Editor's Note: Karin Huxman also writes as K.D. Huxman
By: Kathie Scrimgeour
I was excited to have Karin Huxman
contact me to do this interview for Meet the Members. It is such a joy to e-mail
with members of Pikes Peak Writers and learn who they are and what makes them
tick. Karin has been writing for more than twenty-five years. Her first paid
gig was an essay called, “The Mommy Dance,” then went on to pay for her first
laser printer with her non-fiction magazine work. She enjoys writing for
children, a bit of romance for adults, and poetry for all. She has been a
member of PPW “for YEARS!”
KJS: Do you have anything in particular you are working on right
now?
KJS: Have you set any goals for your publication
date?
Karin Huxman:
I would love to have some kind of
release party for the Ludlow book. It’s been a long time coming.
KJS: If you have a completed manuscript/story/poem/flash have you submitted
it yet? What have the results been?
Karin Huxman:
I’m a multi-published author in romance
and children’s and poetry. That being said, my agent has two manuscripts she’s
shopping around, and I have another that I’m polishing before sending to her.
KJS: How do you get past the "No's"?
Karin Huxman:
The no’s are just part of the business.
I don’t let them bother me as much as I used to.
KJS: What does success mean to you?
Karin Huxman:
Some days it simply means sitting down
at the desk and getting the words down.
KJS: What do you do when procrastination is winning over writing?
Karin Huxman:
Sometimes procrastination is my mind’s
way of saying it needs a break. Other times it’s a message that the story isn’t
working and I need to think about why.
KJS: Writing conferences, workshops, and critique groups are an
important part of the new writer's experiences (and more experienced writers
too!). How have they helped you?
Karin Huxman: I have had some wonderful experiences with conferences and
critique groups. But being the introvert I am, conferences are stressful for
me. I need a real good reason to spend the time and money and go.
KJS: Do you attend the events outside PPWC and, if so, which
ones are your favorite?
Karin Huxman: The monthly events, unfortunately, generally occur on an
evening when I am working or are not close enough for me to go. I have enjoyed
being the “guest critiquer” several times for the PPW [Open] Critique group.
(Thank you, Donnell)
KJS: Do you have
any "self-help for writers" books that you use regularly? How do they
help? Please share your list of your top 2 or 3.
Karin Huxman: I always suggest Pam McCutcheon’s Writing the Fiction Synopsis and Debra
Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict
to fledgling writers. As for other books, I’ve got shelves of them. I’ve read
them all and taken away what I needed from them.
KJS: Does your reading influence your writing? How?
Karin Huxman: I try to read broadly, both in genres that I
write in and those that I don’t. I believe that reading broadly informs your
writing.
KJS: If you met someone who was thinking about starting to
write, what advice would you give them?
Karin Huxman: Read a lot, write a lot, repeat.
KJS: What is one (or a few) of the most important
lessons you have learned so far?
Karin Huxman:
Be humble.
KJS: What question did you hope I would ask?
Karin Huxman: If I’m a cat person or a dog person. :)
KJS: (It is still a mystery if she’s a dog or cat person). What expertise in your background do you draw on in your writing.
Karin Huxman: The places
I’ve visited inform my writing more than my time in the Air Force or my current
career. I guess the fact that I grew up in a small town and enjoy that kind of
life is why my stories generally are set in that kind of environment.
Thank you, Karin, for telling us about your writing life. We invite other members to volunteer for our Q&A.
Here are a few other places you can find Karin…
Email:
Karin.huxman@att.net or k.d.huxman@att.net
I find your final statement interesting. How much have you traveled? Good luck on the manuscripts being shopped!
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon. As a kid we spent summers camping all over New England and the East Coast. Having a scattered family, we also traveled through New York and the Great Lakes states for visits and as an adult, through the desert Southwest. I've lived in Massachusetts, Mississippi, California, Virginia and Colorado and visited most of the states in between. Out of country I've been fortunate to spend time in France, Jamaica (my father's family came from there), and Korea. Hawaii has also been a favorite destination. Thanks for the luck, I can use it. Best wishes to you. :)
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