Author Spotlight: Kerry Kilpatrick
June 16, 2024 • News
CJC: How did you get started as an author and what made you want to pursue that field?
KK: I’ve always enjoyed writing, although I hadn’t even attempted a novel or published anything like that. I had the idea that I should try it during the pandemic, but I didn’t get serious with it until last summer. My previous career and now my current one requires that I take information and weave it together so that it can be understood by people who don’t really want to hear it. It’s been good practice for writing fiction. Stories have always run in my head. I’ve imagined a place like Almstead Island for years.
CJC: What do you find to be the most rewarding and challenging part of being an author and what hurdles have you overcome while striving towards your goals?
KK: The most challenging part is consistently finding time to write. Like many indie writers, I also have a day job and a family. Balancing writing with being a spouse, a daughter to elderly parents, a parent to children with challenges, and having a non-writing career is an ongoing struggle, and I haven’t found the perfect balance yet. The most rewarding part is when a stranger is moved enough by a story I wrote to email me about how it resonated with them. Whenever it happens, it feels like the first time, every time.
CJC: Which novel has been your favorite to write and why?
KK: Well, I’ve only published two, but Will has been my favorite. Beckett’s family is a piece of work, and I think a lot of us can relate to that. Will is the friend that I want for all of us—sweet, loving, but ready to bury bodies on our behalf if that’s what needs to happen.
CJC: For first time readers of your work, which book would you recommend?
KK: Of the two, Will is the winner. Just A Little Love has age play in it, which I love, but I know it’s not for everyone. Start with Daddy and ease your way to littles.
CJC: If one of your books were made into a movie, which would you select and who would you like to star in it?
KK: I’d do Just A Little Love because I’d want to be in that pitch meeting. I’d pick Pedro Carvalho for Gabe and a young Cameron Monaghan for Rory.
CJC: For those looking to become an author, what advice would you give them?
KK: Just start writing. You can worry about tenses, structure, spelling, etc, later, but none of that stuff matters if you don’t get the words on the paper. Read, read, and read some more. Keep a list of words you’ve come across that you like and then use them. Ha! I say this like I have some experience. I don’t really, but that’s what I was told and it’s working pretty well.
CJC: If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be and why?
KK: I discovered my love of age-play stories through reading Carly Marie, so I think writing something with her would be amazing.
CJC: Favorite motto?
KK: What’s the worst that can happen?
CJC: What do you do to overcome writer’s block?
KK: I will go back and reread what I’ve done and see if there’s a tangent to follow. Even if it’s cut from the book, it helps. I also do super short writing sprints, like five or ten minutes, to force myself to create words. The words are usually trash, but that’s okay. I can clean them up or toss them later.
CJC: In one word, how would you describe your writing style?
KK: Low-angst.
CJC: Which do you find harder to do… writing the blurb for your story or selecting the cover?
KK: Selecting the cover, no question. It took me MONTHS to find a model I liked for the cover of Will, but Keith’s smile sold it for me the first time I saw his photo. I wrote the blurb for Will in a couple of days.
CJC: Do you have authors who inspire you? And if so, who and why?
KK: Carly Marie as mentioned, but also Onley James, L.M. Montgomery, Tal Bauer, Josh Harwood/Ryan Taylor, Silvia Violet, Tim O’Brien, Raiven Matthews, Anna Sparrows, Nora Phoenix and Roberts, Amanda Quinn, LaVyrle Spencer, Chara Croft, Judy Blume, and John Jakes. They are all good storytellers. That’s what I want to do– I want to tell a good story.
CJC: What is your writing process like?
KK: I start imagining characters long before I write anything down. Once I have an idea of who they are, I make a character sheet with some basics of name, age, physical characteristics, etc., and what they look like. My slight obsession with architecture crops up a lot, so I will spend far too much time finding images of their perfect homes, workplaces, etc. After that, I’ll create a basic outline of what I want to happen in the story. I always end up going on a few tangents but never remember to update my outline. If I had to label it, I’d call myself a loose plotter.
CJC: What new projects are you currently working on and what are your goals for the remainder of the year?
KK: Book Two of the Just A Little series comes out in October; Calvin and Micah from Newcomer’s Club is set for January first, but I’d like to do it sooner. I also have a secret project for the end of November that Just A Little readers will be happy about. They might even do a butt-shaking happy dance. 🙂
CJC: Any final thoughts you would like to share with the CJC Photography readers?
KK: This is the hardest question on here. Chris and Keith, thanks for making great photos together.
CJC: Will by Kerry Kilpatrick is now available!
Stay up to date with Kerry’s latest releases here.
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