
wants to go home. When I write, the process is more like I’m meeting the
characters or discovering them and their stories.
Finding the right name for a character is sometimes the
hardest part of writing a story. Some characters will tell me their names right
away, but many times I have to think about the name and try out a few different
ones before I get the right one. Once in a while, I’ll write a few scenes referring
to the character as “Ralph” just to get the words on paper. After a while, the
character’s real name will come to me.
I try to add as many details as possible to all my
characters and make them “real” for readers. They all need to have goals, motivation,
and conflict — as well as histories, personal likes and dislikes. Sometimes it’s
hard to introduce all that into a short story, but I do what I can to bring the
characters to life.
4. Do your characters
follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them
in check?
Each story comes to me in a different way. Before I start
writing, I make a rough outline of what happens in the story, and any snippets
of dialogue or certain details I want to include. This gives me a road map to
work off of as I write. My outlines for short stories are very bare bones —
maybe a page, tops. When I write novels, I create a more detailed outline for
each scene and chapter and include information about which characters are in
the scene, whose point of view each scene is in, etc. I find that it’s easier
(and faster) for me to write this way and I don’t get lost in the middle or
forget something I wanted to include.
But as I write, I allow myself some leeway to explore things
I hadn’t considered in my outline. I might add entire scenes or write scenes
that are later omitted. Sometimes I’ll be writing a scene and the characters
“take over” and decide the scene should go a different way, or something I
planned on happening changes. When that happens, I go with it and see where the
characters are leading me. I’ll write the scenes and delete them later if they
don’t work or if they’re not a good fit for the plot.
Writing a new story is always an adventure for me, and I
never know where the characters or the plot will take me.
5. Have you ever
suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?
No, I don’t, but I occasionally suffer from writer’s
procrastination! Basically that’s when my brain says “enough!” and goes on
strike when I’m supposed to be editing or revising a book. Usually this happens
when I’m overloaded and trying to do too much. To counteract it, I take a break
and let my mind recharge and rest. I go for walks, exercise, read something I
didn’t write, or watch TV. After a day or so, I’m ready to get back to work.
6. What types of
books do you like to read?
I read pretty much everything from A-Z: fiction,
non-fiction, history, self-help, horror, mystery, thrillers, romance, detective
novels, or whatever looks interesting. Growing up, I hung out at the library
and read anything I could find. I read Stephen King short stories and other
horror fiction, but I also read all the Little House and Nancy Drew
books.
7. What do you like
to do when you aren’t writing?
I read, travel, go to creepy/haunted places, visit flea
markets (they’re great for story ideas), and garden.
8. What’s next for
your writing? Are you working on a new story?
I just finished writing a historical romance set in Nebraska
in 1877. As of now, the title is Lies,
Love, and Redemption. I’m not sure when it will be published, but I’ll
announce details on my blog and in my newsletter. I’m also outlining a
paranormal romance and another gay contemporary. In the horror department, I’m
working on a few short stories and a horror novel/novella.
9. What’s the best
piece of writing advice you’ve received?
I included all the advice, knowledge, and tips I’ve received
over the years in my writing book, You Can Write—Really! One piece of advice I always share is to take writing
classes. That’s how I started out, and writing classes really helped me develop
my skills and taught me how to write a great story.
I also advise anyone who wants to write to sit down in a
quiet spot and actually write. A lot of people talk about being a writer or
writing a story “someday” but not very many people do. Talking about writing and actually
writing are two very different things. Once you sit down and start writing
(even if it’s just the outline or the first scene) you’ll find the motivation
to continue. (I talk more about this in my book.) The bottom line is: if you
want to write, write, and don’t let anyone stop you!
10. Where can readers
find you and your books?
Thanks for letting me visit! It was fun sharing my thoughts
with readers. I invite everyone to visit my site to read excerpts, reviews, and
summaries of all my writings. You can sign up for my newsletter,
Kelli’s
Quill, here:
http://eepurl.com/HVQqb
I enjoy hearing from readers and other authors. So feel free
to drop me a line with questions, comments, and to let me know how you liked my
books. You can catch up on all of my stories and follow me on social media
here:
Happy Reading!
Kelli
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning romance and horror author who has
published more than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction
books.
Her short horror fiction has appeared in several anthologies. In autumn 2015
she released two horror ebooks,
Kropsy’s Curse and
Dead
Til Dawn. In 2014, her horror fiction appeared in
Moon Shadows,
Wrapped in White, and
Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine.
You Can Write—Really! A
Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction was released in February
2015. This fun and informative non-fiction guide is based on her 15 years of
experience as a writer, and is available exclusively on Amazon.
Kelli published three romances in 2014:
Dangerous Indenture (a spicy historical/mystery),
Wilderness Bride (a tender
historical/Western/adventure), and
A Secret Match (a gay contemporary set in the world of
professional wrestling). Her romances span many genres and heat levels.
