Another Author Reaches Silver Pen: Kristen S Walker!
Mega congratulations to another Silver Pen winner, Kristen S Walker, from Northern California. So excited to see another wonderful author added to the illustrious Silver Pen ranks, and we hope you keep crushing those word goals!
If you’ve got a moment, please congratulate Kristen on Twitter, on her website, or leave her a comment on her Malala Fund page!
What is your favorite book and/or author, and what draws you to them?
Ursula K. Le Guin. I love how she writes so thoughtfully in many genres, including sci-fi and fantasy. Everything about her writing seems to be alive–the people, the plants and animals, the worlds, the cultures. She has a way of looking at things that’s totally unique and I find something new in her works every time I read them.
Is this your first book? If not, what was the first book you ever finished writing? Tell us a little about it.
My first book that I ever finished in first draft was during my first NaNo in 2001, when I wrote 60K words on a supernatural thriller called Death Lurks Here. It was supposed to be a YA novel about a teen girl who can see ghosts, but it got way off track when she developed a rivalry with another girl who was a vampire, and it turned out a total mess so I’ve never tried to salvage it. After several other false starts, my first complete novel was Small Town Witch for NaNoWriMo 2011, which I spent a year and half editing and polishing until I finally self-published it in 2013. Since then, the process has gotten a little faster and easier for me, thankfully!
What’s the working title of your NaNoWriMo17 project?
Give us an elevator pitch of your project.
My novel is YA fantasy in a Victorian-inspired setting, or as I’m calling it, ‘steampunk magical girl.’ Riwenne is an enthusiastic girl who dreams of being a priestess to serve the gods. When she discovers that the gods themselves are threatened by a new kind of power, she must become a sacred warrior and gather her friends to save everything she believes in.
Share your favorite line/short paragraph from your book so far.
My face grew hot at the compliment. “Um, well, you looked a lot prettier when you weren’t scowling for a minute,” I blurted out. I clapped my hand over my mouth, but the words were already out. Oh, Sawycha, just let me die of embarrassment right here.
How did you hear about the Mighty Pens?
I heard about The Mighty Pens through the NaNoWriMo twitter tag during October’s NaNo prep.
What inspired you to join the Mighty Pens?