A Visit With Kate Quinn
Last week I had the great good fortune to participate in some wonderful writer/reader fun. An author I admire came to my area on her book tour. She did a luncheon speech in the afternoon, and a library presentation in the evening. At first I planned to attend only the luncheon, but then I decided, what the heck, I’m going to do both. So I did.
I first heard of Kate Quinn when I read her dual-timeline bestselling book, The Alice Network, and even mentioned it on my blog back in the summer of 2017. Kate did a great job of writing each chapter with a tiny little cliffhanger that made it hard to put the book down. I kept telling myself I’d only read a few more pages, while hours ticked away. Needless to say, sleepless nights lingered until I finished it.
Well, Kate has a new book out titled The Huntress. This story features an all-female night bomber regiment that operated during World War II. They impacted the Germans enough to earn a nickname – Night Witches. How cool is that? Written from three different points of view, reviewers have described the story as compulsively readable.
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I haven’t started the book yet, but I’m looking forward to diving in. By the way, last I heard this one had already made it to #2 on the NYT Bestseller list. Not a bad start for a book only a few weeks old!
Kate gave a wonderful presentation, and although I didn’t take notes, these were a few of the points she made:
Kate loves to write fascinating women from the past who may have been overlooked by history. To hone in on a subject, she researches a time period of interest to her, looking for a woman or women who pique her curiosity. Her research process is thorough and immersive, but she knows when it’s time to stop reading, and start writing.She keeps to a schedule. In the morning, she takes care of non-writing tasks. In the afternoon, it’s time to sit at the computer and work.
The comments made sense not only for a bestselling author, but for any writer. For example, writing a book does require a fascinating subject. You and your character will be spending an awful lot of time together. So will your character and a reader.
Research. It’s easy to get so bogged down with research, you never move on with the story. This is a problem that plagues me frequently, because I love reading history! But at some point ideas must be put on paper, or research will go on forever (and ever and ever).
A schedule is critical for real progress. Writing must be a part of each day’s routine, so other things don’t crowd out working on the story. Find a viable time of day to write, and then stick to it.
I guess it’s obvious I find author events to be entertaining and eye-opening. If you have the chance to hear one of your favorite authors speak, I highly recommend it as an opportunity to learn about the writing process, get backstory on a book you’ve enjoyed, and ask lots of questions.
[image error]Me, Kate Quinn, and The Huntress
Did I enjoy my afternoon and evening with Kate? I’m pretty sure you can guess the answer. 
