Interview with KC Oliver by Margot Justes

KC, tell me a bit about yourself?
My name is KC Oliver and I am the author of the young adult thriller, Pretty Pretty, about two best friends who land summer jobs in a haunted hotel in Hawaii! I live in central Canada, in the province of Manitoba where there is a little of everything; from prairies, to small mountains, to a desert, to northern tundra with polar bears! I share my life with my hubby, my two kids, our wacky kitty, Xena, and an amazing betta named Timbit (yup, I love Tim Hortons!).

What got you interested in writing?
I have always written in one form or another; dabbling in many different genres and all kinds of writing, though young adult fiction has always been my favorite.

How do you develop your plot and characters? Do you use a set formula?
I wish I was more organized when it came to writing, but I am a ‘fly by the seat of the pants’ writer. I do some plotting and character development to get the gist of things, but the bulk of my work is done on the fly. I am a visual writer; I picture my scenes in my mind. I see what my characters see, smell what they smell, hear what they hear, and I observe their conversations, emotions and body language in my mind. It’s kind of like watching a movie in your head and taking notes.

What do you do to relax and unwind?
I work out. I love to work out with weights at the gym and I power walk daily. Another thing I like to do is kick back and watch a movie. I am a real movie buff.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Writing a book and getting it published is an amazing and thrilling experience, but that isn’t where it ends for an author. The marketing and promotion of the published novel are as much a part of the process as the writing. My advice is to learn as much as you can before getting published. (I wish I had known then what I know now. ). Talk to other authors about marketing strategies and promotional ideas. It can be pretty tough to get your name out there, but with a game plan and strong perseverance, both the writer and the publisher will find success.

Thank you KC.

Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com
Echelon Press LLC
Comin in June 2008