An Interview with Author Karen Heard
This week I’m very happy to welcome Karen Heard to my blog. I just finished reading her short story, “Alba”, from the anthology Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft and I am positively a-shiver! It’s SUCH a good story. I hope you enjoy the interview with Karen, and that you check out Beltane or her other collection of short stories, It’s Dark Inside.
LR: What’s the most compelling thing about your most recent project, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?
KH: Alba was a new direction for me in terms of writing. Most of my stories are very dark and the endings are often grim. Although this story has shades of darkness, it also (hopefully) conveys an air of magical realism that is probably about as close to an optimistic story as I get. It’s also a detective story, which I hoped would be an unusual addition to the collection of witchcraft stories that the story was written for. 
LR: If you had to recommend one writing resource, either a class or a book or a workshop, what would that be? What’s had the most impact on your work?
KH: I studied writing at university, but have to say I’ve learned more since then from the fantastic community of writers on Twitter. The thing I love about Twitter is that it works mainly on everyone being nice to each other. I’ve met lots of people willing to beta read stories or give advice about editors and cover designers, or just chat about the writing process. I try to give back to others as much as I get out, by beta reading or helping others too when I can. Feel free to get in touch with me at @misheardfiction.
LR: Fantasy or reality? Most people lean one way or the other in their work. Do you have a preference, or do you swing both ways?
KH: My work is always fantasy, but based on, if not real events, real feelings. In real life I often imagine the worst-case scenario in any event. I think all of these ‘what if’ scenarios in my head is what makes me lean towards fantasy, where these real fears actually play themselves out.
LR: Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.
KH: I like to work in absolute quiet if I can. I can’t listen to music or it puts me off. However I do a lot of my writing out and about, using my netbook, one of my favourtie belongings in the world! I can usually drone out the background noise – unless someone is having a particularly loud or unusual conversation nearby, and I find myself compelled to listen in!
LR: How to you juggle all your hats (spouse, parent, worker-bee, housekeeper, writer)?
KH: I would love to write full time – if any wealthy patrons are out there looking for poor writers to fund – please ask ;o) Until then I try to find time on my commute into work, in lunchbreaks and at weekends.
LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, are you a closet marathon runner? Could you crochet a house-cozy if you had to? Maybe you secretly want to appear on Antiques Roadshow?
KH: I took up fencing a couple of years ago, with the thought I could get some exercise and also use it in my writing sometime. I also try and swim when I can, though often find myself in the pub on nights I should be in the pool – does copious drinking count as an activity?
LR: Football, basketball, baseball or soccer? Which one gets your blood moving the fastest – or is there another sport you prefer?
KH: Basketball. I used to play when I was younger and was quite good at it as I was taller than all of the boys back then – though they’d probably kick my ass if I played against them now 
) The interest just stayed. I think if you’re good at something you tend to like it more. I’m not really a massive sports follower, however. The thing about sport is that it’s never over – there’s always one more match or another tournament. Nothing is ever resolved for good. I think it would take over my life if I followed a sport too much. I did go to the Paralympics recently, though, and was massively impressed – you haven’t seen anything really until you’ve seen a blind woman make a horse dance!
LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.
KH: My book of short stories that I’ve been working on for years came out this month so I’m currently trying to promote them before I move on to another project. The stories were written over a series of years, initially one every year for Halloween. I recently realised the whole collection would make a reasonable sized book, so I’ve been working on them this year to put them onto Amazon and Smashwords. I’m also running a Halloween countdown calendar, giving away a free horror story or a free magazine each day at http://www.hellhousehotel.com/halloween-calendar/
After Halloween, I’m going to go back to a crime novella I wrote a while ago. I already have a fantastic beta reader lined up, who I met on Twitter!
More info: Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft is available on Amazon. My collection of dark short stories, It’s Dark Inside, is also available at Amazon.
