Interview with Kristin B. Weaver
Published 2021-02-04.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yeah. The first poem I wrote, was for a school assignment, and as part of that assignment it was submitted to a State wide contest for young poets. It truly was a case of "writing environment having a major impact", as I struggled to write anything. Sitting there in the library, my mind and eye's wonder, surrounded by books... Due to my love of books, that curiosity to learn, was the emotional fuel for that poem.
In the end, the poem qualified for publication.
What is your writing process?
In my mind I draw a vague outline of the direction I want to go in, but it is largely intuitive chaos, with things just coming together.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
No, but I remember reading a story in class as a child, about someone effectively trapped in their own little imaginary world. Back then, when overwhelmed, I had a bad habit of getting locked into day dreaming, so it was a kind of "wake up call" for me. Causing me to actively resist those kinds of things.
How do you approach cover design?
As someone with no real illustrative talents, I found it more effective to focus on the emotions I want the illustrator to try and convey.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Growing up, I absolutely loved the Shannara series of books, There will always be a special place in my heart, the place whence all frustration is stored, for Foucault's Pendulum.
What do you read for pleasure?
Mostly, reading to learn new things is a delight.
Describe your desk
A small chest I like to place my laptop on.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Growing up, I moved around abit, but was always close to one particular major highway. From semi-rural areas, to a semi-major city, and even lived a few years in an old coal town. It helped to give me a wide and small view, of life.
When did you first start writing?
My first poem was as a small child, but my first serious attempt at writing poetry was in my late teens. Sadly a lost collection due to illness.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Since late 2019, I began a course of self treatment of supplements and improved diet, to just improve my over-all health. The path that started me to writing, copyrighting nd self publishing my first manuscript, was 100% unintentional. By March of 2020, my mind began to clear up, with memories and emotion's, even lost memories, just flooding in. By mid-April, I was able to recall a head trauma which took away my ability to write poetry, and then the words kept flowing.
On that first day, I probably wrote a dozen or more poems, flowing into different directions. It was like discovering an old play-thing, Many of the poems I wrote, just to see if I could. By the second day, my life purpose and desire came back to me, so I spent some time combing through the poems I wrote to see what could be used as a core for a poetry collection. In the end, two poems of a common theme were selected, hoping that "romance sells". The one poem, "Misfortune of Mine", originally started off as a 30 line poem, but through the editing and revision process, morphed into a poem of over a thousand lines. The other poem, well, that is a surprise for the readers to try and figure out.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Ease of access. To try and become formally published, is a multi year headache. Plus the added control is kind of nice, but it has it's pitfalls.
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