CSFF: Day 3 – Kathryn Mackel Interview PART III

25 Jun ’08 By 4 Comments

Well, folks, this wraps up this month’s edition of the CSFF Blog Tour. I hoped you’ve gleaned something from my interview with Kathryn and really hope you’ll go out and purchase one of her amazing books for either yourself or someone you know. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

And if you haven’t yet, or if you’re just joining us, please make sure to check out her website and her blog.

Thanks again for coming by and spending some time with us!

CH

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Interview with Kathryn Mackel - Part 3

CH: If you even have time to read yourself, do you have any favorite authors?

KM: I worry about mentioning favorite authors because I don’t want to leave anyone out. So I’ll mention some authors whose books are a must-read for me. Angela Hunt, Nancy Rue, Eric Wilson on the CBA side. On the secular side, I make sure I buy any Jonathan Kellerman and John Sandford book on the market. If you can get by the profanity (and there’s a lot), Sanford’s Prey books are great models for novelists.

CH: Would you mind sharing a noteworthy testimony about how your writing has influenced someone’s life?

KM: A retired couple with significant health issues told me that my books helped them “get away” from their problems. A group of teenagers formed a Birthright club and modeled on the principles of the books and characters. But the most heart-warming responses I’ve heard from readers came with The Hidden. Many readers who had been abused as a child found the message of forgiveness and opening one’s heart to God a powerful step in their own healing. And this is what our fiction is all about. We write in different genres and styles, but if we can open God’s glory to just one reader, we have been blessed.

CH: What can we expect from you in the future? Any clues on the next Christian Chiller? Or are we headed in a different direction?

KM: I’m working on a YA Science Fiction right now, and preparing Darkening (book 2 of the Vanished series) for release.

More importantly—much more importantly—I am studying about the International Justice Mission, the horrific abuse of children by sex traffickers and in slavery, and praying the Lord will allow me to write a novel to illustrate the tremendous need in this world, and the amazing work that organizations like the International Justice Mission do.

CH: Thanks again, Kathryn! I really appreciate your time and willingness to share some insights into your writing and a behind the scenes look into a little bit of your life. We’ll be praying for your continued success!

KM: Christopher, thank you for hosting me. And many thanks to all the bloggers who support our work. I can’t say that enough—I praise God for you all.

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CSFF: Day 2 – Kathryn Mackel Interview PART II

24 Jun ’08 By 4 Comments

So, you’re hungry for more?

Today’s the “good stuff” if you’re a writer like me. I’m always eager to learn how other people treat their craft, especially when they’re–how should I put it–more seasoned.

And since I dissed her Sox yesterday, I suppose I should give a well earned bow:

The Celtics were awesome last week!

Buckle up! Let’s dig in…

CH

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Interview with Kathryn Mackel - Part 2

CH: A number of those that read my blog are authors or aspiring authors and I’m sure they’d love a behind the scenes look into your writing lifestyle and habits. Can you give a snapshot of what a typical “writing session” looks like for you? What are common writing goals in terms of word count or content? What other things consume your day? Is this a full-time occupation for you or part-time?

KM: Oh, I’m probably a poor role model in terms of writing habits. I’ve been a full-time writer for 12 years. Right now I’m actually looking for a “real” job because publishing has really tightened up. If the economy didn’t look so shaky, I’d wait a few more months but I’m trying to be obedient, go by what I know right now. So, if God sees fit to nudge me back into the working world, I will once more be a part-time writer.

When I first started writing, I worked full-time, was mom and wife, coach, student, and wrote about two hours a day. The irony is…I don’t think I put in too much more time than that a day now. Maybe I haven’t been a good steward, though in those 12 years I’ve had 13 books published and 8 scripts sold or work-for-hire jobs in film. This is why it’s hard for writers to consider what other writers do and try to model. I’m terribly distractable so I often go out into the woods with my computer to work.

Here’s what I try to do. Two hours in the morning, two hours later in the day. Full morning on Saturday. That will get me a completed novel in about six months. (I mean, a draft that can be professionally submitted.) I cannot write beginning to end in one draft. I keep revising (and I think that’s about 50% of us). So my draft will be about thirty drafts for the first third of the book, three drafts for the middle, and one or two for the end of the book when I really understand everything about the world, the characters, God’s call on this story.

Other things that consume my day? I’m a hiker with access to a lot of beautiful conservation land. Until my dog died this spring at 17.5 years, she and I walked miles every day, climbed mountains, and just enjoyed creation. There’s nothing like the woods for singing hymns at the top of my lungs or just enjoying scripture. I’m a huge spots fan so this time of year my husband and I are watching the Red Sox almost every night. (I am fluent in Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and all teams in those sports.) I spend as much time as possible with my 4-year-old grandson.

I sing in choir, help direct youth choir, teach adult Sunday school, write drama.

CH: A big question I get asked a lot is, “Are you an outliner? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?” Any particular methods you use when laying out a story or organizing characters and keeping track of descriptions, events and other pertinent details?

KM: I’m a big-picture outliner. I get the concept, the major turning points, and then outline two or three chapters at a time. I have a good memory so generally I don’t have to worry too much about story details, though I did make a mistake in Vanished with a character name. It became the basis of a contest I ran.

One way I corral a story is to print out my book-in-progress and lay it out on a table, separated by chapters. I then write in bold letters on the first page of each chapter 1.) which character’s POV the chapter is told from and 2.) the main event(s) of that chapter. I could do this in a single electronic file but there’s something about laying out the work and stepping back for a long view. I often do this at church because I need two or three tables to lay out the chapters. This practice allows me to change organization, remove chapters or sections that are somewhat redundant, shift sections around, check pacing and tension.

CH: If giving some words of wisdom to other aspiring authors out there, what pieces of advice would you have for them?

KM: Writing is hard. A great concept can only go so far without the craft to support it. Rewriting is key but it’s a difficult skill to acquire without a support system. Conferences don’t have enough time to teach how to rewrite, though I’m working on creating workshops that help writers move in that direction. I taught a college course last summer and it took a good 18 hours before my students got it. I learned to rewrite from my writers group—superb writers and critiquers all! James Scott Bell’s book Revision and Self-Editing is a good place to start.

[Catch Part 3 tomorrow!]

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CSFF: Day 1 – Kathryn Mackel Interview PART I

23 Jun ’08 By 5 Comments

Being on the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour is much like being an author.

[cricket--cricket]

OK. Explanation:

When I *became* an author (I really should say “a published writer”), something amazing happened: I started meeting other people who wrote books, many of them my heroes. Somehow having a printed and bound edition sitting in a Barnes & Nobel brings credibility to your otherwise quite common love for writing. Admittedly, there are far better writers out there with much grander ideas. But as I frequently say to wanna’ be authors, “The only difference you and me is that I already wrote my book.”

In the course of these past two years I feel as though I’ve joined a club. An exclusive writers club. For professionals. (How did I get in?). And a club, honestly, that I feel incredibly fortunate and far from worthy to be in. It has provided me the opportunity to rub elbows (always a funny expression) with some extraordinary people. This fall, for example, I’m embarking on the second Fantasy Fiction Tour along the West Coast. Four more authors have been added to the line up including Donita K. Paul, a woman who, for all intents and purposes, has been nothing short of the Momma of Christian Fantasy. A true pioneer.

The point: The simple fact that I’ve endured the hundreds of hours of writing, drafting, editing and promoting a manuscript that a legitimate publisher deemed print worthy has given me access to some wonderful news friends. In this regard, CSFF is extremely similar–with the exception that it’s far easier. ;)

Rebecca Miller, the brain behind CSFF, started the tour in the hopes of giving a new voice to the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. By encouraging an online community of people to spread the word about authors and books, she has engineered a club of enthusiastic people willing to do some great grassroots marketing. (And we love her for it!). One of the benefits is–you guessed it–getting to meet (or at least email) many of the wonderful authors the tour highlights.

Kathryn Mackel is no exception.

Kathryn is a true writer, producing and editing a vast body of work. And if not for the tour, I’d have no real reason to email her (other than as an adoring fan), nor the means to be introduced to her. But thanks to CSFF, not only are her books within easy reach, but so is her ear (if we remain kind, courteous and to the point). Rather than hording email to myself, I decided that this month, since she made herself available, I’d request an interview.

She said yes.

(Yankees) And even though she is a Red Sox fan (Yankees), I decided the (Yankees) interview was worth posting (Yankees) on my (Yankees) site.

(Yankees).

I’m breaking it up over the next three days. Today’s portion is mostly about her present work, Vanished, the reasoning behind it and influences. Tomorrow, knowing I have a bunch of writers who read here (thank you!), I’ll be posting the portion about her own trade skills and thoughts on the craft, and Wednesday we’ll wrap up with some more personal questions. And while you’re waiting, you can visit her website to learn more about her work, and then stop by her blog to learn more about, well, her!

Thanks again for stopping by. And please make sure to check out what the other bloggers on the tour have to say by clicking on their links at the bottom of this post.

Oh yeah, and just in case she swings by and is reading this, feel free to ask her any questions by leaving a comment!

CH

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Interview with Kathryn Mackel - Part 1

CH: Thanks for joining me on my blog, Kathryn. It’s a pleasure to have you on the CSFF Blog Tour, and I know there are a number of people who will be very interested in your books.

First off, you have a new book out called Vanished. For those that aren’t familiar with your writings, you pioneered the term “Christian Chillers,” and Vanished seems to be no exception. Where did this love for creeping Christians out come from?

KM: I love suspense thrillers. My plan was to hop into Brandilyn Collins’ or Ted Dekker’s footsteps but the editor at my first Christian publisher (Thomas Nelson) wanted something with a bit of the X-Files feel to it. I’ve often complained that in secular horror you get the supernatural without the One who is the creator of all. Christian Chillers are an opportunity to say “hey, yes, there is an unseen world AND the Almighty Father is Lord of what we can see and can’t.

CH: Concerning Vanished, the concept is pretty scary and hits home for a lot of people; a bomb going off right here on our own soil (not to mention some supernatural dealings). It seems we’re surrounded by terrorism and reports of terrorism today. How much have past events here in the US and abroad influenced your premise and perspective for Vanished?

KM: I think September 11th was a wake-up call for all of us. Combine terrorist events with natural disasters, such as Katrina or the recent earthquake in China, and we have to understand that, any second, our world can be shaken. We Christians like to hope we’re prepared for the last trumpet call and the clouds to open, but are we prepared to help our next-door neighbor or elderly couple down the street? If the power is off for a few days, or if we’re inundated with three feet of snow or children are separated for parents, are we prepared to offer help—and hope?

CH: Vanished obviously isn’t your first work. How does it rank in “the favorite books I’ve written” list? What qualities really make it stand out to you as an author?

KM: I’ll take the usual author dodge and say my favorite is the one I just finished. (Which is BOOST, a secular YA coming out from Dial Books in September.) But I am very fond of Vanished and very invested in my characters. I know where they are, and I know how they’ll escape from where they are. I can’t wait to hear guesses from my readers!

What challenged me in the writing of Vanished was keeping various story lines going, getting to really know characters and yet push a book through only a few short and desperate hours. What intrigued me was the exploration of regular people—like the cop on the beat—as they react to extraordinary events. My cop Sergeant Logan has been seeking God for some time when the story opens but, in the aftermath of the bomb, as he’s saving lives and chasing the terrorist, he comes to understand he can’t do it all-can’t do anything, really—on his own strength.

CH: What was it that first inspired you to start writing? How long has this been a desire of yours? Was it an overnights success story or did you have to “pay your dues” and wait a long while before seeing your first book on a shelf?

KM: I was always a good communicator and am a trained technical writer. But I didn’t write any fiction beyond church plays because I just assumed I couldn’t. I loved to make up stories in my head long past it’s appropriate—unless one is a writer. I used to think, “If I were a writer, I’d be writing.” Turns out, being left-handed and HATING to write by hand had something to do with my not writing. Two things got me started in fiction. The first was the advent of computers, and the second was taking my first fiction-writing course at the tender age of 41.

In one sense, I was an overnight success story because I sold the first book I ever wrote and the fourth screenplay. But…there was a lot of dues-paying in terms of just living life, growing in Christ (He pays those dues!), and learning to be a professional.

[Catch Part 2 tomorrow!]

(Yankees)

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