K. M. Weiland interview with David Alan Binder

Post date: Feb 8, 2018 11:32:02 PM

K. M. Weiland interview with David Alan Binder

· Her bio: K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the 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.

1. What would you say is your most interesting writing, publishing, editing or illustrating quirk?

I wouldn’t call it a “quirk” so much anymore since it’s so integral to my process, but definitely: outlining. My outlining process is what I’m primarily known for as a writing instructor, but it’s also the foundation of everything I write.

Over the years, I’ve refined it into a very specific and in-depth process. I’ll spend months brainstorming and structuring a story before I actually start writing the first draft. I believe strongly in the power of having a detailed and cohesive vision for a story, in mating the creativity with logic.

2. How did you or would you suggest acquire an agent? Any tips for new writers on getting one?

I’ve never had an agent. Most of my books are independently published and those that are traditionally published (Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic and several foreign editions of my writing books) were the result of the publisher coming to me rather than the other way around.

However, I always recommend that authors start researching agents in the latest edition of Writer’s Market.

3. Do you have any suggestions or helps for new writers (please be so specific that this most likely will not have been seen elsewhere)?

First and foremost, embrace the joy of writing. Embrace the quirkiness, embrace the adventure, embrace even the uncertainty. Art of any kind isn’t worth pursuing without passion. So never forget why you’re writing. If ever you wake up and discover that the passion is gone, then it probably isn’t a lifestyle worth continuing. So cherish your passion, and nurture it. Write every day. Guard your desk with a machete and flamethrower if you have to! Writing time is sacred, and if you don’t respect that, you’ll never get anybody else to. Read incessantly: all the good fiction you can get your hands on, as well as books on the craft. Seek knowledgeable feedback on your work. Well-read, kind-but-brutal beta readers are essential. Writing can’t be just a hobby; you have to treat it like a job. More than that, it’s a lifestyle.

4. How many books have you written?

I’ve published four novels and nine instructional manuals on writing.

5. What saying or mantra do you live by?

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Anything else you would like to say?

Thanks for having me!