About Lindsey Kinsella:
Lindsey Kinsella is a Scottish sci-fi and fantasy writer, and author of “The Lazarus Taxa” and "The Heart of Pangaea."
While a qualified and experienced naval architect and an avid car enthusiast, he always reserved a space in his life for a deep fascination with palaeontology. This drove his writing process as he strove to write tales of the rich and complex history of life on Earth.
What inspires you to write?
My original inspiration for The Lazarus Taxa was the subject material itself. As a huge paleo-nerd, I wanted to add a fresh and up to date representation of prehistoric life.
For The Heart of Pangaea, I wanted to continue this endeavor, but for a younger audience. Crucially, I wanted to write something my own children could read.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
It's hard to pick one, mostly because my favourite authors are very different and difficult to compare. I love Stephen King's ability to create tension, Phillip Pullman's fantastical world building, and Douglas Adams' humour.
I think, when pressed for something to read, I'd be most likely to pick up something by Douglas Adams. Given he recently passed, I've taken to reading some of his work again, and it truly is timeless.
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm only two novels into my writing career, so I think I'm still honing my process. I "pantsed" The LazarusTaxa, but that didn't really work for me. There was a lot of re-writing and it took almost two years to finish.
I plotted The Heart of Pangaea more carefully, and having a better idea of the high level plot certainly made things easier. Obviously, the story has still grown and changed as the influence of the characters drove subplots and new themes, but it remained within a manageable framework.
I tend to note ideas down on my phone as they come to me. This is handy as I have both an appalling memory, so I need to write any moments of inspiration down the moment they happen. I currently have about fifty books worth of outlines saved in there! This means that when I do find the time to sit down and write, it's all there, ready to build upon.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I tend to almost become the characters. I'll run through an entire draft of the book in the mind set of a single character. For every event, every line of dialogue, every setting, I think how would this person react. And then I start over with another character.
It's long-winded, but I think it helps to develop some depth to each character.
What advice would you give other writers?
I'm probably not yet experienced enough in the writing game to give out any truly meaningful pearls of wisdom, but I think the best advice I have for new authors is to welcome outside influence; in particular, beta readers and editors.
It's so easy to underestimate the importance of professional editing, but it will completely transform your work for the better.
Beta readers are similarly invaluable; get as many as you possibly can.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
With The Lazarus Taxa, I applied for only a couple of months to a few traditional publishers. Perhaps I could have been more patient, but I was eager to get the book out there. I found that I love the freedom that self-publishing offers; I don't have anyone telling me what can or can't be in my book. I didn't consider anything other than independent publishing for The Heart of Pangaea.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think self-publishing will become even more popular in the future. With the ease of publishing and distribution and the low-risk of print to order publishing, it will attract more and more new authors.
I do hope to see it become a little less monopolised by a certain corporation, but that's probably unlikely.
The question is, will the big retailers begin to regularly take on self-published books?
What genres do you write?: Sci-fi and fantasy; I would like to dabble in some horror too!
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Lindsey Kinsella Home Page Link
Link To Lindsey Kinsella Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
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.
