J. Kathleen Cheney’s story, A Hand for Each, appears in the Summer 2007 issue of Shimmer. For more information on J. Kathleen, visit her website or drop her a note.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY
Where did the idea come from?
Extended thought. I knew I wanted to submit a pirate story, but I actually stewed over it for about two months before I worked out a story line.
How did the story change as you developed it?
This is embarrassing. I realized after I finished the first draft that it shouldn’t replicate anything from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, so I actually went out and rented them. I did have to make some slight adjustments after that.
You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
I did a lot of research on Polynesian gods and included some interesting little facets….which none of my first readers understood. Evidently, they hadn’t done research on the Polynesian gods, and so my clever little references were just confusing. So I decided to take them out.
How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
Like most of my other stories, dead bodies do appear somewhere. However, I’ve never set anything over water before (as I have a mild phobia about natural bodies of water), so that alone made it odd. Also, this had no female characters.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING:
How long had you been submitting before you made your first sale?
I wrote a couple of novels before I ever seriously attempted a short story for publication…and I’m still waiting on selling a novel. I sold my first short story about three months after it went into the mailbox.
Do you work with a critique or writers group?
I’m a member of Carpe Libris Writers Group, and the Oklahoma Speculative Fiction Syndicate. I also participate on Baen’s Bar and in Critters.
What authors, if any, have had the most influence on your work?
Hmmm….Probably CJ Cherryh, Ansen Dibell, and David Eddings.
Favorite short story you’ve read recently?
Six Scents by Lisa Mantchev.
RANDOM QUESTIONS:
Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
I believe there are things we don’t understand and probably won’t ever understand.
Fast food: Yea or Nay?
I LOVE Taco Bell!
Name one place in your hometown that you love to go to and would recommend to others to visit.
El Paso? I’d drive (or hike) Trans-Mountain Road, which connects the west side of the city with the northeast side by going over the feet of the Franklin Mountains. Truly gorgeous.
Is there anything that you would “sell your soul” for?
Nah, not worth it.
Do you have a secret skill that you never get to show off?
I can suck my nostrils closed without touching them.
Quiz: How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb? Please explain your answer:
One. However, before the light bulb is ever turned on, several Beta testers have to make certain it’s in the socket properly, and only heaven knows how many times they’ll have to throw the switch before it actually turns on, sometimes waiting months in between trials.