Labels

Catherine Stine

This week: Catherine Stine!

Because it's Halloween this week, I thought what better author to feature than one who loves writing about witches! Take a look through Catherine Stine's answers to The Writer's Pane questions below! 

Name: Catherine Stine
Genre: Paranormal, Historical Fiction


Where do you find inspiration?
Outrageous and worrying news headlines give me ideas, as do quirky points in history, which I love to research. I find cults and how people can become mesmerized by them distressing but intriguing. I’m attracted to psychological idiosyncrasies, horrors and struggles. And witches—always witches! They are fascinating as misunderstood wise women. I have just finished my second witch novel and I am researching a third.

Which character in literature do you associate yourself with the most?
Oh, many, but I’ll pick one. I’ve taught Dr. Faustus and The Picture of Dorian Gray, and heaven knows we are always faced with making thorny Faustian bargains. I decided it was time to do a twist with a female lead. Thus, my psychological horror Dorianna was born.

Which piece of your writing was the most entertaining/enjoyable to write? Why?
I liked writing the Fireseed cult scenes in Ruby’s Fire and I loved writing Ruby as a badass female lead, who takes care of her mute brother as they escape the cult and race into a perilous desert. What an adventure it was for me to write their journey!

Was the first novel you published the first you ever wrote? What was? 
The first novel I wrote was a middle-grade adventure. It was not published but it got me a ghostwriting deal with American Girl. The first novel published was a ghostwritten book, called End of the Race, book #12 in the Wild at Heart series. My first published novel with my name on the cover was Refugees. It’s a tale of two modern refugees: a girl from California running from failed foster homes, and a boy running from danger in Afghanistan.

When I’m not writing I’m usually…
Walking my beagle Benny, traveling (Planned trips to England, Scotland, Arizona, New Orleans and Cape Cod!), or chilling with friends. I also teach creative writing at an art college.

If you could tell or ask any character in literature or film anything, what would it be? 
I would have loved to be a student of Chekhov’s, just sitting at his feet and absorbing all of his wisdom on writing. Perhaps the best year for this would’ve been right after his second staging of The Seagull, in 1898.

If you had lived a different life, made different choices, what would you be doing now? 
I might have pursued my painting without a break, or become a psychiatrist.

What are five things you couldn’t do without? 
Coffee, my dog, my friends, my family, the ocean.

What do few people know about you? 
I had a serious career as a painter before getting published. To me, writing is painting with words.

Are you working on any current projects?
I am polishing up an historical fantasy set in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary in 1854. My main character, Evalina, who is an animal mage, has been accused of witchcraft. This novel involves medical mischief.

What work of fiction made you want to be a writer?
It wasn’t due to one book, but I loved the Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I also loved the Wizard of Oz (especially the flying monkeys). But perhaps what sealed the deal was The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

What tools do you use for writing, organization, marketing?
For writing, I use plain old Word. For plotting and organizing a new novel, what works best is to write a 2 or 3 page synopsis. I find it’s more effective than an outline. For marketing, I have to keep learning new tools because it’s always changing. I like Instagram right now.

Why do you write?
Compulsion. Never-ending story ideas. A desire to chew on compelling themes and characters. Above all, to entertain and put my readers on a rollercoaster ride!

What are some profound experiences from your life you’ve worked into your fiction?
The thorny mother-daughter relationship (Heart in a Box) and escaping a cult (Ruby’s Fire).
----
Author Bio: I specialize in paranormal and historical fantasy with a passion for witches. I’ve also written futuristic thrillers and the occasional contemporary novel. I grew up in Philadelphia and now call NYC home. My historical fantasy, Witch of the Cards hit the USA Today bestseller list in a boxed set. My YA futuristic thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire are Indie Notables and award-winners. My YA historical Refugees has appeared on many high school recommended readings lists and earned a NYPL Best Book for Teens. I’m a hybrid author, who also writes romance under the name Kitsy Clare.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts