Interview with Karen White

Q: I read that you aspired to be a writer after reading Gone With the Wind. What about that novel made you want to write?
It completely took me to another world where I wasn’t aware of time passing around me until I’d turned the last page. I lived in London at the time and I remember leaving for the Tube in the morning to go to school and instead going to the roof of our building of flats and staying there all day and doing nothing but reading. I continued to read late into the night until it was done. I _became_ Scarlet O’Hara and I fell in love with Rhett Butler. I laughed, I cried–I actually lived that story. And it left me with the feeling that I wanted to somehow recreate that feeling, which is probably what prompted me to write my first book.
Q: Why did you choose a business degree over pursing writing?
Because my father paid for my college education. 🙂 I have a bachelor’s in management with a concentration in marketing, and I will never regret having that degree. Marketing a book is a lot like marketing shampoo, and everything I learned in business school applies to my writer’s life, too.
Q: How were you able to get break into the writing industry?
I entered my first book into a writer’s contest in which the finalist judges were top New York literary agents. I didn’t really expect to win, but I did and the finalist judge offered to represent me. She sold my first book to the second publisher she sent it to and is still my agent ten years later!
Q: You will have 13 books published by the end of the year. How do you keep finding fresh ideas for plots and characters?
Oh my gosh, you’re right! How did that happen?? Seriously, I’m never at a loss for story ideas. Mostly I owe that to my two teenagers who force me to disappear into the “happy place” in my head quite often which is where I find my inspirations. I also find cool tidbits everywhere. For instance, today in a news flash on AOL I read the story about a woman who found a key and a note about locating the treasure box the key went to inside an antique rocking chair she was restoring. I just might have to put that in my next Tradd Street mystery book!
Q: Do you have a favorite book you have written? One that maybe you enjoyed writing just a bit more than the others, or enjoyed the research more?
Even though picking a favorite book is a lot like picking a favorite child (and for the record, the answer to that is my dog), I have to admit that I love The House on Tradd street and its sequels. I think it’s because I simply love the characters, and because they’re in four books, I get to keep them around me for a very long time. As for research, I absolutely LOVED researching ON FOLLY BEACH (my May 2010 book). Half of the book takes place during 1942 and I just love WWII history. I had way more fun with that than I probably should have. But I’m a history geek, so it couldn’t be helped.
Q: Is there a certain area that you need to be at to get your writing done?
Not really–I think that comes from having children around since I wrote my first book. I just learned to type wherever I was. I still do that and bring my laptop everywhere. I recently discovered that being on an airplane, with all of the ambient noise of the plane’s engines, is very conducive to writing!
Q: Would you say you have any bad habits, either personally or professionally?
Of course! I wouldn’t be human otherwise. What’s ironic is that my bad habits in both of my lives (writing and non-writing) are polar opposites. In my personal life, I’m extremely organized and efficient–almost to the point of being overbearing and dictatorial. In my writing life, I take a very haphazard approach and don’t outline or plan or anything–I just sit down and spit it out.
Q: What are some of your favorite genres to read?
I read it all! I love general fiction, some mystery, some espionage, southern fiction, historical romance, and memoirs.
Q: Where would you love to travel to?
I’ve always traveled. As a matter of fact, I just got back from Costa Rica and this summer we’re going to England, Scotland and France. I’ve been to Egypt, most western European countries, and several South American countries (I lived in Venezuela for 2 years when I was younger). After reading MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA years ago I decided I’d like to travel to Japan. Would also like to go to Australia, although the long plane trip is a big turn off for me. There’s only so much sitting still I can manage!
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?
To borrow from Nike: JUST DO IT! Talking about it, or thinking about why you don’t have time to do it will not get a book written. Sitting down in front of your computer or note pad is the only thing that will write the book.