Comments on: Anna Katherine on Inspiration

By: Kate Diamond

Kate Diamond — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:33:55 +0000

Yeah!

The next time I have writer’s block, I’m going to say to myself “Muses can suck it.”

By: Anna Katherine

Anna Katherine — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:27:45 +0000

Hi all! Using the wonders of Random.Org, the winner for this signed copy is…

Bam!

If you could send an email to annakatherine@annakatherine.com with your address, you’ll receive a signed copy of Salt and Silver. Thanks, everybody, for coming by!

By: Jacqueline

Jacqueline — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:41:20 +0000

I love discovering new authors! Great interview by the way. Is this meant to start of a series?

By: Anna Katherine

Anna Katherine — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:41:56 +0000

Just one more day of the contest — tomorrow is random-picking time! Thank you everybody who’s stopped in so far — here are just a couple of replies:

Maija P.:
Definitely first in a series — the universe is just too fun to give up. Allie and Ryan are probably going to go and have a pile of off-screen adventures, only having brief cameos here and there as the situation warrants — the next book is going to deal with the vampires of NYC (after working so hard to make them unsexy in Salt and Silver, we figured trying to make them sexy again would be an interesting challenge. )

Mardel:
And cheers to good readers! Honestly, it’s an amazing feeling to look down at your word count and realize, hey, that there’s a book. It’s almost unreal.

Kimberly B.:
There are indeed references to both, as well as to the 1946 film La belle et la bete, the fact that Crayola used to have a crayon called “flesh”, and the fascinating Library of Congress shelving system. (I almost wish I was joking. Almost.)

By: Kimberly B.

Kimberly B. — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:38:27 +0000

Great interview! I have to admit, I’ve never been that comfortable with the idea of a muse, mostly because it seemed designed to keep women in the realm of inspiring art rather than creating it themselves. (Though Sappho was called the Tenth Muse for writing poetry, not so much inspiring it, but I digress.) Sometimes, though, when an author is able to tie together disparate plot lines and make them make sense, or when something that seemed totally irrelevant when it was mentioned at the beginning of a book becomes crucial by the end, it’s difficult not to suspect some kind of divine inspiration.
If your book contains references to both the battle of Thermopylae AND the Huldra, I definitely have to read it!

By: Mardel

Mardel — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:26:25 +0000

I just saw your book on another site, but for the life of me can’t remember where! I am getting a little older.

Muse or not, I really respect anyone who can get a book finished; when I think of all a book entails, plot, lots of separate events, all the dialogue that one hopes doesn’t come across stilted or lame, beginnings and endings along with the characters – I am just amazed. It takes real talent to finish a book, and grand talent to finish a book I want to read. I could never compete as a writer. I’m a hell-of-a-reader though!

By: Belle

Belle — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:48:59 +0000

I love how you describe your magpie approach. It feels to me like a treasure trove of things to have around, sparks of inspiration collected. It will be interesting to see all of these little sparks in your book.

By: Maija P.

Maija P. — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:05:06 +0000

Is this first one in series or does it stand alone?
Your book sounds really nice

By: Pamk

Pamk — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:03:28 +0000

wow sounds interesting. I am adding to my wish list

By: Anna Katherine

Anna Katherine — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:31:28 +0000

Thanks for visiting, everybody! Just so I know when to stop — this contest ends on Friday of next week, noon on the 22nd!

bam:
I hear you about the zone — it’s not necessarily a fun place (I mean, sometimes I had something to do during those 8 hours…), but on the other hand, I do love having written, which leads to feeling accomplished and such.

jc:
Thanks! The more, the merrier!

Cybercliper:
Thanks! That’s actually a line from Aqualung song “Strange and Beautiful” (you can see a live version of it here). A very early version of the story used that line as a sort of character-theme, and I suspect it has remained in one form or another throughout.

catie:
Hey, thanks! I feel I came off a bit more whoo-y than I generally feel about topic (I tend more toward the pragmatic), but if it works for you, rock on!