C.K. Volnek is the author of tween novels,Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island and A Horse Called Trouble.
So you've
written and published Ghost dog of Roanoke Island, A Horse called Trouble and
The Secret of the Stones will be out soon. How goes it?
Hi Josh, thanks for having me on your blog today. The writing is going fine. Wish I could say it is brilliant, but I’m in the throws of learning everything I can about Marketing and it is mindboggling! If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice, it would be get a web page and build a presence on the web five years before my books came out! Ha.
Seriously, marketing is a beast in itself for an author. As an author nears publication, they have to be aware that they will have to share their writing time with not only marketing and publicity, but also with networking. All three elements are important to your book. And if you leave one piece out, the other two suffer. It’s a major juggling act.
As for my writing, the Secret of the Stones is Book One of my series, The Lost Diaries of Northumberland. So, I’m in the middle of writing Book Two, The Secret of the Wood. It’s a fun story, based on the legend of Merlin and Vivien but based in the present time. Young Alex Ramsey is on a mission to discover the mysterious secrets bound in the Lost Diaries of Northumberland to rescue the greatest wizard that ever lived…Merlin. (Yes, Merlin isn’t really dead. He was saved by a loyal wood nymph and lays in a perpetual sleep until the mysteries can be solved.)
I am also working on a Young Adult novel that is very near and dear to my heart. It’s titled The Three O’Clock Hour and is based on the tragic school bus accident from my home town that took the lives of three students and one parent. It is a difficult book to write, but there are so many miracles surrounding the accident, the story needed to be told.
When did you first start writing? Do you recall your first writing project?
Oh my, my first writing project. That was many moons ago. Like most authors, I have at least one skeleton book in my closet. That first baby never made it. But it taught me a lot and helped me grow in my writing.
I’ve always wanted to write books. But life got in the way for a number of years. Children, work, a house payment. My writing was limited to short stories and articles during that time. About eight years ago, I decided to get back into my passion of writing books. It’s not always easy to find the time to write, market and network, but it’s a passion I love and enjoy and will continue to strive and grow.
When did you finish your first book?
My first finished book is actually The Secret of the Stones. After spending much time in a great critique group, I shelved it for a while and continued onto Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island and A Horse Called Trouble. That was about seven years ago. It only took about six months to write the book but I took a few years to edit it.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If So, how do you get over it?
I can’t say I really get writer’s block. My muse has about fifty more books for me to write so I’m never lacking on a subject. However, I have an internal editor which throws a curve into my writing a lot of times. She is an annoying girl and one I try to sneak around. If she crops up, she can cause me great grief with doubt, worry and overworking my story. She also has a friend named Procrastination that I must fight with once in a while as well. When they tag team me, I don’t get anything done!
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
That’s an interesting question. I used to say I was a panster through and through. But I’ve found that each book requires a different style of writing. The Secret of the Stones was off the cuff the whole way. Now with the second book in the series, I am outlining it to make sure I follow the clues correctly. I have a rough outline and edit that as I research and write. My first draft is going to be riddled with changes and NOONE will ever see that one! lol. It’s a different style of writing for me, but it’s fun.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I love to read and I can honestly say I try to come away with something from every book I read. When I was little, I loved Black Beauty and was determined to be the next Anna Sewell. I do admire many authors now…Jane Yolen and Janet Lee Carey are two I really enjoy reading.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination? For example, you write about a teen who experiences abuse in her past. Is that drawn on experience?
I think a writer writes a lot from experience. Maybe not directly, but your life comes in very indirectly. I did have a lot in common with my MC, Tara, in A Horse Called Trouble. Tara wasn’t popular or cool. She didn’t have money or a name to be proud of. Neither did I growing up. And it is sad how others can pick on kids like that. Tara was put down, pushed around and made to feel very small. She had virtually no self-esteem and no reason to fight for herself. Though I did not experience life to the depth of my MC, my own emotions and frustrations rose to play in my manuscript. And that’s okay. It creates authenticity. It also creates healing for the writer and reader alike. In Tara’s case, the healing started with an unlikely hero, a horse called Trouble. He gave her a reason to fight, a reason to stand up for herself, a reason to want to heal. She found her own self-worth and this is something we all need to find for ourselves.
What was
your favorite chapter in A Horse called Trouble (or part) to write and why?
My favorite chapter in A Horse Called Trouble is the next to the last chapter. I’m a sucker for a happy ending and I was able to tie up the mystery, show a major growth in Tara as well as provide her with an ending sure to make everyone smile.
I believe most kids can identify with Tara in one way or another. She is a character a reader can root for and hope things change. So how else could I end her story but with the antagonist getting what she deserves and Tara receiving the best gift she could ever get. To find out what that gift is, you’ll have to read the story. ;-)
Do you own
1. A horse and 2. A dog? Names?
I have always had animals. Had many horses growing up though I have none right now. Would love to have one, but the city would frown on keeping one in my garage. Ha.
Dogs…I don’t think I will ever be without fur-kids. At this moment we have three spoiled Papillons. Sally is my lovely little shadow and Isaiah and Emma are tiny runts and do not even weigh 10 pounds between them. None of them consider themselves small though. They are just big dogs in a little body. Papillons are a fun little breed, full of energy and smart as a whip. We had a fourth little boy named Noah who we lost in November. He was the trick wizard and a certified therapy dog. The only problem with my pups is, they can’t control their licker. ;-) They know no strangers, only friends they haven’t met yet.
Tell me about your writing environment. Do they use a pen and paper, laptop?
Quiet room, music or what? Dog at their feet? Cat on the desk? Just whatever
makes it comfortable to be productive.
Laptop. Sitting in my big overstuffed chair with two dogs sleeping at my feet and the other sleeping by my side. Everyone else in bed. TV needs to be turned off and Yanni turned on. Also need my diet coke close at hand. Ahhhh….finally. J
Star Wars or Star Trek?
LOL. The first Star Wars that came out in
the 80’s. Loved the creative creatures they came up with.
