Author Interview!
What are some of your favorite books/authors?
Catcher in the Rye
Midnight Library
A Long Way Down
What book do you think everyone should read?
Catcher in the Rye
How long have you been writing?
Since I was about 8.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
Mostly they came to me before I write. I flesh them out as much as possible, and then I let them tell me what adventures to take them on. It’s like having kids and then watching them go out into the world.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I like to set my current roster of books in real places, so I mention real names of restaurants, parks, and beaches in the Hamptons so that if the readers go there, they’ll have a map of where the characters went. It adds authenticity and helps them envision the story even better.
Do you see writing as a career?
I do!
What do you think about the current publishing market?
I think it’s at a really interesting inflection point. Traditional publishing is still amazing, but publishing has become democratized with the advent of independent publishing. One on hand, it’s great for authors who already have a following they can leverage. Though on the other hand, it’s become an increasingly saturated market. However, I think people find good stories. Right now I’m working in a “build it and they will come” paradigm.
I had a traditional publishing contract before I embarked on my independent publishing journey, so I know my writing is “good enough” to be enjoyed by a wide audience. And that gives me confidence to keep going.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I absolutely do. I actually like really dark books, which is so antithetical to my personality. Gillian Flynn is a favorite of mine.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise?
SILENCE. I can’t have any background noise.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I need to stick to one at a time or I’ll get too confused!
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
Uncharted Horizons. I wouldn’t have wanted to write anyone else’s story but my own.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer all the way. I’m old fashioned in a lot of ways, but the computer is the single greatest way to optimize a writer’s life haha. It’s so efficient!
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
This will make me sound like a sociopath, but I love Amy from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I hesitate to say that I related to her in the first couple chapters of that book, because she is homicidal and histrionic, but I love how complex, cunning, and unapologetic she was.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
It’s just something innate. I don’t think I ever really decided, it just was sort of something I had to do. To express myself through storytelling. It was more of a decision to go through the process of getting everything published. And I have zero regrets.
A day in the life of the author?
It’s a mixture of writing what you know and also observing what you don’t. I need to watch a TV show, go into public and take things from what I see, or have deep conversations with friends to help inspire me.
Do you have any advice to offer for new authors?
You can do it! Make an outline. Be serious with yourself about why you want to write. And just don’t stop. Because if someone tells you that you can’t and you don’t listen and do it anyway, at the end of the day, you’ll have written a book and they won’t. And that’s the greatest revenge ever.
Describe your writing style.
A bit irreverent and sarcastic, but deeply thoughtful at the same time.
What makes a good story?
A good story is anything that makes a reader feel something – good or bad. Obviously it’s preferred if you write something that makes the reader feel good, but a good story is anything that simply evokes strong emotions. If a reader feels a visceral reaction to a story, the author did their job.
What are you currently reading?
Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I outline the entire book’s plot. Then I make an outline for character arcs and map out what they have to go through in the story to get to the end of the book and feel completed.
Then I go back and break into chapters as I go, when it feels right, creating suspense along the way.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I think just feeling too precious and thinking you’re not good enough to start or that what you’ve written so far isn’t good enough. Don’t think about that. Get so wrapped up in your story that you have no choice but to tell it. Let other people decide if it’s good or not, because if you take on that burden, you’ll never finish a chapter, let alone a book.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Procrastination. I’m guilty of it too.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I like originality. I know some readers like a formula so they can predict the ending or the arc of the story, but that’s boring to me. I love a twist. I love turning genres on their head. I like pushing the envelope. I like unlikable characters because they’re so much more realistic. It’s much more interesting that just churning out a story that someone can expect.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
That in 2021 you’ll release 2 books in the same year. So don’t stop dreaming.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?
I don’t find this difficult at all! I love it.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
About 3-4 months.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I do, but I think the antidote for it is to step outside your routine. Shake up your environment so you can take in new places, people, and experiences and can’t help but be inspired by them.
Another summer in the Hamptons was just what Kingston, Claire, Kurt, and Amelia were looking forward to after their tumultuous meeting last year. But when mysterious new residents seep into their social circle, their seemingly perfect friendship becomes frayed.
Kingston and his new girlfriend fall victim to the trappings of fame. Amelia gets an enigmatic, sexy new neighbor. Kurt meets a gorgeous southern debutante. And Claire is frantically planning a wedding to a man she doesn't want to marry.
But when a harrowing murder rocks the villages of the Hamptons, and a few of them become suspects, it's a race against time to decipher who the real murderer is - but can their friendship survive it?
Check it out on Goodreads!
Buy your copy from Amazon
Author bio:
Kyle Langan started writing as soon as he could pick up a pen. What started out as homemade comic books turned into short stories, then chapter books, and finally culminated into the heralded Young Adult novel, Uncharted Waters.
Set in the Hamptons, Uncharted Waters takes a splashy and humorous look at the class divide on the East End of Long Island between a group young adults. Kyle also is the Founder of the lifestyle website and brand, www.HamptonstoHollywood.com, which also chronicles the culture and people of the Hamptons and Los Angeles.
He's contributed to the L.A. Times, as well as many other print and digital publications, and hosts the streaming interview series, Town Hall Chats, for Town Hall Los Angeles. He even moderates events with millennial thought leaders across the country.
Whether he's writing, producing and hosting video projects, or just spending time with friends at the beach, Kyle is known for his optimistic outlook on life, his humor, and of course, his signature laugh.
I enjoyed reading the interview and Uncharted Horizons sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a wonderful hoiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting about this book and series, I think that my granddaughter will really enjoy reading these stories
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