About Kris Spisak:
With a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Richmond, Kris Spisak began her career as a college writing instructor. However, after six years in the classroom, she decided to shift her work toward professional writing and editing. Kris has always had a fascination with the ways one can capture an audience with language–from knowing the rules of grammar to finding the right voice and characters to make a novel come alive. The place where right brain and left brain meet is her favorite place to work.
Helping writers sharpen their craft was the driving force in the publication of her book, Alright? Not All Right: 100 Writing Tips for the Curious or Confused. The project started as a weekly communication skills blog series, but as demand grew, Kris knew it had to be a published collection–with future additions soon to come.
Kris is also pursuing the publication of her first novel, a literary thriller set in contemporary Virginia.
What inspires you to write?
Imagine that first culture–the Sumerians–that preserved their thoughts and lives in clay. The history of the written word is intriguing, and it’s not really that different today. Our words carry us through our lives, be they words of business or pleasure. The rules of grammar and the possibilities of word choice might be more complicated, but they are equally as fascinating–at least to me. Language is so limitless in what we can express and how we choose to do so–be it through truth or fiction. Using the right words and punctuation makes it all the sweeter.
Tell us about your writing process.
I always begin with a concept that intrigues me; characters and plot come later (when I’m writing fiction). I like to think of it as chasing the white rabbit. Alice only falls down the rabbit hole because she’s curious; I tumble into my own writing adventures in roughly the same fashion.
What advice would you give other writers?
John Updike once wrote, “We’re past the age of heroes and hero kings… Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it’s up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”
It’s up to the writers. It’s up to us. And there are so many possibilities. I love thinking of each writing project as a challenge in that way.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I have many publishing goals–some of which include traditional publishing–however, with this non-fiction project, I already had audience demand coming from my blog readers, and I wanted to get it out into the world. Alright? Not All RIght: 100 Writing Tips for the Curious or Confused is a project designed for writers of all kinds, be they casual, professional, academic, or creative. I knew I could get this project into the hands of those who might benefit from it sooner if I self-published it. It simply made sense for this book.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I feel like hybrid authors might be the next big wave in publishing. By “hybrid,” I mean authors who work both with traditional publishing houses and who also self-publish. So much depends on the individual project, the audience, the genre, and so much more. We have more options than ever now, and I think more authors are going to start embracing multiple paths.
What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: non-fiction, fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Kris Spisak Home Page Link
Link To Kris Spisak Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
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.
