Author Interview: Kieryn Nicolas
On Saturday, June 25th, I had the opportunity to meet Kieryn and her mom at the Allentown Library as part of Kieryn's book tour. It was a pleasure to chat with them and I was very impressed by their promotional materials. I walked away with two signed books, a stack of bookmarks, even an autographed poster promoting literacy. It instills hope when I find someone so young with the commitment, talent, and ambition to achieve the long term goal of completing not just one, but two novels.
And as I understand it, there are plenty more on the way. It's an honor to welcome Kieryn to my blog...
1. First, tell us where we can find you online such as blogs, websites, Facebook, etc.
My website is www.kierynnicolas.com. I blog at www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com, and also at www.yalitsix.blogspot.com on Tuesdays. I have twitter (kierynnicolas) and feel free to friend me on Facebook!
2.
What genres do you enjoy reading and which authors influenced you? When did you decide to venture into the craft of fiction writing?
I enjoy almost any genre, as long as I connect with the characters. I usually gravitate to the YA section of the library but recently I’ve enjoyed some memoirs and even some nonfiction. I think Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House books, was a big influence when I was younger—I read every book in that series, even the nonfiction companion guides. Also, J.K. Rowling (of course) spurred my imagination. Because I read at an early age, I started making up stories at an early age too, and as soon as I understood writing I’d write them down.
3. Your first YA novel, RAIN (Quake, April 2009) is a globe trotting tale of teen espionage. Please tell us with us how the story came about?
To be honest, it started with a weird dream, one I couldn’t get out of my head for days afterward. Finally I sat down to write a scene with the elements of spies, friendship, and Australia (which was not only in the dream, but also top of my real-life Places I Really Want To Go list), and that scene turned into a novel.
How long did it take you to write from concept to final draft?
A year and a half—six months on the rough draft, and a year for it to simmer and undergo revisions.
4.
You followed up the next year with a short story, Poison Ivy (Quake eBooks, November 2010) that touches on themes of peer pressure and the courage to stand for what’s right, even at the cost of losing social status. Was this story born from your own personal experiences?
Poison Ivy is fictional, but the idea formed after I read To Kill a Mockingbird. The themes and concepts of that (amazing) book rolled around in my mind and I decided to apply similar ideas to a social setting with which I was familiar.
5. Your latest YA novel, Flawless Ruins (Quake, May 2011) , is set in a post-war, futuristic America where women have advanced further in society than ever before. Your protagonist, Morgan Waters, seems to live a fairly blissful life until she discovers something disturbing in her ‘flawless’ society.
What more can you tell us about the world you created in Flawless Ruins? What inspired the story?
The idea for Flawless Ruins was a detour my mind took as I complained about girls—fictional and real—who had/thought they had “perfect” love interests. The world of Flawless Ruins is just that—perfect! With a few strings attached, of course. Or maybe they’re more like iron cables. Because nothing is perfect, not even in the future.
Are you a science fiction fan or was this genre new territory for you?
I’m not a science fiction fan and I’m not not a science fiction fan—I’m a story fan. If a story is good I’ll enjoy reading it, regardless of the genre—I think the same can be said for writing a story. :-)
6. According to your bio, you were a competitive figure skater for nine years. What sparked your interest in skating? What made you decide to stop competing?
My grandma gave me skating lessons when I turned four, and I fell in love. Even though I got extremely nervous at competitions, I loved the challenge of working on new techniques (and landing double jumps, once I got to that level!) and doing the annual ice show at my rink was as exciting as a second holiday season. However, when I reached a certain point, I had to choose between dedicating my life to skating (which would’ve required moving) or allowing myself to explore other activities, such as writing and school activities. I’m usually an all-or-nothing kind of person, and I chose the latter. I’m glad I did, because now I’ve had the opportunity to pursue taekwondo and writing and I still have all the lessons I learned from skating, like how to deal with competition and how to apply stage makeup. Important stuff.
7. What does Kieryn Nicolas do when she isn’t writing?
Kieryn likes to sleep in! But that only happens during the summer. When she’s awake, Kieryn goes running and hangs out with her friends and reads awesome books. Sometimes she argues with her sister, but usually they get along. Ish. Also, she works on her driving-a-motor-vehicle skills. They’re kind of coming along.
