About Michele Kimbrough:
Just three little things: 1) I’m a java junkie, a coffee fiend, a caffeine addict. Yes, I admit it. 2) I love sampling wine, too. Let me revise that statement: I enjoy sampling budget-friendly wines. 3) I do my best work before the sun comes up. It’s the most quiet time of the day, the most peaceful time. One more thing, I love interacting with readers and helping writers.
What inspires you to write?
Just observing life and all of it’s nuances is like a blank canvas. Just the slightest thing could inspire a story, like the way a man tilts his head when he’s checking out a woman. Or the odd way a woman struts in her heels that are way too high for her comfort level. Sometimes it might be a scent or a sound that inspires me to pick up my pen.
Tell us about your writing process.
The main plot points of my stories are planned. Everything within those plot points are seat of my pants. The characters take over. I’m merely a vehicle for the characters to tell their story. LOL!!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to my characters. I have to. When I stop listening, they stop talking. They’re stubborn like that. 🙂
What advice would you give other writers?
Three things:
1. Have fun. But don’t treat your writing like it’s a hobby. Treat it like it’s your bread and butter.
2. Develop a thick skin. Trust me, that first bad review will make you want to banish to a corner and ball into the fetal position, while rocking and sucking your thumb. Ha! Everybody isn’t going to like your writing or your story.
3. Promote. Promote. Promote. I believe promotion for a book should begin at its conception. With social media and platforms like Pressbooks, giving excerpts, character profiles or sharing snippets as you’re writing your story is easy. These are great ways to keep your name and your prospective book in front of people without bombarding them with sales pitches. By the time your book is published, you will have created an anticipation for your work. You will have built an audience. This is the advice I wish I had when I wrote my first book.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I didn’t give it a second thought. I knew that I would be self-publishing, originally. But after self-publishing my second book, I seriously considered pursuing traditional publishing. I needed a wider audience that I felt like I could build on my own. Although I was in my early 20s when I was encouraged to pursue writing as a career, it wasn’t until my late 40s that I took the plunge. So, for me, time is of the essence. I have a lot of books in my arsenal that need to be written but I haven’t found my audience yet. That’s the hardest part of self-publishing in my view — finding my audience.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The future of publishing is promising. Keep in mind, ever self-published author is now a publisher. Technology has made it possible for the writer to be closer to the reader. Readers have access to their favorite writers and can develop a closer bond with her. That’s the exciting part of it.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: fiction: contemporary, romance, suspense
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Michele Kimbrough Home Page Link
Link To Michele Kimbrough Page On Amazon
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