Karin Adams
Karin Adams was born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada. She holds a Master
of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg and pursued doctoral studies at
Harvard University in the field of ancient languages and texts. After teaching
at the University of Winnipeg for seven years, Karin returned to writing
fiction. Shortly after her first novel was published, Karin began sharing her
love of the writer’s craft by offering creative writing workshops. Since then,
writing and teaching writing have been at the center of Karin’s life. She has
written four more books including the acclaimed middle grade novel Frostbite
Hotel and has shared her novel-writing process with thousands of writers of
all ages and stripes.
IAN: Please tell us about your latest book.
Karin Adams: It’s time to crush the blank page, shed your writer’s angst
and write the novel you were meant to write! The One Week Writing Workshop:7
Days to Spark, Boost or Revive Your Novel shows you how to write a novel
step by step.
I’m presenting you with a complete writing-workshop-in-a-book! I’ve
broken down my own writing process into a methodical series of fun, inspiring
bite-sized activities that you dive into almost immediately upon opening the
book. I’m going to help you draw out your own ideas and grow them into
something special. I believe in learning through doing and gaining confidence
through action. I’ve taken this approach since 2010 in my creative writing
workshops with thousands of participants—and it works! By the book’s end, you’ll have practiced a complete
novel-writing method with your own ideas and have everything you need to write
the novel you’ve been dreaming of.
The book “works” whether you’re a new writer with lots of questions about
the craft, or a more seasoned writer looking for inspiration or a fresh
perspective. Plus, the book “converts” into a reference guide for your shelf
ready to help you out the next time you face a creative crisis or run up
against writer’s block.
IAN: Is The One Week Writing Workshop published
in print, e-book or both?
Karen Adams: Both.
IAN: Where can we go to buy The One Week
Writing Workshop?
Karen Adams: My book is available in Paperback and Hardcover, and on
Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Books, and Apple Books. You can find all the
book details and purchasing information here: KarinAdams.com
IAN: What inspired you to write The One Week Writing Workshop?
Karen Adam: Over the years, I’ve
discovered a passion for sharing my writing process with others. It’s exciting
to watch how my lessons help spark stories and the joy of writing in those I’ve
worked with. I’ve also seen stuck, reluctant writers come out of their shells
when doing my activities. I wanted to capture and recreate the energy of my
in-person workshops in book form with The One Week Writing Workshop.
While we won’t be in the same room, I wrote the book in a way that makes it
feel like we’re in this together. Plus, the advantage of the book format is
that you can go at your own pace, doing more or less in a given session
depending on your mood and circumstances. That’s not always possible in an
in-person workshop!
IAN: How did you come up with the
title?
Karen Adams: I’ve offered different standalone
workshop sessions and a variety of themed writing classes. But by far, my most
popular program was my week-long workshop series that focused on my writing
process start-to-finish. Each day, we explored a different step in my process,
from generating ideas right through to doing revisions. I decided to take that
week-long program and turn it into The One Week Writing Workshop book.
IAN: What do you hope your readers
come away with after reading The One
Week Writing Workshop?
Karen Adams: I hope that readers come
away feeling confident in themselves as writers and inspired to write the
stories they’ve always wanted to write. So often when we’re getting started, we
can be intimidated by the immense distance between the story idea percolating
inside us and the finished novel we want to produce. I want to help writers to
see that that big, intimidating gap can be broken down into small steps—in
fact, I’ll even show you which steps to take! And because you start taking
steps right away, immediately shaping your own ideas into something real, we
can shrink that gap rather quickly and get on with joy of writing.
IAN: How is The One Week Writing Workshop different
from others in your genre?
Karen Adams: What I love about books
in general is that there is room for many voices and perspectives. It’s the
same with writer’s guides, and I like to think of my book as another helpful
voice alongside the others. What I believe I’ve done differently in The One
Week Writing Workshop is to put a premium on taking immediate action. So
much of what I’ve learned about the writer’s craft has come through the act of
writing itself—and of course that’s where the joy and magic is to be found,
too. So, instead of presenting theoretical lessons, beat sheets, or story
templates to digest before you begin to write, we leap straight to the actual
writing. Of course, we cover story essentials as we go, but we take it all in
in bite-sized chunks to maintain our writing momentum, and to allow you to
discover for yourself what writing is and what it means to you.
IAN: Do you recall how your interest
in writing originated?
Karen Adams: One of my fondest
memories from childhood is story time before bed with my mom. When she read me
my first chapter book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, I was in
awe of this pictureless book that put so many pictures in my head. I wanted to
do that one day, too. And—it’s what I’m doing now!
IAN:
What was the hardest part of writing The
One Week Writing Workshop?
Karen Adams: There are over 70
lessons and strategies in my book and it was very important to me to keep my
explanations brief. I wanted my book to prompt my readers to write and explore,
not to lay out every single thought I’ve ever had about writing. That’s how I
conduct my in-person workshops—a little bit of presentation, then participants
write. However, in a live workshop, you have the benefit of visual aids to
point to in real time, and of course the floor is open to your participants’
questions and clarifications—not so in a book! So, I worked hard to keep things
brief and lively while still trying to anticipate what readers might wonder
about and making sure all the information was there. I did a lot of reflection
not just on my workshop presentation notes, but also on the questions and
discussions that arose in the sessions to best distill them into book form.
IAN: Did you learn anything from writing The One Week Writing Workshop and what was it?Karen Adams: I knew that I loved
writing fiction and I knew that I loved working with other writers in-person.
With this book, I’ve discovered that I also love to write about writing. I
won’t call it easy, but writing The One Week Writing Workshop certainly
felt quite natural for me. I’m very happy with the book’s tone, which I think
feels friendly and conversational. I hope my readers think so, too.
IAN: Do you have any advice for other
writers?
Karen Adams: If you ever feel
overwhelmed, remember to take things step by step wherever you can. Break
whatever place you’re at or whatever creative problem you’re facing into
smaller steps, or even into just one step—then take it. Often, even doing one
small action creates forward movement and a sense of momentum that can fuel you
to take another, and then another.
IAN: Do you have anything specific
that you want to say to your readers?
Karen Adams: If you have the desire
to write a novel and are nurturing even the smallest spark of an idea, you can
absolutely do it. Certainly, there are skills to develop and concepts to learn
and it will take creative energy, but with a little guidance and some concrete
action, you can be well on your way to telling the story you’ve always wanted
to tell.
IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work
in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?
Karen Adams: I’m getting ready to launch an online video course based on The
One Week Writing Workshop at AuthorinYourCorner.com I’m also in the process of putting together a writer’s guide
specifically for teachers and writing group leaders.
