We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kara D. Wilson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kara D. , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I first found my purpose as a writer when I was in middle school. As a general writing assignment, my seventh-grade English teacher asked our class to write a short sequel to the timeless novel “Watership Down” which everyone balked at. But I was curious, my mind already toying with ideas. The assignment wasn’t supposed to be long (just ten pages, double-spaced), but I couldn’t stop there. I wrote and wrote. A week later, I submitted a 21-page paper. In a testament to the power of a good teacher, my instructor recognized my talent and asked that I read the entire thing in front of the class. After that, I couldn’t stop.
Writing became my escape, my passion, my purpose. I practiced daily, writing fan fiction of shows and books and consuming books like a starved child at a buffet. I read and wrote, and wrote and read. When I finished assignments in class, I wrote in composition notebooks. When I waited for teachers or friends, I read. I arrived at school around 6:30 a.m. every morning just to get some creative writing in before homeroom.
Unfortunately, in college, I ran headfirst into a problem–creative writing does not pay the bills. I was discouraged at every turn from studying writing in any regard. “Choose a major that will take you somewhere,” people told me. “Don’t do creative writing. You won’t make any money;” or, “What kind of job can you get as a creative writer? Nothing.”
So, I graduated with a double major in International Relations and Asian Studies with a minor in Japanese. Now, let me ask you, do you think I have done anything with my expertise in International Relations or Asian Studies? No.
So, I got my Master’s in Communication. I was frequently scolded in graduate school because my writing was too flowery. I added too much “flourish,” I remember my professor saying. I was distraught. I had always prided myself in my ability to write. Throughout my educational career, I passed all classes that required written essays or papers (in lieu of multiple-choice exams) with As. In graduate school, I was told that my writing was poor, ineffective, and unconventional. I was depressed and angry and desperately clung to the lyrics from “The Isle of Innisfree.”
Eventually, I bent to the will of my professors and adapted my creative writing skills to academic/scholarly writing. My embattled soul could hardly stand it. Still, I graduated magna cum laude with an MA in Communication.
The moment I left graduate school, I began writing creatively again, frantically making up for lost time. I published the first book of The Aurora Chronicles entitled “The Empress’ Consul” and kept going. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I knew my purpose. I had to get back to it.
As the years passed, that righteous flare of creative fervor calmed and became a disciplined simmer. While I wrote my books, I gained life experience. I was a technical editor for Raytheon; I taught Advanced Conversational English to ESL (English as a Second Language) adults; I was the marketing coordinator for an assisted living facility; I worked at a library; and then, I opened my own business–an independent comprehensive editing service dedicated to helping authors prepare their manuscripts for self-publication or for submission to traditional publishing houses.
As much as I hated those antagonistic years in graduate school, I came to appreciate the knowledge and skills I gained at the time. It was the combination of my creative writing abilities and my master’s that earned me several jobs. My unique understanding of both creative writing and academic composition continues to benefit me as I often work on fiction and non-fiction manuscripts simultaneously. I have come to understand that citation work, bibliographies, and indices are just as important as plot and character development and organic dialogue.
Years ago, I thought my purpose was to write, to produce fiction so others like my younger self could escape and imagine. But it is so much more than that. My purpose in life is twofold: to instruct, persuade, entertain, excite, sadden, amuse, and teach through the use of written language while guiding and acting as a beacon for other writers.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Young Adult/New Adult fiction author who focuses on science fiction and fantasy. I have ten published books, the most recent of which is entitled “Breach Effect,” released just this year (2023). My goal when writing is not only to take my readers on an epic journey–and I do mean epic–but to instill in them perspectives and worldviews that they might not otherwise be exposed to. Often, my books deal with modern issues set in fantastic or futuristic worlds.
Book II of The Falkrow Narratives (Rhys of Quadrant Six) deals with, in part, a migrant crisis spurred by religious and political zealousness in impoverished areas, a worldwide issue most prevalent in 2016. “Breach Effect” focuses on the destruction of Earth’s resources and humanity’s effects on the planet. The standalone novel “Cardinal Zero” studies the concept, effects, and ramifications of warfare and how it affects individuals and societies.
Despite the existence of magic or bio-integrated AIs or lunar colonies, real problems that reflect modern issues abound in my writing and propel the plots forward. Strong character identities and development hold the story together and draw readers in. Without organic dialogue, realistic interactions and reactions, and believable characters, a book falls apart.
In “The Assassin’s Apprentice,” readers of The Aurora Chronicles are introduced to new protagonist Jia, who is an assassin in search of her rogue mentor. Although Jia’s skills are top-notch, she is a woman in a predominantly-male profession. Because the book is set in a fantasy world of ornate palaces, ancient and dusty roads, and stringent societal codes, Jia confronts dangers that, were she brought up to be a tanner or servant, she would never have to face. She knows her strengths; but perhaps more importantly, she learns of her weaknesses and adapts. When she crosses paths with the reigning empress of Shiin, her identity is further tested.
It is vital that every protagonist, every character, has their strengths and weaknesses. Even those who seem overpowered must have flaws and make errors. They cannot always be cool, calm, and collected or be able to sort out whatever issues comes their way. Realistic reactions to dialogue, to new problems, allow readers to relate with the characters.
I so enjoy delving into the minds of my fictitious friends and seeing the world through their eyes. I hope I effectively encourage readers to make that connection and feel that the people being introduced to them could, in fact, be real.
Since the publication of “Breach Effect” earlier this year, I am constantly in search of inspiration. Life, unfortunately, comes at you fast and the time, energy, or indeed, motivation to create can be squashed.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First and foremost, writing takes discipline. Do not stop practicing your craft. Be diligent about it. There will be days when you as a writer don’t feel like putting in the effort. You won’t even want to look at your computer. Have discipline. Make yourself sit before a blank piece of paper or look at where you left off on your work-in-progress. If staring at the screen blankly is all you can handle in that moment, that’s fine. But you urge yourself to do that. Writing, like all other art, is a craft that requires discipline and motivation.
Once you’ve developed the discipline to take time out of your day to write, practice. Even if you’re writing fan fiction about your latest anime crush or a screenplay for a pandemic episode of “Parks & Recreation,” write. Practice using vocabulary, inserting idioms, metaphors, and similes, and capturing realistic dialogue. A painter doesn’t become an artist overnight; they create and destroy and cry and lament and paint some more. A dancer doesn’t become a prima ballerina after her first recital. It takes years of constant practice and conditioning. Form discipline and practice.
Lastly, writers need motivation, inspiration. Now, motivation is not the same as discipline. Discipline is the power to urge yourself to do what is necessary. Motivation is the inexplicable need and drive to do something. If you have a passion for an art, others will feel it. In writing, readers will know if you, the author, are bored. Consider the final season of the television show “Game of Thrones.” The writers got impatient and wanted to rush through everything because they had been offered something else that piqued their interest. And what happened? The final season, the climax of the series that was supposed to bring everything together, crashed in a spectacular explosion of unanswered questions, uncharacteristic dialogue, and confusing plot developments.
Finding motivation can be hard. Lacking it doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It means that you haven’t been inspired yet. Aside from my ten books that have been published, I have a handful that didn’t make the cut. Back in 2018, I sent a book out for beta reading after having spent months pushing myself to finish it. But my heart hadn’t been in it. Life was tough then and, out of necessity, I had continued to pound away at a manuscript to fill the empty void. It had been a chore to finish. My beta readers ripped it apart. They could tell my soul wasn’t in that book, that it lacked direction. I abandoned the book because I was so disappointed with myself and the work I had produced.
But I learned my lesson. If, as I’m writing, I suddenly discover that I’m not “feeling” the book, I need to stop and come back at another time. Don’t force yourself to continue like a horse straining against a yoke. Take a breather.
Lastly, learn to take criticism. I speak on this as both an author and an editor. Authors/writers are naturally very sensitive creatures. Even the smallest critique can break them or cause them to become defensive. Even now, when I read a bland review of one of my books, I bristle. But not everyone is going to like your work. Not everyone is going to like what you represent. And that’s okay.
However, if you have multiple people saying the same thing (like my poor beta readers), then it’s time to reevaluate!
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
As a writer, if you’ve worked for years to cultivate a specific talent (be it the ability to create charming dialogue, develop a strong or complex plot, or paint a masterpiece of a world with words) you should take pride in it! Often, such talents take years of diligent practice and discipline to foster. But don’t forget that dull cliché–there’s always room for improvement.
If your editor indicates that while your narration is beautiful and colorful, your dialogue is stiff and unimaginative, then work on it. Read a variety of other books in assorted genres and learn how others present humanistic interactions. Perhaps your beta readers love your character development and are charmed by your protagonist’s rakish demeanor, but they can’t follow your narration through intense battle scenes. Watch similar battle scenes in shows and pause to periodically to consider how you would write a particular movement, action, or reaction.
Be proud of the work you’ve done to create but be ready to accept criticism and critiques. If you find yourself drawn into another author’s work, examine it. What did that author do to pique your interest? How did they influence the flow of action, the speed with which time passed, or the way in which characters addressed one another?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.karadwilson.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karadwilsonbooks/
- Other: www.emergingink.com
