Tell us about your new book and who it’s for.
My new book is called The One Week Writing Workshop. I think the subtitle says it all: 7 Days to Spark, Boost or Revive Your Novel. It’s for anyone who wants to write a novel, whether they’re just starting their first book, or looking for fresh energy for a work in progress.
I’m a traditionally published author and I’ve also spent over a decade leading in-person fiction writing workshops. I decided to gather all my lessons into one place and lay them out step by step going through my writing process from start to finish. So, you can grab my book and have a portable writing workshop you can do anytime! What makes it unique and fun is that it’s not a long lecture on writing or a collection of essays on writing topics; it’s a series of action-based writing lessons that you actually do. You learn as you go and grow your own ideas into something special step by step. By the end you’ve tried a complete novel-writing method you can use to finally get your dream book written!
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I’ve been offering in-person writing workshops on a number of themes and topics since 2010. My week-long writing workshop series that focused on my writing process start-to-finish is by far my most-requested program. I decided to take this seven-day live program and turn it into a book, and so calling it The One Week Writing Workshop was the perfect fit! The book’s subtitle 7 Days to Spark, Boost or Revive Your Novel is also important. I wanted readers to know that the book would be useful to them whether they were just starting out as writers, or they were looking for an energizing jolt for a work-in-progress.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I’d start with this: stay connected to the kinds of stories you love and to the themes that mean something to you! Read what you’re drawn to and write what your heart and mind are asking you to write. It’s natural as we first learn to write to look outside of ourselves for examples and guidance and we certainly gain a lot doing that—but it’s important to keep our own unique creativity and sense of joy fueled as we write. That’s what’s going to get you through the tough parts! The more we can approach writing as a joyful, dynamic, even playful activity, the more likely we are to stick with it. I offer several concrete suggestions in my book based on how I personally do this—everything from taking walks “just to imagine”, making maps of my story’s worlds, and sketching my ideas out to help me dream even though I’m not a trained artist, etc. But at the end of the day, you know yourself best. Keep connected to the joy of creating!
At what point do you think someone should call themselves a writer?
The moment you realize that you want to write! I actually cover this question in the very first section of my book and I think it’s an important one. I would urge anyone who wants to write a book to claim their identity as a writer immediately. Writing is a process, not just the product, like a finished novel. I’ve seen too many people get discouraged, and even disqualify themselves from writing because they’re measuring themselves against a product, like a finished novel, or imaginary expectations about what a writer’s life “should” look like. I say we simply do away with these measures. If you’re engaging the creative writing process in any way, even if it’s only that you’re nurturing an idea to write about, claim your status: you’re a writer. From there, you can work at growing as a writer, building your story, learning skills you haven’t yet tried or practiced. This mindset makes a big difference!
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
I’d start by telling you that I’m excited for you. Writing a book can be so rewarding, and not just the end product. You can look forward to moments of profound creative satisfaction and joy along the way. Be grateful for these moments and truly enjoy them—they become the fuel for those days where writing feels sluggish or difficult. I’d also encourage you to be sure to take time to engage in non-desk tasks, keeping yourself active and creative in other ways—it can have a wonderful rebound effect and spark amazing things in your writing!
In The One Week Writing Workshop, I cover writing essentials like crafting characters, building story worlds, and plotting with a storyboard. But I also incorporate non-desk activities like walks and arts and crafts and ask you to consider what fuels you beyond the desk. These are things I genuinely do when I write a book and that I’ve come to see as crucial to keeping us whole as writers.
What books helped you the most when you were writing your (first) book?
My first book was Lights! Curtains! Cows!, a humorous middle grade novel. I wasn’t as familiar with writing guides and writing handbooks as I’ve since become. The books that were the most helpful would have been other fiction books in the same genre or style and written for a middle grade audience. Studying them helped answer practical questions I had about word count, chapter length and similar topics. They also helped me to internalize the rhythm of the sort of story I was writing.
In a lot of ways, The One Week Writing Workshop tries to replicate the conditions of my first writing experience, with some notable reinforcements. In it, I have several lessons where I encourage learning from the authors we love, by studying how they handle various writing elements. My book also has a learning-as-you-write approach, with the difference that rather than leave you all on your own, I offer you a (flexible) structure to work and discover within. It’s something I would have found helpful when writing my first novel…maybe that’s why I wrote it!
What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
Quite often, the first spark of an idea is plot or premise-related. But I find that I can’t develop it further without knowing my characters, especially my main character. So that’s what I spend time doing—developing characters first—and that’s when the plot comes into better view. Ultimately, I am telling my main character’s story—it has to matter to them, affect them, and change them in some way, so I have to know who they are. If I were to put a different character into the same scenario, I’d have a different story. In my experience, character shapes story so I spend a good bit of time at the beginning learning who my characters are.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I was going to say quiet and a clear space, and generally this is true, but in reality, that’s what I need when I’m getting started on a story or when I’m in a sticky spot. If I’m in the flow of a story, I can write through any noise and any cluttery condition! I know this because I remember doing some of my best writing both in terms of quantity and quality over a stretch of a few days where I’d let my space get super messy and in the midst of a wall-shaking construction project. I was so deeply engrossed in my writing that I managed to tune it all out!
Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
Never! In fact, I dedicated my third book Frostbite Hotel to the two most special dachshund puppies in the world, Nathan and Storm. They were my constant companions as I planned and wrote and revised. When they needed my attention, it was always a good reminder that breaks and rest are part of writing, too. Plus, I got cuddles, so that was a bonus!
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve loved reading even before I could actually read! Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading books to me at bedtime. It was when she read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis— the first book I encountered without pictures—that I knew that I wanted to write stories one day. I was amazed at how words alone could create such vivid pictures in my mind—not just pictures, but a world that seemed real enough to touch. These days, I love books across many genres and am inspired by so many different authors. However, the authors I encountered in childhood, like C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume and Gordon Korman are the ones I credit with sparking my desire to write.
Your social media links (Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, etc…)
Author Website: https://www.karinadams.com
Blog: https://www.authorinyourcorner.com/articles/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karin.adams.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karin.adams.author/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/karin_adams
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/karin_adams