About Kathy Bryson:
Kathy Bryson knew she wanted to be a writer when she finished reading through her elementary school and local children’s libraries. She spent 20 years honing her writing skills on marketing brochures, websites, and several unfinished manuscripts before going into teaching and finishing a book with all the stuff she enjoys most – from coffee to love to Shakespeare! Kathy lives in Florida where she caters to the whims of two spoiled cats and wonders what possessed her to put in 75 feet of flower beds.
Her first book, Feeling Lucky, won the 2014 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award for Best First Book.
What inspires you to write?
I love books. I love good stories and I love to write. After reading as much as I have, the stories start popping up everywhere. Writers are notorious for see everything as a potential plot and everyone as a potential character. You start writing things down to keep track of them and then they take over!
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m definitely a plotter. I’ll see something and think how it shows off a character or think how this person might do something and have the beginnings of a great scene. But to get past that point, I have to stop and figure out exactly how the character got to that point or what happens next as a result of the incident. Once I have the flow of the story established, I know what I have to research to fill in accurate details and description.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
When I first start jotting down notes or a scene, I hear my voice. I’m speaking. But after a few false starts or throw-away pages, I’ll start to hear the character speak and react. It’s a little frustrating until I reach that point, but once I start thinking ‘oh, so-and-so wouldn’t do…’ the story starts to flow.
What advice would you give other writers?
The book gets written when it’s down on paper or computer. A good idea is nice, but it’s words on paper that counts! So find a routine, find a motivation, find whatever it takes, but get the story written. You can always edit it later, but you can’t do anything until you get the story written down.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I tried the agent/ big publisher route and sat in limbo for 2 years. I don’t know if that’s normal, but I didn’t want to just wait. I learn much more through doing. So I went with a small publisher and am pushing to master regular production and promotion. I may try self-publishing in the future as I develop editorial and production contacts, or I may find a large publisher that likes leprechauns! You never know; you just keep trying!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There will always be the need for good storytellers and good stories. They are how we define ourselves and how we bring meaning to our lives. The format may change but that’s hardly new. Print is hanging on according to all the research, so really we’re looking at 2 viable markets with 2 distinct audiences. That’s very exciting! And just think of the possibilities when you start adding in crazy, new formats like audio or graphic novel!
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: fantasy, romance, satire
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Kathy Bryson Home Page Link
Link To Kathy Bryson Page On Amazon
