1. What inspired you to write urban fantasy and the Relentless series specifically?
I’ve always been a fan of urban fantasy so it felt natural to write in that genre. I got the initial idea for Relentless from a dream. I say initial because the final book was nothing like the dream. 2. Do you avoid or embrace Fantasy/Paranormal tropes and why? I don’t necessarily avoid tropes, but I try not to be cliché. There are certain aspects of each genre that draw readers. You need to figure out how to write them in a fresh way. 3. Do reader comments and reviews about your storyline and characters effect your writing in subsequent books? The only feedback I consider seriously is from beta readers and editor. Readers have such different tastes and you can’t write something to please them all. When you get a 5 star rave review, followed by a terrible 1 star review, which one do you believe? If you believe in what you’re writing, you can’t let strangers influence you. 4. As a woman writer, do you find it difficult to write a male voice? I did at first. When I started writing Warrior, which is the trilogy in Nikolas’s POV, I struggled at first. By the end, we were like old friends. The next book was dual POV and I had no trouble writing the mail voice in that one. 5. What are your thoughts on how female leads are portrayed in current Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and films? One of the reasons I like YA is because more and more authors are writing strong, independent female leads. Yes, there is usually a love interest, but the story is about her journey. 6. When reading a book, does the gender or ethnicity of the author impact the voice you assign the novel in your head? Never. If a story is well-written, I don’t think about the author at all while I’m reading it. 7. What advice would you give your younger writer self? Good question! I’d probably tell her to stop doubting herself and to write that damn book. I spent too many years comparing my writing to published works and that’s a huge mistake for any writer. No first draft looks as good as one that’s been through multiple drafts and professionally edited. 8. How can an author cope with feeling their story deserves to be heard, but fearing criticism? I don’t know a single author who doesn’t have self-doubt when putting a new book out there. And even the greatest literary works have bad reviews. Look for them on Amazon and you’ll see what I mean. You will get negative reviews. But you’ll also get great reviews. You can’t dwell on reviews. It’s all a part of the business. 9. What’s next for Karen Lynch? I’m current working on Fated, book 6 in the Relentless series, which will be released on Feb 13, 2018. After that, I have several projects planned. I need to decide which one comes next. |
THOUGHTWARDSThoughtwards is a blog celebrating forward thought and the diverse thinkers who think them.
M. Lachi is an award winning recording/performing artist and composer, a published author, and a proponent of forward thinking. Having studied Management at UNC and Music at NYU, M. Lachi employs both savvies in her creative endeavors. For more on M. Lachi's music click here. |