Ask the Author: Suzanne Kamata
Answered Questions (5)
Suzanne Kamata
Sorry! I didn't notice these questions until just now!!!
I think it's important to keep the creative part separate from the publishing part. When you are writing, just immerse yourself in the story and the fun of writing, and don't worry about the rest. I know it's hard, but I think it's important to enjoy the process. I have to remind myself of this as well. Maybe 96% of manuscripts are rejected, but a lot of people don't get published because, well, they give up. Persistence is key, more than talent. It might also help if you have a writing buddy -- someone to exchange pages with on a regular basis, someone to keep you accountable and to encourage you when the going gets rough.
As for lack of ideas, I find that just going out and having new experiences can generate ideas. Travel, eat new foods, read in genres that you don't usually read in, meet new people, listen to podcasts, read the newspaper or news sites and take note of quirky or unusual stories. Use prompts to get started. Or rewrite a classic story from a different point of view or with a different setting.
I think it's important to keep the creative part separate from the publishing part. When you are writing, just immerse yourself in the story and the fun of writing, and don't worry about the rest. I know it's hard, but I think it's important to enjoy the process. I have to remind myself of this as well. Maybe 96% of manuscripts are rejected, but a lot of people don't get published because, well, they give up. Persistence is key, more than talent. It might also help if you have a writing buddy -- someone to exchange pages with on a regular basis, someone to keep you accountable and to encourage you when the going gets rough.
As for lack of ideas, I find that just going out and having new experiences can generate ideas. Travel, eat new foods, read in genres that you don't usually read in, meet new people, listen to podcasts, read the newspaper or news sites and take note of quirky or unusual stories. Use prompts to get started. Or rewrite a classic story from a different point of view or with a different setting.
Suzanne Kamata
I came to Japan to teach English on the JET Program. My husband was a high school teacher. We met through a mutual, an American guy who was also an Assistant English Teacher on the JET Program. So, basically, I was only going to stay in Japan for one or two years, but then I met a guy...
Suzanne Kamata
I had a Mrs. Cramer in 2nd or 3rd grade at Lake Hills Elementary School. Could it possibly be the same one??? If so, tell her I said "hello!" I'm so happy that you are reading my book, and that your copies will be donated to schools! Thank you! I also hope to visit Grand Haven again in the not too distant future.
Suzanne Kamata
Hi! I visited Grand Haven last month for the first time in about 20 years! It was so great to be back! My maiden name is Borsum. I graduated in 1983, but my family moved to South Carolina the summer before my senior year, so I wouldn't show up in that year's high school yearbook. But I was on the Buc's Blade staff and the yearbook staff my sophomore and junior years.
Suzanne Kamata
I was inspired by the girl groups of Motown in the 1960s, like The Supremes, and also by the Riot Grrrl movement that took place in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s, and by the incredibly creative people I've known in The South.
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Feb 18, 2018 10:14AM · flag