About Kate Porter:
Kate Porter has had one true passion, even as a young girl: writing. Poetry and short stories were her pleasure and her escape while growing up on a small farm approximately fifty miles south of Indianapolis. From her first short story printed in her high school newspaper at the age of fifteen, until the publication of her debut novel, SECRETS IN BETHLEHEM, in the summer of 2012 she has dreamed of being an author. As a two time winner of the Indie Book of the Day award, as well as the 2014 New Apple Book Award medal winner for best Mystery for her book BLACK HARVEST, Kate has explored different genres in her writing career and has an eclectic taste in her own reading material. She has studied fiction writing at Greenville Tech, in Greenville, SC and traveled to Georgia for a writing workshop with her best friend. Kate has been profiled in her hometown newspaper, in Spencer, Indiana and in 2013, she was featured in WOMAN’S DAY magazine and again in the Greenville News.
What inspires you to write?
That is a really complex question. So many things can bring an idea for a story to my mind. For instance, the idea for BLACK HARVEST came to me while listening to the news during the Casey Anthony trial. The idea for my debut novel SECRETS IN BETHLEHEM came to me while having a conversation with a co-worker combined with an episode I’d watched on The History Channel. I’d often been chided about how my brain would go off on a tangent for a story from the turn of a phrase or by walking my dog, Hokey.
Tell us about your writing process.
When I get an idea for a story, the first thing I do is “brainstorm” with pen and paper. I write a synopsis of what and where I want the story to go. After that step I create my character bios. During this phase my characters often take me in a completely different direction than where I had originally intended to go which is how my paranormal romance series, TEAM NIGHTLY, came to be. It was originally supposed to be a parody of all of the vampire movies and books that had been swamping the market over the past several years.While creating the bios for this story, the characters took on a life of their own. My characters tend to introduce themselves to me during this stage.
The last step before I get down to the serious business of writing the story, I do my own version of an outline.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Absolutely! As I mentioned earlier, and I’m sure many people think me quite odd due to this, my characters tend to “introduce themselves” to me and tell me what they want and where they intend to go.
What advice would you give other writers?
Don’t take negative and oftentimes mean-spirited reviews to heart. Use them as a learning tool. There isn’t a writer who has ever lived that didn’t get a bad review or a rejection letter. You can either let bad reviews and comments be your school or your funeral.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
It has always been a dream of mine to be a published author. I’d sent out queries to agencies for several years until a co-worker had contacted me and told me they’d self-published on Amazon and suggested that I do the same. After some research into self-publication and some soul-searching, I thought “what do I have to lose?”
I’ve learned a great deal since my debut novel SECRETS IN BETHLEHEM was published in 2012. The most vital lesson for me as a new author . . . ALWAYS hire a PROFESSIONAL EDITOR. There is no substitute and no matter how well you write, no one can truly be objective and impartial when it comes to their own creative work. Ask friends and acquaintances to read their work and give honest opinions.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The future of book publishing, in my opinion, will be more focused on e-books. Though print books will still be required and traditional publishers will be many reader’s main focus, self-published books will grow to be more accepted. Self-published authors must overcome the stigma that vanity publishing and low opinions of mainstream publishers have placed on us. In order for us to do that, ALL self-pub authors must do whatever they have to, to give their books, whether they are e-book or print or both, a more professional appeal.
What do you use?: Professional Editor
What genres do you write?: Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance,
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Kate Porter Home Page Link
Link To Kate Porter Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
