Ask the Author: Karol Ruth Silverstein
Answered Questions (12)
Karol Ruth Silverstein
Hi Teresa - glad Cursed resonated with you! I wasn't aware of the negative reviews for a different book included in reviews for Cursed. Yikes! I believe any reader can report an invalid review.
Here's a link with instructions:
https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/....
If I come across any myself, I'll report them. But the idea of combing through the one and two star reviews to find the incorrect ones feels ill-advised in terms of my mental health!
Thanks again,
Karol
Here's a link with instructions:
https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/....
If I come across any myself, I'll report them. But the idea of combing through the one and two star reviews to find the incorrect ones feels ill-advised in terms of my mental health!
Thanks again,
Karol
Karol Ruth Silverstein
For better or worse, my pain and fatigue is somewhat like water to the fish after so many years of having arthritis. I've had periods of time when my writing goal was just 15 minutes a day. You'd be surprised by how much you can get done when you string a year of "15 minutes a day" together. That said, it does often take me longer than I'm willing to admit to complete a longer project (i.e. novel, feature screenplay). I try really hard not to pressure or shame myself around my output (or lack thereof!)...but don't always succeed.
Another big part of my approach is to have a lot of support. I have different support systems for different areas of my life - close friends, writer buddies, medical team, spiritual advisors, etc. The more support I have, and the more I prioritize self-care, the more I'm able to push though health struggles and the anxiety they sometimes produce.
Hope this is helpful!
Another big part of my approach is to have a lot of support. I have different support systems for different areas of my life - close friends, writer buddies, medical team, spiritual advisors, etc. The more support I have, and the more I prioritize self-care, the more I'm able to push though health struggles and the anxiety they sometimes produce.
Hope this is helpful!
Karol Ruth Silverstein
I think the world in David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy - where homophobia simply doesn't exist - would be a cool place to be because, it stands to reason, that maybe other forms of prejudice don't exist either.
Karol Ruth Silverstein
"But where did all the books go?" Darla asked at the man standing outside her local library which had apparently been demolished overnight.
"What are books?" he replied.
"What are books?" he replied.
Karol Ruth Silverstein
The most honest way to answer this might be to say I have no set/routine process. I write in fits and starts, sometimes motivated by deadlines and inspiration, other times by guilt. About eight months ago, I started getting together with a small group of author friends at a coffee shop every Monday. So I guess I do have a routine that day-and Mondays are always productive! I also always compose on the computer (my brain has been trained to think creatively when my hands are on the keyboard). The hardest part for me is "assuming the position" and starting. Once I've cleared that hurdle, it's often smooth sailing.
Karol Ruth Silverstein
This has changed over the years. I used to be more more productive in the evening and often into the wee hours of the morning. These days, my creative juices flow best from about 11 AM through 8 PM. After that, I'm somewhat toast! Although-all best are off if I'm on a deadline (especially if I've procrastinated leading up to the deadline).
Karol Ruth Silverstein
My upcoming YA novel CURSED is loosely drawn from my own experiences of getting sick as a young teen. I had a screenwriting mentor back in the 90s - Holly Goldberg Sloan (now writing AMAZING books for kids in addition to writing and directing films) - who suggested I write about this topic but I was hesitant to do so, not wanting to add to a cannon that I felt (probably unfairly) was largely sappy and cloyingly inspirational. While lots of kids who get sick are incredibly brave and inspirational, I wasn't that kid AT ALL.
It wasn't until years later, when I discovered my main character Ricky's voice in a writing exercise, that I saw a pathway to telling a story that honored my own in a way that was authentic, raw and funny. Thus, CURSED was born!
It wasn't until years later, when I discovered my main character Ricky's voice in a writing exercise, that I saw a pathway to telling a story that honored my own in a way that was authentic, raw and funny. Thus, CURSED was born!
Karol Ruth Silverstein
Ideas pop into my head all the time, often from parts unknown but also from things I observe in my daily life. For example, my cats Ninja and Boo are constantly giving me fun ideas to explore in picture book manuscripts. Guilt - as in "OMG you haven't worked on such-and-such manuscript at all this week!" - also often "inspires me" to assume the position and get to work!
Karol Ruth Silverstein
I've just recently finished revisions on my debut YA novel CURSED and am working on various things related to the book's publication next June. After that, I have another novel and a few picture book manuscripts that need revising. I hope to have one or more manuscripts out on submission by the end of the year. I'm also working on the screenplay adaptation of CURSED!
Karol Ruth Silverstein
For any writer serious about writing books for kids, join the SCBWI. Full stop. In general, my advise is learn your craft - and keep learning. Develop a group of critique buddies whose work and critical eye you respect. Revise, revise, revise. Put your work out there - contests, grants, Twitter pitch events (believe it or not, this is how I got my agent!), submissions, etc. Lastly, never give up.
Karol Ruth Silverstein
The ability to work from home, according to my own schedule, often in my pajamas?
Seriously though, the idea that someone out there would be curled up with a book I wrote, being entertained or moved, laughing at my jokes, frustrated by my characters' bad decisions and rooting for them to make things right, seeing themselves reflected in my stories and/or gaining empathy for characters outside their own experiences...all of that is such a mind-blowing prospect for me and an extreme privilege.
Seriously though, the idea that someone out there would be curled up with a book I wrote, being entertained or moved, laughing at my jokes, frustrated by my characters' bad decisions and rooting for them to make things right, seeing themselves reflected in my stories and/or gaining empathy for characters outside their own experiences...all of that is such a mind-blowing prospect for me and an extreme privilege.
Karol Ruth Silverstein
Writers block is pretty much my default state of being! Or rather avoidance of getting started. I find that once I assume the position, hands on keyboard, distractions blocked out and...START, I'm rarely truly "blocked." So my suggestion for dealing with writers block is to just assume the position and see what happens. You may be surprised by the results.
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