Kris Clink's Blog
June 16, 2021
Recent Articles
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“We Need to Talk About Karen,” in Moms Don’t Have Time to Write on Medium.com.
5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became an Author on Authority.com.The post Recent Articles appeared first on Kris Clink.
March 29, 2021
My Velveteen Rabbit, a.k.a. “Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy”
It’s Sunday afternoon. Fingers-crossed, if I calculated correctly, the velveteen rabbit I’ve worried over, cursed at, and loved on, will come to life in 192 hours and forty-two minutes. Who’s counting?
Our youngest just called, and her voice was guarded, almost maternal, as if unsure if asking, “How do you feel?” would induce tears or fits.
Like the rest of my family, baby girl has ridden along on the writing rollercoaster since I began “the Lark book” over five years ago. I wanted to write good stories about strong women, complicated families, and second chances. More than anything, I wanted to create books with heart. Now that my first one’s complete, it’s time to hand it to you—the reader.
You’ll give it a life of its own and see the characters in new ways. You’ll make connections I had never considered. You’ll wonder why I forced a character to suffer so long, or why I didn’t take the story in another direction. Yes, reader, you will create your own version of Lark’s story.
For giving me your valuable time and for bringing my velveteen rabbit to life, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
The post My Velveteen Rabbit, a.k.a. “Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy” appeared first on Kris Clink.
July 30, 2020
Writing That Book
Thinking about writing is easy. Sitting down to write is hard. For me, the writing dream was like my stove’s dim blue pilot light hidden behind grocery lists, laundry, and career anxieties. Forty-five years and layers of detritus threatened to smother the tiny flame until my husband asked me, “When are you going to write ‘that book’?”
“That book” floated into conversations like an unreachable wish to win the lottery. Remember that joke about the woman who asked God to let her win the lottery? Finally, God told her to buy a ticket. So, I quit my job. Before I began “that book,” I dedicated a week to organize my life, so I’d have no excuses and few distractions. It was time to write.
On a quiet Monday morning, I took the stairs to my office, sat behind a clean desk, and reality hit. I had quit my job to pursue my life’s dream. Who does that? I had no clue where to begin.
My hands rose to the keyboard and I asked Google how to begin. Google answered my question and directed me to an online class through Writer’s Digest that began that morning. Later, I would realize my good fortune to land a spot in one of KM Weiland’s classes. From outlining to character development, Weiland is an award-winning author of acclaimed writing guides used by best-selling authors.
Before that morning, I had constructed a rough sketch of the novel I hoped to write—in my head. Weiland’s first lesson required students to write a summary of the book they were writing. My brain processed the instructions slowly. Write a summary, essentially the back cover copy. For a book I haven’t begun writing? Talk about the main characters. The characters I hadn’t fleshed out? What. The. Hell. Have. You. Done. Kris?
I abandoned the lesson, walked the dogs, drank a cup of tea, and perused Facebook on my phone. Finally, I made the slow walk to my spotless desk. Give it a whirl, Kris. Just try.
I had a strong sense of the setting, but only rough ideas about the main characters. That exercise forced me to connect the dots. Word by word, my characters came to life. Paragraphs filled a page. Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy was born.
KM Weiland’s books and website served as my training wheels as I learned to structure my story, build my characters, and create interesting arcs. To this day, her guides hold a special space in my writing cave. Check them out at www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com
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