Today I welcome to the blog, the interesting and diverse self-published fiction author, Kendra L. Saunders. Her debut adult novel, Inanimate
Objects is about magic
realism. Thank you for stopping by, Kendra, and sharing your journey to self-publication with all of us today.
I always like to start with a little background, where were you
born?
A: I was born in a tiny town in east Texas!
We weren’t there long, though, and until I was ten, we lived outside of
Dallas/Ft. Worth.
How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
A: About 6, I think. I never had any other
big dreams. In first grade, for Halloween we were supposed to dress up as what
we wanted to be when we grew up. I wore a skirt and dressy shirt and carried my
dad’s briefcase, because I thought that’s what writers did!
How long does it take you to write a book? What is the average
word count?
A: It varies. I can write a first draft of
good size in 3 months when I’m really concentrating and enjoying the storyline.
Inanimate Objects took me 4 years from idea to last draft, though, because I
overhauled it several times and had a lot of personal problems during that
period of time.
Do you have a critique
partner(s)?
A: Kind of. My friend Kate is a writer and
she’s very wise and she went to film school, so she knows stuff I don’t know.
We’re a good balance with each other but she’s the one I turn to when I need
some hard advice because she’ll tell me “did you already do a scene like that?
Kendra. Kill it.” But that’s more because she’s awesome than because she’s my
go-to critique guy.
Do you ever use beta readers?
Do you ever use beta readers?
A: My best friend reads almost everything I
write. I don’t know why or how she does that for me, but she’s my greatest
cheerleader and I bounce a lot of the little details off her. We talk about the
characters like they’re real people and have long gossipy conversations about
them. It’s awesome.
Did you hire a professional freelance editor before submitting
to agents or editors (or self-publishing)?
A: No, but my friend Janice has been a
longtime editor and muse for me, because she’s so good at grabbing small
details and tweaking them until they’re better. She knows my writing better
than I know it myself, when it comes to editing. Not just nitpicky things… one
time she told me that a character shouldn’t look all glowing and attractive in
this one scene, so I said he had a bunch of leaves in his hair and grass stains
on his clothes and lo and behold, the whole scene made more sense. She’s so
good at that. She looks at almost all of my stuff before I send it into the
world.
How long did it take you to get an agent or publisher when you
were starting out?
A: I self-published Inanimate Objects, but
only after several publishers had written personal notes back saying that they
liked it and just couldn’t take it on because it wasn’t the style of book they
were looking for at the time.
What was one of the most shocking things you learned during on
your journey to self-publication?
A: Shocking? The most shocking thing was
that someone who I’d always thought understood my passion for writing revealed
that after knowing me for 10+ years, they thought writing was a hobby for me,
like writing in a journal. That was shocking. I don’t know how many people
might think that of their writer friends, but it’s such a painful and crushing
thing to discover for the writer in question. We write to, as my character
said, “Exorcise the evil soul”, but also with the hope that we can make a
living off of our writing and perhaps afford to write for the rest of our
lives.
Were there any major revisions to your debut novel before you
self-published it?
A: Yes! I actually rewrote the entire
thing, start to finish, four times. It was excruciating. I just couldn’t get it
right and wouldn’t give up until it was what it should be. But in the end, I
was so thankful to have stuck it out.
Tell us about your book. How was your story birthed?
A: The idea came from a dream I had of
Chris Martin (yes, the one from Coldplay) standing at a funeral scene and
leaning against a tree, looking rather sour and disappointed that he didn’t
know the person being buried.
What was your motivation for this story?
A: My motivation for Inanimate Objects was
to write a story with that title (isn’t it a great title?) in the vein of Neil
Gaiman or Ray Bradbury, to find out why the man in my dream was at a funeral
and, later, to answer my own very deep and troubling questions of mortality and
immortality in life and art.
Who came up with your book title? Was it the original title or
did it change along the way?
A: I remember thinking that Neil Gaiman
should have a book called Inanimate Objects. I tried to picture what such a
book would be like- dark, funny, English, etc. So after a while I realized it
was a bit silly to sit around waiting for Neil Gaiman to write this book, so I
decided to write it myself!
What's your secret to crafting characters?
A: Characters are anchored in the author
and created through empathy. Drawing from your own personal experiences-
especially the painful or frightening ones- is the best way to empathize with
your character. Empathy is the most important part of writing a person. Taking
time to sift through their past is important too. Look for the moments that
stand out to them as hurtful or embarrassing. I studied psychology and
communications during my high school years because I’ve always been fascinated
by humanity and all of its faults. It helped me to ask the questions that need
to be asked. Do you know what the most embarrassing moment of your best
friend’s life is? Do you know the accomplishment they feel most proud of? If
you knew those things, you’d know more about your best friend than you ever
expected. Same with your characters. And practicing empathy will help you reach
into them and find their souls.
How do you come up with your character's names?
A: I have about 6 baby name books in my
house, actually, most of them bought at yard sales or used book shops. But I’m
a bit of a name-hoarder, so if I hear a name I like, I write it down. Some
favorites right now are Victor, Hayden, Bowie, Thom and Lillian.
If your book were to be turned into a movie, what would your
dream cast be for the top five main characters?
A: You know, of all of the people I’ve ever
seen who looked like Leo and could play him perfectly, Chris Corner from the
band IAMX (and before that, Sneaker Pimps) is the most perfect, but he’s about
a decade older than Leo. Ricky, the cover model, is the perfect age and has the
look down perfectly, but he swears he can’t fake an English accent! I’m working
with him on a silent short film concept, though, and he’ll certainly be Leo for
that. Other than that, Chris Martin for Elisha,
Tilda Swinton as Matilda August, Anne Hathaway as Helena Bondi, and Hugh Laurie
as Jeremiah August!
Which is more difficult to write: dialogue or action (or a love
scene)?
A: Action scenes are the most difficult for
me, by far. I don’t have any experience with action or love, but at least with
love I can work my way around it by injecting humor and sarcasm. Action is too
much “then this then this”, plus I don’t know what “this” is half the time.
Dialogue is easy, because I talk so much. (Maybe I should stop talking so much
and get some action instead…?)
How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or
writing venture in general?
A: My family has been pretty supportive,
though at times I think they didn’t know what to make of it. Now they’re seeing
a bit better how it can all pay off. Friends have been generally supportive,
though some more than others. The ones that are supportive are complete life
and sanity savers, and I can’t ever thank them enough.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in
any of your books?
A: I would probably make the ending to my
book a bit longer and less happy, but then, maybe it’s good I can’t change it!
Who is your favorite author and what really excites you about
their work?
A: Neil Gaiman is my greatest literary
hero. I just love his sense of humor and wonder and curiosity. He’s like a
little boy who grew up to be a rock star but never stopped wondering who and
what was under his bed or breaking color over the skies every night.
Tell us a little about your next book.
A: I’m writing a novel right now called
Death and Mr. Right, which is due for submission by November 1st. I have to get
cracking! It was inspired by a photo that my friend Luna took of her boyfriend
standing outside under a very disturbing, stormy sky. Something about the photo
set off all of these questions in my mind. It’s March 32nd, the day that
doesn’t officially exist, and diva-like Death has just been exiled into Boston.
Can he navigate the modern world, recover what was stolen from him (the names
of the damned… ooops) and get his job back? Or will he fall in love with Lola,
the pretty thief who got him in this trouble in the first place?
Fun Bonus Questions
What are you currently reading?
A: Jane Eyre and Anomalous by my friend
Kate Edler (it’s up for submissions and someone should buy it NOW. Seriously.
Tweet me and I’ll get you in touch with her. She and her book are AMAZING)
What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
A: That’s harder than all of the deep
questions! I’d say Moulin Rouge, Hot Fuzz, Midnight in Paris, Labyrinth,
Phantom of the Opera and Thor. But I know I’ll feel bad later because I left
big ones out!
Rejection letters – save ‘em or toss ‘em?
A: If they’re a ‘nice rejection’, keep ‘em!
Otherwise, who needs the paper? Get rid of them!
How would you describe yourself in three words?
A: Enthusiastic, melancholy, dreamer. My
friend Ricky always describes me as “bubbly” though, so that too!
Laptop or desktop?
A: LAPTOP!
Who is your fictional character crush?
A: Right now it’s Michael Fassbender’s
movie take on Mr. Rochester, because he’s a bit more human and warm than the
book’s Mr. Rochester. Also Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle and bad boy Tom from
Anomalous. Oh and Loki. Good Lord, Tom Hiddleston.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: I would love to be able to become other
people for a short period of time. It would be great to understand their mind,
see some of their memories firsthand, puzzle out why they are the way they are.
Plus it would be cool to hear what they think of you when you’re not around!
Where potential readers can find Kendra
online:
Official Website: http://www.kendralsaunders.com
Twitter name: @kendrybird
Author Bio:
Kendra L. Saunders is a novelist, poet, short story writer, record-shop-haunter and marketing coordinator for Spencer Hill Press. For writing advice, helpful information, and other various authorly things, please visit her website: www.kendralsaunders.com
Thank you so much for having me! This was such a fun interview. :)
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