Interview with Author Kelley Armstrong

Check out our interview with the author of “Bitten” and “Women of the Otherworld”, New York Times bestseller, Kelley Armstrong.

At GenreCon this past weekend, I had the chance to catch up to New York Times bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong. In the interview we talk the journey into publication, writing and what is next for her.

How did you begin your journey into publication?

I have been writing all my life – so short stories as a child and into my teens and then I got into writing novels in my adulthood. The first book that I sold was “Bitten”. It was the fourth book that I had completed, which is very common – you write a book and try to get it published and it doesn’t work out and it ends up being a ‘practice novel’ and you go on to write a second one. I finally got an agent for “Bitten” in 1999 and once I got an agent it sold quickly.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I had always written but when looking at being a writer as a career I was brought up thinking ‘that’s a great hobby but you need something to make a living at’ which is very important [laughs] so I was a computer programmer before.

What inspires your writing and how do you tackle those ‘creative writing’ blocks?

I love to read. For me, writing has always been a way for me to tell my own stories, and I want to tell stories that I would love to read.

How do you juggle a full household and writing at the same time?

In the beginning it was tough; when “Bitten” came out my daughter was eight and my two boys were both under the age of two which was a really bad time for your first book! But, I learned to make due with what little time I had. I have a hugely supportive husband, but I learned to whenever I could and that has carried over so that now – my daughter is twenty-one, and my boys are twelve and thirteen – they don’t need me around nearly as much which means I write even more.

Have any of your children followed you into writing?

No, not at all. [laughs]

You’ve written many supernatural and crime novels; are there any other genres you may branch into in the future?

Werewolf western.

Werewolf western? That’s an interesting combination!

Yeah, werewolf western, I always say that [laughs]. No, I think I’ve written every genre except westerns. I tend to write cross-genre which is usually a mix of mystery, action, fantasy, romance – and every book has a different sort of weight to each of those.

Was it a decision to write the supernatural or did everything come about naturally?

No, it came naturally – I’ve always had elements [of the supernatural] in my writing. When I was writing those practice novels they didn’t have that because once I started joining writing groups and taking writers workshops I was discouraged from writing fantasy. It was a feeling of, ‘okay, that’s great if you are writing for kids but lets write something serious’. It’s not surprising that the book that did get published was about werewolves.

What are you reading right now?

Oh, I just started it! It’s called “The Gods of Gotham” by Lindsay Faye. It is a crime novel that is about the beginning of the New York Police Department.

Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects?

Yes, I actually have a bunch of upcoming things – I’ve just started a different adult series that just came out last month which the main premise for it is a privileged young woman discovers that she is adopted and actually the daughter of a convicted serial killer. It’s got some lighter paranormal elements like “Omens”. Next year I will a start YA [young adult] fantasy based on medieval Japan. Also next year my book “Bitten” comes out as a television series on Space Channel and SyFy.

Do you have any advice to offer for aspiring writers?

My advice is boring… it really is… and if you want to write then write. Don’t spend time thinking about writing, planning to write, waiting until the heavens open and the muse strikes and everything else. So many people do that! They say I’m going to write a book someday. It’s kind of like saying I’m going to play hockey someday so I’ll sit in the stands and watch it. You don’t get better by doing that. You need to start writing, write as much as you can as often as you can. Think of it as practice.

Thank you so much to Kelley Armstrong for taking the time to speak with us, it was a pleasure!

Please be sure to visit Kelley’s official site: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/ where you can find all of her books.