Artistic Reflections

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

KIM MUTCH EMERSON

I'd like to welcome author, editor and founder of Master Koda Select Publishing, Kim Mutch Emerson and thank her for taking time out of her busy day to sit and talk with us for a few minutes.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Yes

Funny. I guess I should say please tell us about yourself. My life is not nearly as exciting as the lives of the characters in my books. Believe it or not, I am pretty shy. I think most writers are shy at the foundation of their being. We turn to writing because we are introverted. The only reason people see me as outgoing now is because I forced myself to act confident as survival tactic in jr. high. I had my share of sharks at that time in my life and I knew if I didn’t do something quick I would be devoured.

Who or what inspires you? The human condition inspires me.

Who’s your favorite author? Too many to name just one.

As a writer do you have a favorite time or place to write? Wherever I happen to be.

Do you have a favorite food or drink while you work? No, but I do prefer to have my bowler hat and music.

What do you do to relax? I used to read to escape and relax. That is not the case now as my business is to read. Today I would tell you that being with my grandson’s. although, not relaxing, is my favorite pastime.

That leads right in to what I wanted to ask next. you’re not only a writer but a publisher, editor and marketer as well.   How do you balance all these facets of your career? I rode a unicycle when I was a kid. It was great training for balance in all things.

I have to say I can’t picture you in the circus. You didn’t know me when I was 13.

How did you get involved in publishing? I own a book promotion service for indie authors and while building relationships with that business I saw a need for a quality small publishing house that would offer better editing, more marketing and real support for indie authors who don’t want to go it alone, but want more say in the creation and promotion process.

I agree with you there. I know a lot of authors would benefit from a successful partnership. Have you been successful in doing that? For the most part yes. We have had a few growing pains as any new business will have, but our feet are on solid ground. We saw great growth in our first year and look forward to creating more best-sellers in 2014. 

As writers, we all have to deal with writer’s block, what do you do when that happens? I believe if a writer practices every day as if they are studying an instrument they will not get stuck as often. I find that if that type of writer is stuck it usually means that there is something wrong with the scene they are trying to write. Perhaps it needs to be told in a different POV, perhaps the setting is wrong, perhaps it is in the wrong place in the story, or perhaps it doesn’t belong in the story at all. Any time I find myself stuck I try writing the scene from a different POV and it usually gets things rolling again.

Now that we’ve got the easy stuff out of the way, let’s talk about your work.

What genre do you write? I write in a lot of genres and my books are usually a mix, but one thing I try to incorporate in any genre I write is a little humor. I believe laughter is good for the soul.

Where do you draw your artistic inspiration from? Answered above

Of all your characters, who is your favorite? That’s a difficult question for me. I like them all. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses that make them very real to me. This question is like asking what child is my favorite.

What authors have had the strongest influence on you as a writer? John Steinbeck, Wilson Rawls, S.E. Hinton, Sylvia Plath, Sir Noel Coward, Cynthia Voigt, Kurt Vonnegut, Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Bronte family, Chris Crutcher, Walt Whitman, F. Scott Fitzgerald,  Mark Twain, Boris Pasternak, Richard Adams… Should I go on? J

Do you use an outline or do you let the story emerge as it goes along. I plan and plot and plot and plan. I outline, I do in depth character sketches and then I write and I go off on a tangent if something or someone leads me there.

What has been your biggest challenge? Conquering the many voices of fear and jealousy that stand in the path.

What has been your greatest reward? I have been blessed to be in the audience while my writings were preformed. To be able to sit back and melt into the group where no one knows I am there and hear them cry or laugh has been extremely fulfilling. Also, to know I have made a difference in someone’s life fills my heart with joy.

If you had one professional wish, what would it be? Just to continue to help other authors see their dreams come true.

That wasn’t so bad was it?  Nope, I have had a great time and want to thank you for having me on the blog today!

But before we go, do you have any last words of wisdom to offer those reading this? It’s not about the final destination. Life is a grand adventure, enjoy the ride.

You can find  K.D. Emerson at http://www.amazon.com/K.D.-Emerson/e/B00AV1L0HU 

Or follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/mstrkoda