Fighting Prose Interview with Krista Harper!

Welcome to my in-depth writers series Fighting Prose. Where I talk to authors in the industry on what their process is like and what it takes for them to keep on creating, through all the odds.

Krista Harper

is my interview this week!

How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first "book" when I was 9 years old for a school competition, but I didn't think about writing again until high school. I wanted to be a writer as a late teen and study literature but I was the first in my family to go to college. My parents were from immigrant families and my Dad has a 9th grade education. College was a big deal and studying liberal arts was a big no no. So that dream quickly faded and I pursued a more practical degree in health care. I don't regret it, though. I spent two decades in nursing and never struggled for a stable job or consistent paycheck. It wasn't until I turned 40 that I decided to hell with consistency and went back to graduate school for writing.

If you've written several books, which is your favorite?

Probably Bring Me To Life. It's my debut novella and I put everything I had into it and it's terrible but I love it.

What's your favorite genre to read? Write?

Romance. I don't have to have a HEA but people need to be hooking up or I lose interest. Love is universal and I need it in my stories.

How do you get in the mood to write?

Alone. Hoodie with the hood up. Headphones with noise cancelling audio.

How do your characters come together?

I'm a plotter for stories but my character development comes first with full on panster creation. They introduce themselves and show me who they are and how they're a little bit broken and what they want and then I piece it all together.

How do you get your ideas?

I'm a big time daydreamer. Ideas will float by and if I like them enough I'll dive into them fully to create a story.

Who do you admire the most in the writing world?

Stephen King. I've never been a horror fan because I'm super skittish but his memoir On Writing was required reading in my MFA program and it's phenomenal.

If you're not busy writing, what are you busy doing?

Pretending to get organized or sleeping. #napqueen

Have you always been creative? Has it always been writing?

I am a huge foodie, mixed media artist, maker and I used to own a small jewelry design biz.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, how did you get out of it?

Yes. I basically just need to get out of my own way so I will give myself some grace and take a break for a few days then start back with writing sprints. Totally doesn't matter what I'm writing, just need to get something on paper so I'll do 20-30 minute sprints a couple times for a couple days.

When you sit down to write, is it easy or hard? If it's hard, what makes you keep showing up?

It's hard. I have no idea why anyone would want to do this with their life. I left a long time, well paying, stable career for this and I cry all the time because it's so hard. It's ridiculous. At the same time, I don't want to do anything else.

For a writer starting out what advice would you give them?

Glean what you can from other writers then throw the rest away. Don't take things as law. We're all on individual journeys and we all have different steps of the path. What one person does doesn't mean you have to do it too in order to be successful.

What is your dream writing location?

I live in the mountains and I like to daydream outside with the sun shining but when I actually sit in front of the computer, I need everything still and quiet and alone. If the view is too shiny, I'll get nothing done.

In reference to your books, what question do you get asked the most?

Since I was an ICU nurse for such a long time, people always ask if my novel Atlas Memorial is based on real patients I've cared for.

If you could bring one of your characters to life who would it be? Why?

Hands down, Martin from Bring Me To Life. He's all rockstar and rugged and sexy as hell but super deep and sensitive and vulnerable. He's probably my favorite character I've ever written.

What do you think makes a good story?

I like character driven stories more so than plot driven, but you definitely need both to hold a readers attention.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Apparently I used to sing and dance and show off all the time and I said I wanted to be a famous performer or dancer. lol So grateful I didn't attempt that route lol