Ask the Author: Nikky Kaye
Answered Questions (7)
Nikky Kaye
In my books, or in others? In other books... Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp Randall (Fraser), probably! They've held my interest for 20+ years, and I've always admired their honesty and mutual respect. They don't play games or simper, and (for the most part) they own their mistakes. Would that we all had relationships like that! [well, except for the traumas]
Nikky Kaye
To be honest, some days I'm not inspired. I think any writer who says that every single day they feel inspired to create is lying. There are days when I'm bored or tired or busy and just DON'T FEEL LIKE IT. But I'm trying to find some self-discipline with my writing, so I have to push through that. It's like working out. Even if you really don't want to, if you just do at least ten minutes you can get over the hump.
One way I get inspired is by asking one of my characters an important question. Not "what did you eat for dinner last night?" but something like "what was your greatest fear as a child?" Thinking about such a question and envisioning the character's answer usually propels some kind of plot turn, dialogue, or inner thoughts. I may end up going down a rabbit hole and having to rewrite other stuff, but it's always harder to edit an empty page.
One way I get inspired is by asking one of my characters an important question. Not "what did you eat for dinner last night?" but something like "what was your greatest fear as a child?" Thinking about such a question and envisioning the character's answer usually propels some kind of plot turn, dialogue, or inner thoughts. I may end up going down a rabbit hole and having to rewrite other stuff, but it's always harder to edit an empty page.
Nikky Kaye
My most recent book is ONCE SHOULD BE ENOUGH, a new adult erotic romance (or is that romantic erotica?) novella.
I started writing it in a hotel room in Las Vegas, after people watching. If you like people watching, Vegas is a great place to do it! I saw lots of groups of college-aged men and women, and considered how they interacted. Vegas sometimes isn't very comfortable for people who are shy or not preoccupied with sex. We often expect people age 18-25 to be obsessed with hooking up or partying. Many of them are not.
I remembered feeling insecure myself at that age, but pretending to be confident and self-aware. I thought I was so grown-up by not caring what people thought of me or if I was different, but in retrospect I realize that I didn't have a clue. So I wanted to explore some of those feelings. I started dating a friend in college, and then ended up marrying him, so it was a nice trip down amnesia lane. :)
I started writing it in a hotel room in Las Vegas, after people watching. If you like people watching, Vegas is a great place to do it! I saw lots of groups of college-aged men and women, and considered how they interacted. Vegas sometimes isn't very comfortable for people who are shy or not preoccupied with sex. We often expect people age 18-25 to be obsessed with hooking up or partying. Many of them are not.
I remembered feeling insecure myself at that age, but pretending to be confident and self-aware. I thought I was so grown-up by not caring what people thought of me or if I was different, but in retrospect I realize that I didn't have a clue. So I wanted to explore some of those feelings. I started dating a friend in college, and then ended up marrying him, so it was a nice trip down amnesia lane. :)
Nikky Kaye
The flexibility! I've never been great at working a 9-5 job. Even when I had "real" jobs, I was mostly able to set my own hours. Now I'll go to the library and work there during the day for a few hours, or I'll work after the kids are asleep. I can work on airplanes and hotel rooms, at 4pm or 4am. Having that kind of autonomy is great, especially if you've got a relatively busy life. That said, there's often going to be something else that needs doing. I have to make writing a job and a priority, otherwise I'll get derailed by the kids or doing stuff around the house or even running errands. There's always something...
Nikky Kaye
If I'm feeling blocked, it's usually because of one of two things--either I'm super distracted (oh look, a shiny object!), or I've written myself into a corner. Most of the time, if I'm looking at the screen and thinking "okay, where do I go next?" then that means that I've neglected to flesh out something earlier on, like character motivation or conflict. That can be tough, especially if the characters are just yapping at each other and you're just transcribing. You need to go back and say "wait a second, you two! you're talking, but you're not SAYING anything!" Each scene should run into the next and make sense, narratively. If I've set things up properly, then the next scene/interaction should be obvious. If it's not, then I need to go back.
Nikky Kaye
Read. Then...
Practice different kinds of writing, from advertising copy and business letters to poems and short stories. In the process you will discover where your aptitude lies.
Don't assume that you will be good at writing what you like to read yourself. You may LOVE reading smutty Twilight fan fiction, but maybe you can't come up with a plot or naturalistic dialogue to save your life. But you have a talent at putting together recipes or home decor strategies! Go with it.
Practice different kinds of writing, from advertising copy and business letters to poems and short stories. In the process you will discover where your aptitude lies.
Don't assume that you will be good at writing what you like to read yourself. You may LOVE reading smutty Twilight fan fiction, but maybe you can't come up with a plot or naturalistic dialogue to save your life. But you have a talent at putting together recipes or home decor strategies! Go with it.
Nikky Kaye
My schedule! I've been so inspired over the past few months that I have planned lots of stories, and I'm having trouble finding the time to do it all. For the next four months, my goal is to write and publish 3 novellas, 2 full-length novels, and a handful of shorts, and then take a week off over Christmas (LOL!) and reassess where I'm at. I've veered into a new direction recently, and am enjoying writing sexy stories served with lashings of humor.
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