Know me? Love me? ...not yet? Well, you lucky ducks, Neve Maslakovic was generous enough to open up her blog to me and let me spout off my wisdom on acting vs. writing and the joys of self-publication. Head on over!
http://www.nevemaslakovic.com/2013/12/kate-danley-writer-actor-playwright.html
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The Spirit of Krampus
Last year, I participated in a lovely little anthology called Holiday Wishes. My short story from that anthology is now available as a stand-alone. Ladies and gentlemen, The Spirit of Krampus!
So, what is "Krampus" you may be asking yourself? Krampus is a character from European mythology. He was Santa Claus's partner. As good Saint Nicholas rewarded the children of the world for good behavior, Krampus was responsible for punishing the wicked. If you were bad, he'd put you in a sack and beat you with sticks. And if you were REALLY bad, he'd take you home and eat you for dinner. Happy Christmas, indeed.
In this short story, I posed the question, "What would happen if the spirit of Krampus, instead of the spirit of Christmas, filled the hearts of grown-ups across the globe?" It's a dark, scary day. Fortunately, we have our young hero, Skip, ready to set things right.
As you threaten your kids with coal this holiday season, tell them they should be thankful that Krampus is not around. May you not be thrown in a bag at any office party! You know. Unless that's your thing.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Interview with Neve Maslakovic
In the continuing monthly series of author interviews, today my guest is fellow 47North author Neve Maslakovic, author of The Incident series and all around great gal.
Why did you write The Incident series? What is it about this project that makes you
happy or proud?
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of being able to
go back in time to see what life was like, not for kings and queens, but for
ordinary people. Since I can’t actually step into a spacetime warper myself,
this series is my way of doing so vicariously. I get to go to a different place
and time in each book along with my characters, from the ancient Roman world to
medieval Americas.
What was one of the first books to inspire your interest
in this genre?
My writing contains elements of both science fiction and
mystery. As a child, I read and re-read everything by Jules Verne and Agatha
Christie, so I’d say my interest has a lot to do with the works of those two
authors.
Who influenced your voice as a writer?
That’s hard to answer, because I feel like I learn
something from every book I read!
How did you learn how to write? How did you develop your style?
Apart from a handful of writing classes, I’m self-taught.
In general, I think the only way to develop – or rather, find – your writing style is by, well, writing. And then writing
some more. And more, until you discover what works for you.
What is your process when you begin a new
project?
While writing the current book, I’m always mulling over the
next one in my head. So when I finally sit down to work on it, I already have a
good idea of the main characters and of some of the story. I never have a full
outline, though – I liked to be a bit surprised as I write. It keeps me
interested!
What are some writing tips or tricks that work
for you?
One that comes to mind is to jot down a page-full of
quick notes on the scene you plan to write that day. That only works if you
know what’s going to happen in the scene. If you don’t, then the opposite
approach often works for me, and that’s to just sit down and start typing and
see where your characters take you.
What advice do you have for people who want to
become writers?
Find a support network of other aspiring writers. I can’t
emphasize this enough.
What upcoming projects are you working on?
We’ve just wrapped up the editing for Book 2 in the
Incident series -- The Runestone Incident
is slated for release in February 2014. I am now hard at work on Book 3 in the
series!
For fun:
You're in heaven (so anything is possible) and you
own your own television network. What
shows are on your channel?
Since anything is possible, I’d be watching never-filmed
episodes of the TV series Firefly, which was canceled after only one season.
What is your favorite pen to write with?
I do all my writing on the computer, except for the
occasional jotted down note or sketch. For that I use a gel pen, blue or red.
Favorite beverage while writing?
Dark chocolate mocha from Caribou Coffee, in a mug, not a
paper cup.
Name five books you love.
How about I do five authors instead, since that’s somewhat
easier. Besides the aforementioned Jules Verne and Agatha Christie, I’d add Jasper
Fforde, Connie Willis, and Isaac Asimov. And Douglas Adams. OK, that’s six
authors.
Beautifully embossed leather bound editions or
paperbacks with great pulp fiction covers?
Hmm, leather bound would look nicer on the shelf, but
paperbacks would be lighter to carry around in shoulder bags, so I’ll go with
paperbacks.
What is your favorite quote about writing?
I have many of them, but the one that comes to mind is
from Annie Proulx. I had to go look it up, but here it is in full:
“What I find to be very bad advice is the snappy little
sentence, 'Write what you know.' It is the most tiresome and stupid advice that
could possibly be given. If we write simply about what we know we never grow.
We don't develop any facility for languages, or an interest in others, or a
desire to travel and explore and face experience head-on. We just coil tighter
and tighter into our boring little selves. What one should write about is what
interests one.”
------
Neve Maslakovic is the author of the Incident
series, as well as a stand-alone novel, Regarding Ducks andUniverses. Before turning her hand to writing fiction, Neve
earned her PhD in electrical engineering at Stanford University's STAR
Lab (Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory). Born in
Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Neve currently lives with her husband and
son near Minneapolis/St. Paul, where she admits to enjoying the
winters. Her next book, The
Runestone Incident, is due out in February 2014.
Website: http://www.nevemaslakovic.com
Twitter: @NeveMaslakovic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nevemaslakovic
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