Author Interview: Kellyn Roth

This morning I’m here with a young author and writing coach, Kellyn Roth! She’s the author of The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy series along with The Kees and Colliers series. She’ll also soon be releasing a new book to her series, called Becoming Miss Knight. You can pre-order that here!

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In her interview, I ask questions about her writing journey and advice she’d give to other young writers.

Let’s hop right in!

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Hi Kellyn! Thank you so much for joining me!

Thank you so much, Alabama! I’m happy to be here!

1. How old were you when you published your first book and how long did the publishing process take?

I published in January 2016 the first time, so I was fourteen-going-on-fifteen. It didn’t take me all that long, but that’s mostly because I made every amateur mistake one can, and when you make that many unrecognized mistakes, you can publish rather quickly. I wrote the book in November 2014, so it took me about fourteen months to get it out from first draft to final, without having planned to publish before probably the summer of 2015.

2. What is the best thing about getting published?

Undoubtedly being able to fangirl about your own books and call it marketing. Honestly, I was going to do it anyways, but now I feel less guilty. Now I can say, “I’m just sharing about my book with my audience” when really I’m just giggling and squealing over the characters I made up.

3. If you could look all the young authors in the eyes and tell them one thing about their writing journey, what would it be?

It takes time, it takes a differing amount of time for everyone, and that’s okay. I would probably also mention that perseverance is a huge part of passion—you must be willing to work and work hard if you want to be an author.

A lot of young authors, in my opinion, need to be told that it is okay to wait. It is okay to take your time. It is okay to not be published next year or next decade. That’s not the end goal—perfecting your craft is!

4. What is your process for creating a new story?

Well, it varies. Oftentimes stories sit for a long time, in a “plot bunny” folder for instance, before I bring them out and start the process. By that point, a lot of little ideas will have seeped in, and I can basically use my instinctive knowledge of plot and character arcs to draft out a rough idea.

Generally I’ll start with a “blurb,” which for me is about 150-300 words of “back cover synopsis” sort of information, and then I’ll move on to an outline. Lately, though, I’ve been working toward writing a three-page synopsis, which is the whole book, start to finish, summarized as for an agent. I’ve really liked this process as it’s helped me as a bridge between my blurb (concept) and my outline (which for me is like a really rambly rough draft).

5. Who has been instrumental in inspiring and encouraging you to become the writer that you want to be?

I feel like I should say my mom because I was homeschooled, she let me do whatever, and having that time (as well as that constant, rigorous academic background) has been very helpful. So she was instrumental, though not in inspiration or encouragement but rather in giving me exactly the tools I need. You know, “teach a gal to fish” and all that.

My friends were also very important because they were my first audience. I doubt I would’ve kept writing if it didn’t become a group activity, per se—I wrote books for my friends, curated my characters around their suggestions, sent them daily snippets … it was fun!

6. Is writing your career (or do you plan to make it one)?

Yes, it absolutely is. Honestly, I wouldn’t commit financially to something that wasn’t going to bring me a serious ROI. I’m just too pragmatic for that. Writing is a lovely thing, and it can inspire people, and it definitely inspires me. But I’m not going to put thousands of dollars into a hobby.

7. Have any stories you’ve written possessed a mind of their own and surprised you?

Oh, absolutely! Half of the plot threads I’ve introduced over the years happened because the characters had minds of their own. Often they tell me, “Hey, I know you wanted to keep this simple, but from now on, you’re going to feel like you betrayed me as a person every time you think about the story going any other way, so … good luck with that.” Hence, the storyline shifts.

One of the biggest cases where this happened was when I was rewriting my first novel, The Dressmaker’s Secret, for re-release. I wanted to keep it simple. I really did! Yet when the time came, I was pulled away on a separate adventure which, though a great deal more intriguing, made the book a bit of a difficult read with a lot more heavy themes than I had intended.

That said, I’m usually glad of these little sidetracks. Usually they make me a better writer in the long run!

8. What is your favourite part about creating characters?

Is “everything” an appropriate answer?

Creating characters is my favorite part of the writing process, so I definitely get into it. But the thing is … I don’t honestly do that much these days in terms of developing them. Not in the classic sense of developing characters—I don’t fill out sheets, I don’t generally do tons of research, I don’t create mood boards or playlists (though I will for the novel itself if I need some thoughts on aesthetic).

Sometimes I’ll write a scene or two from their point of view or just daydream through a bunch of scenes, but honestly, most of the time I develop them as I write the first draft. I reveal the information to myself at the same time I reveal it to the readers. It works for me, though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it unless you prefer semi-pantsing.

9. Do you have any resources that you would suggest for other young authors?

Any number, but here are a few that come to mind.

First of all, Helping Writers Become Authors is the best blog in the history of writing blogs. Ready all their articles, dive through their archives, and don’t consider yourself well-learned until you have done so.

Also, Go Teen Writers, Story Embers, and Joanna Penn have a lot of amazing resources. I’ve heard of Abbie Emmons, too, but I know nothing about her so take that with a grain of salt.

I also love NaNoWriMo and other similar challenges. It’s not for everyone, no, but it’s incredibly helpful for me.

Another amazing resource, if you can afford a paid writing program, is Brett Harris’s Young Writer’s Workshop. I’m in the Author program now—which is college-level and frankly the best investment you will ever make—and it’s incredible, but there’s also the standard and academic tracks.

10. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Well, I have a website here: https://kellynrothauthor.com/

That’s probably the best place! Through it, you can find my social media, email list, and blog!

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That was so fun and I loved all her answers! If you’re interested in finding out more about Kellyn Roth and her books, I’d urge you to check out her website. It’s absolutely beautiful and friendly and there you can find all her other books! ☺️

Blessings,

Alabama Rose