Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview.
Today’s guest for the WHAT is Kimberly Behre Kenna, author of Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade which releases on February 2, 2023
Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?
Years ago, I taught fifth grade, and we explored a Long Island Sound salt marsh as part of our ecology studies. Having grown up on the Connecticut coast, the Sound’s shoreline has always been my favorite place to be, so I loved watching my students experience the joy and beauty of this vibrant area that we are so lucky to have as our neighbor. Fast forward five years later… While hiking the salt marsh trails alone one day, my protagonist, Artemis, suddenly appeared as a whisper in my ear. She, like many of my students, had strong opinions about the salt marsh, her sanctuary; it was there that she conversed with plants and animals without feeling self-conscious about her stutter. She worried about its fragile health and what would happen if it disappeared, but how could she ever speak up and help it survive? Artemis’s plight felt personal as I, too, struggled to embrace my voice as a child. I knew this was a story I had to write.
Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?
Again, my years of teaching informed the process. In order to understand present day environmental problems, my students and I tapped into the wisdom of deceased ecologists. We used drama activities to actually embody these people and think about how to apply their strategies to solve problems around the Sound. Then we wrote and performed plays depicting this. I knew Artemis could also benefit from the past in this way. So, she conjures up the ghosts of Wangari Maathai, Ding Darling and Simon Rodia to energize a brigade that will help keep Long Island Sound “sound” (strong and healthy!) My story plot developed in the same way our class plays did. I embodied a character, allowed their emotions to flow, and then imagined how they’d act upon them.
Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?
The way I work, moving the story from my mind to paper is always a very sketchy deal! The first time I record a story, it’s skeletal, shaky, and needs to be fleshed out. And even then, my stories never feel firmly in place until I’ve shared them with critique partners and groups, often revising for tension, bigger stakes, and deeper characterization.
Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?
I have a folder of story ideas that I’ve collected, and possibly even worked on, over the years. It includes ideas for novels, short stories, plays and even poetry. Recycling story ideas and mixing and matching them is second nature to me. Putting two or more ideas that at first don’t seem compatible together often do combine to make seeds for a unique story.
How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?
I write the one that excites me the most at the time. It’s a gut level reaction. I’m not great at working on several novels at once, though it has happened, but usually there’s one idea that requires me giving it all the time it needs on its own. And I enjoy immersing myself in just one story. Then, when I need to step back and take a break, I’ll go to another idea and see if a skeletal plot or story line comes to me.
I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?
I have a rabbit named Sage. The rabbits I’ve had over the years haven’t been super snuggly, but Sage loves to sit next to me on the floor hoping for pets and scratches. That position isn’t conducive to writing for me! But the very first rabbit I adopted plays a role in my second MG novel. So, though not my writing buddies, my rabbits have definitely inspired my writing.
After years as an adolescent and family counselor, and then as a fifth grade teacher, Kimberly returned to school for her MA in creative writing from Wilkes University. Her debut middle-grade novel and first book in her Brave Girl Collection, Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade will be published by Fitzroy Books 2/2/23. The second in the collection, Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm is forthcoming from Black Rose Publishing 8/3/23. Connect with her at www.kimberlybehrekenna.com.