Guest Writer Feature: Katie Whisler
This week, instead of a normal weekly, we are going to hear from the incredible Katie Whisler! Katie is a writer and librarian who recently had a poem published in an anthology. When I was first dreaming of being a writer, the best advice came from other writers and authors. In a similar vein, I interview writers today to share the advice and stories I receive with all of you.
In this weekly, we have Katie’s bio, interview, and publications. Be sure to check those out!
Without further ado, let’s “meet” Katie and learn from her experiences!
Katie Whisler: Bio
“Katie Whisler is a small towner. Born in Northeast Ohio, she attended and graduated from Hiram College as part of the class of 2021. While there, she double majored in English and History with a minor in Classical & Medieval studies. Her senior capstone explored the use of falchion swords in medieval romances such as Sir Gowther and her fascination with swords in literature has never changed. Since graduation, she has begun working at a local library where she is a member of their Youth Services department. This allows her to live out her ultimate dream of getting paid to run monthly Dungeons & Dragons games and present lectures on interesting historical figures. She can still be found in Ohio, where she lives with her two cats that barely tolerate her presence.”—written by Katie Whisler, 2022
Interview!
Here is a selection of questions and answers from Katie about her work and process as a writer. Asking these kinds of questions are great ways to gain insight on the writing process and to see how it works for others!
Question:
What are your favorite topics/genres to write about?
Answer:
Weirdly, while I feel like the answer to this question should be fantasy or science fiction, the truth is that the genre I am drawn to over and over again is contemporary romance - but the kind of contemporary romances that leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth. I like to explore the relationships between characters, especially when they have a sort of complicated history that maybe the readers never fully get to see or understand. Some things just live in my brain, with only the echo finding its way to the page.
Question:
What writing projects are you working on/have worked on?
Answer:
Unfortunately, I am not currently actively writing anything. I always have a couple of things on the backburner, of course, and someday I would really like to try my hand at a dark academia novel. At the moment though, most of my creative energy is going into running a handful of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Over the course of my writing career, however, I have completed two full-length novel manuscripts and several other long form writing projects.
Question:
How did you get into writing?
Answer:
My family were - and still are - big readers, which definitely influenced my passion for writing when I was younger. As a kid, I was always inventing stories and I think the natural progression of that just led to me beginning to write them down.
Question:
When did you begin writing?
Answer:
I’ve been writing for so long, I’m not sure I can say exactly when it began. Stories were always a big part of my childhood, whether I was using crayons and construction paper to make fake books for my parents or typing out backstories for my American Girl dolls on my family’s old desktop. I think by the time I reached Middle School, I was pretty confident that ‘being a writer’ was what I wanted to do when I grew up, but it wasn’t until high school a couple of years later that I finished my first big writing project.
Question:
What was your major/minor in college?
Answer:
In college, I had a double major in English and History, and I minored in Classical & Medieval Studies. I also found any way that I could to connect my coursework back to Dungeons & Dragons. I even designed my own board game, once. That’s probably the project that I’m most proud of from my time at school.
Question:
What was your first publication, and what was the experience like?
Answer:
Technically, I think my first publication was for a writing contest at school, but I’m not sure if that counts. Other than that, my first publication was for Windmill, a literary journal that I submitted to on a whim. The only word I can think of to describe the experience is ‘surreal.’ There is really nothing like seeing your name, your words, printed onto a page alongside the works of so many talented others. I was completely overwhelmed, and if possible, even more in love with writing.
Question:
What is your favorite rule or writing tip?
Answer:
Everyone who writes has inevitably heard the phrase “write what you know,” but that doesn’t really seem to apply to writers of genre fiction who have never sparred with swords or flown a spaceship. I really like the approach that Neil Gaiman takes with the tip of “writing what you know,” which is that it is not meant to be taken literally. It is actually advice about the emotional truth of your writing project. You can write science fiction without studying astrophysics, but your story will feel more real and will resonate with your reader if you find ways to slip elements of the truth into it - maybe the space captain uses the same catch phrase as your IRL best friend or your narrator shares your passion for the politics of Renaissance Italy.
Question:
What is the weirdest writing tip or rule that you use?
Answer:
I really like Maggie Stiefvater’s approach to writing, which is that writing is not an act of creation but an act of translation. The story you want to write already exists in completion in its original format - your imagination! Writing is simply the process through which that story is shared with others. It already exists for you. If you think of writing this way, it makes you feel much less guilty about viewing daydreaming or making endless Pinterest boards as a natural part of the creative process.
Question:
What is your favorite part about writing?
Answer:
I think my favorite part about writing is getting to play in worlds where anything is possible – whether that means magic and monsters or not. I especially love exploring settings in writing, I think I could write a thousand novels set on the shores of Lake Erie. There’s something about finding little ways to immortalize tiny pieces of my soul that I just love.
Question:
What is your biggest challenge in writing?
Answer:
Commitment. I have a lot of ideas that I get impressed by like a magpie with shiny new objects and sometimes I have a hard time really dedicating myself to finishing a single project.
Question:
What advice would you like to share about being a writer?
Answer:
Be prepared to train at your craft. You’re not magically good or terribly bad at writing. It’s a muscle, one that needs to be constantly worked and exercised and strengthened and rested. You never stop improving or learning, so don’t expect something to be perfect on the first try. I often look back on my old writing and look at how far I’ve come. I hope I always feel that way, and I hope any new writers out there realize that having a rocky start doesn’t mean that you need to give up.
Question:
Any tips on publication, submitting works, or navigating the professional world?
Answer:
Honestly, the biggest tip that I can give is to find a friend like you, Danni, and I mean that with complete sincerity… not just because you’re featuring me on your blog. It really helps if you don’t have to navigate the professional field alone, because it can be big and scary and overwhelming so finding a community where you cheer each other on or share open submissions is really important.
Question:
Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?
Answer:
If it wasn’t obvious from whose writing advice I follow, one of my biggest writing inspirations is Maggie Stiefvater. Her novel The Scorpio Races captures everything I love about how setting is a character in and of itself in a novel. I am also insanely jealous that I did not write the novel Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, because that book has a little bit of everything that I love sprinkled into it in some way. Someday, I want to be able to do that and find a way to tie all my interests together into an epic story.
Question:
What are your goals or dreams in writing?
Answer:
I used to say that my dream was to be a published author, to see my name on the shelf at a bookstore, but over the years that has shifted. I think that for me, the coolest and most satisfying thing about writing is knowing that the words you created had a lasting impact on someone else. For me, right now, that doesn’t have to be a novel. If all I’m remembered for is my kick-ass Dungeons & Dragons games, I would be okay with that.
Question:
If you could be fully funded to study or write about anything, what would it be?
Answer:
As anyone who has ever heard me talk about my senior capstone knows, I am fascinated by swords. If someone was going to pay me to study whatever I wanted, that something would definitely be sword types and uses and their presence and significance in medieval literature.
Publications
Poem: “you are the rebel king,” 2022
Calling the Beginning, 2022 anthology collection by Wingless Dreamer, an anthology of works inspired by the medieval time period.
Amazon Summary:
“Literature and Poetry specifically have been a major source of entertainment, knowledge, and expression of emotions since it was first introduced to the world by the Sumerians in the ancient era. This tradition of expression through words is continued even today in full swing where the medieval era has played a humongous role.
Through this anthology, Calling the beginning, Wingless Dreamer Publisher makes an effort not only to give our readers a lot of ‘new’ but also to present ancient literature in a new light, especially in the form of poems. These poems are written by some terrific literary poets from all around the world.”
Fiction Short Story: “Impressionism, in Effect,” 2019
Windmill: Issue 4, 2019 print issue, The Hofstra Journal of Art & Literature
Conclusion
Isn’t Katie wonderful? These are some of my favorite questions to ask other writers. You never know what tip will stick to your own routine or what nugget of knowledge you can find in another’s experience. A big thank you to Katie to answering all my pestering questions and a thank you to you all for reading this weekly 😊
If anyone wants to go show Katie some love or find out more about her current work, you can find her over on Twitter @whisler_kate or on LinkedIn “Katie Whisler.”
Let me know in the comments below if you all would like to see more writer/author interviews in the future!
Best,
Danni Lynn, Evangeline40003