Coffee Talks

With Katherine A. Ganzel

Hi, Katherine, thank you for taking the time to get involved with Coffee Community. It's great to hear from authors like yourself and get to know a little bit about what motivates you to write longer works of fiction.

Thank you for asking me! I think this is a great contest.

So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe your fiction?

I'm a self-taught author. I never aspired to be a writer, but I've written off and on ever since I was old enough to create stories. After my kids were mostly grown, I got the bug to write again. Posting my story on Wattpad and having readers ask for more motivated me to keep writing new stories. I would say that my stories are character driven, romantic, mysterious, emotional with lots of ups and downs, and center around first love.

Writing for sustained periods is a hurdle that every writer, beginner or experienced, faces from time to time. What powers you through those longer bursts of creativity and keeps you focused?

All but my first Wattpad story was written with an outline of some kind, some more detailed than others. That has helped me write the beginning, through the middle, and reach a logical ending. But when it comes time to write a chapter, getting started is always the hardest part for me. Staring at a blank computer screen is certain to give me temporary writer's block. What I've found to be helpful is to write by hand and not to be too rigid about where I start. If the beginning of the chapter isn't firm in my mind, I'll start with a scene that will be in it and build around that.

What top tips would you advise for getting a novella or a longer piece of fiction off the starting line? What kind of story developments motivate you to see it through to the end?

The second answer first, it isn't the story developments that make me want to finish, it's the readers. They're what motivates me to give them the end of the story. LOL. Without them, I'd procrastinate like crazy.

As for the first question, I have to know what I'm going to write before I begin. I'll create my characters and figure out what each of their backstories and motivations are. I love mystery, so I like to have characters with more going on than the readers realize. It's also important to have an arc to the story in mind. Without any of those in place, you're going to wander around the story like a desert. At least that's how it is for me, speaking from personal experience.

How much do you edit on the fly? Or do you prefer to edit after you've finished the initial draft?

Since I post each chapter as I write, I don't write the whole thing and then begin editing. I've found reader reactions to be a great resource for shaping and improving the story as I go through the process. Plus they pick up any mistakes I've missed. My editing process goes like this:
I usually spend a week writing the chapter, a day editing and then copy it onto Wattpad. I do another read through, and then post it. The next day I read the posted chapter on Wattpad and on the app and fix anything I catch.

I'm getting ready to publish one of my books, and going through a professional editing process has resulted in a lot of changes from that initial version. However, I think it would have been a much bigger mess if it wasn't for my readers.

Personally, what kind of novella -- be it any style, theme, or genre -- would you like to see emerge from the Open Novella Contest?

I'm not hoping for anything specific. Since I've joined Wattpad, I've read a lot more different kinds of writing than I ever would have by browsing a library or bookstore. I'm just excited to see what new voices emerge and all the different stories that are written.

Lastly, because we're always curious... What was your ever first experience with the power of the written language?

A story that connected with me on an emotional level is the one I've always gravitated towards, and never forgotten, ever since I was old enough to understand stories. I've read many great writers whose stories have stood out with the way they've used language, but what I remember most is that wrenching feeling when a story grabs me by both shoulders and inflames my imagination. That more than anything is what led me toward the path of writing when I was a child.

It's been great hearing from you, Katherine, and thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge in storytelling.

I'm honored to have been asked. Thank you!

Best wishes for your future endeavours from Coffee Community.

Our goal is to bring you many more exclusive interviews with people who aren't just Wattpad Stars or Staff, but also some pretty awesome authors.
In that quest, next we will be talking to TaniHanes, so stick around for more fun!