Welcome to Author Wednesday. Today I welcome science fiction/mystery writer, Therin Knite. Therin is a college student, whose first novel Echoes was published this year.

 

Welcome, Therin. It’s exciting to have such an accomplished college student as a guest today. It makes me wonder when you first discovered your voice as a writer.

Age fifteen. I had a grand idea for a story one day and realized it might be nice if I tried to write it down instead of just thinking about it. So I started my first manuscript. Seems like forever ago now, given how much I’ve been through since then. I was a sophomore in high school. Now I’m a graduating senior in college!

That’s a great accomplishment for a teenager. Do you have any specific writing rituals established yet? 

Let me see. I rewrite the beginning of a novel at least three or four times before I get it “right.” Then I move on to the rest of the story, using the beginning as a reference for how to write the rest. Also, I generally write at night but edit during the day—I feel more creative at night and more serious and disciplined during the day, so I arrange my work accordingly.

That sounds like a good plan for success. Describe your current projects.

I’m currently working on a contemporary mystery/thriller, which I intend to be the first in a short series. I’m also working on the sequel to Echoes, called Epitaphs. The mystery/thriller is in the draft stage, and Epitaphs is in the planning stage; my goal is to have the mystery/thriller out by the end of 2014 and Epitaphs out by early 2015.

You’ve set a very ambitious schedule, but I’ve no doubt you’ll achieve it. Does setting play a very large role in your novels so far?

Setting in my books usually defines culture and thus defines how my characters perceive the world. It also influences their personalities. I go for settings that have complex social implications, like societies recovering from apocalyptic situations or experiencing rapid technological advancement, things that set up questions about identity, human nature, and the “correct” path for the human race. These questions usually filter into my characters’ personalities and back stories.

You started with science fiction and are working on a thriller. Are you planning to continue writing in these same genres?

I’m hoping to branch out into three different genres eventually: sci-fi, mystery/thriller, and urban fantasy. I have the first one already and a little of the second, since Echoes is a sci-fi mystery, but I’m looking to write more contemporary mystery/thrillers as well. I have a thing for police procedurals. For the urban fantasy—well, that’s my favorite brand of fantasy, and I have a few ideas brewing for that one.

I have to say these aren’t my genres, but I will have to check them out. I’m often pleasantly surprised when I step out of my comfort zone. What’s the best thing said about one of your books by a reviewer?

One thing? Almost everything my reviewers say makes me happy, but if I had to choose one comment, I’d say the reviewer who claimed I was in the top one percent of all Indie books he’d ever read. What a way to make me smile.

That would make me smile, for sure. You need to print that and put it near your writing space. How did you choose the title for Echoes? Has it always been the title?

I wanted something simple and easy to remember because the first book is also the name of the series. It’s had the same title since the beginning—Echoes—because that’s the name of an important concept that defines the series as a whole.

I’m always asked how long it took me to complete a novel. So here it is thrown to you! How long do you estimate it took you to take the book from an idea to a finished, published work?

Eighteen months. I don’t think that’s too bad for a first book, but I’m going to try and cut down my write-to-publish time for the next few. I had a lot of rewrites and editing to do for Echoes, and I ran into a lot of unexpected pitfalls. I think it was a good learning experience, seeing how different missteps cost me time and effort. Hopefully, I won’t make quite as many the next time around.

That’s not too bad from what I’ve heard and experienced myself. It’s been a pleasure to get to know you, Therin. And congratulations on Echoes and your college achievements. I hope you’ll come back when your next book is published.

About Therin Knite:  Therin is a 22-year-old college senior who occasionally writes speculative fiction and has the odd delusion of literary stardom. Knite lives in a humble little place known as the Middle of Nowhere, Virginia and spends every possible second of free time reading books and writing what may possibly qualify as books. Echoes is Therin Knite’s first novel in what will be a futuristic sci-fi/mystery series.

Links to books and social media sites

Echoes on Amazon

Echoes on B&N

Website: Knite Writes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TherinKnite

Tumblr: http://knitewriter.tumblr.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/therinknite/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13610995-therin-knite