Ten questions with Kate Robards
Thank you to Kate Robards for her great answers to my questions! Be sure to pre-order The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard that debuts on June 20, 2023.
1. Please tell us about your debut novel.
When acclaimed journalist Willa Stannard is found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide, her sister Sawyer knows it’s not possible. Shattered by grief and obsessed by the idea that her sister’s death was not a suicide, Sawyer plunges into a desperate search for the truth.
When Sawyer learns that Willa was writing an explosive true crime book about the decades-old disappearance of a toddler, she’s even more convinced that Willa’s death is suspicious. Sawyer begins to trace her sister’s steps, deep into a community she can’t begin to understand and to a truth that could destroy her as easily as it did Willa.
Weaving past with present, The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard is a dark thriller centered around a missing child, a small town’s secrets, and a desperate killer.
2. I’ve read that only 4% of the people who start a novel, finish writing it. Why do you think you beat the odds?
I don’t look at writing as work, so perhaps it’s that mindset that propelled me to finish my novel. I write because I genuinely enjoy it. I love the way creative writing fires up my brain. I allow myself an hour to write each day. An hour isn’t that much, and I look forward to it as I would a hobby instead of seeing it as a chore or more work.
Also, I outline extensively before I begin writing, so I already knew where the story was going when I started it. I never wanted to give up on writing my manuscript because I already had the ideas; I just needed to put the words to paper, and that’s the fun part for me.
3. Was your debut novel the first book you wrote? (Any prior efforts hiding on your hard drive?)
This is the first thriller I’ve written. I’ve dabbled in writing young adult fiction, but that genre didn’t really have my heart the way thrillers do!
4. What helped you become a better writer? Any books or resources you found helpful?
Read, read, read! Reading books in the same genre for many years helped me understand pacing, flow, and structure.
Also, I studied creative writing as an undergraduate, and my classmates would critique my short stories. I found this process both terrifying and exhilarating. Ultimately, it helped me learn to be open to feedback and accept that each reader takes something different from the same piece of writing.
The two books I’ve found most inspiring are Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and On Writing by Stephen King.
5. What was your process like getting an agent?
Searching for the right agent took a long time, but when I found her, things moved quickly. I queried on-and-off for several months. I’d get “hits” from agents who wanted to read more, but it’d take them months to request additional pages. It felt like a waiting game.
In the meantime, I applied to a statewide contest for unpublished writers, and I won! It was an amazing confidence boost. Armed with a professionally edited manuscript (one of the contest prizes!), I started searching for an agent again. After that, it didn’t take long to find my current agent, who was incredibly enthusiastic from the start. Once we started working together, I knew I’d found a great match.
6. How did you celebrate when you learned your book would be published?
I’ve enjoyed a celebratory glass of prosecco at every milestone of the publishing process. I’m lucky that my husband is my biggest champion, and he celebrated with me when I finished my manuscript, landed an agent, signed with a publisher, and got my first major review.
7. What was the most exciting moment involving the publication of your debut novel? (The moment you first saw the cover? The call when you learned when it was being published? When you cashed your advance check?)
The most exciting moment was finding an agent. I felt that finding the right agent was the biggest hurdle in the process, and once I had an insightful person championing my work, I was confident that she’d find the best publisher for my manuscript – and she did!
I’ll add, too, that getting a starred review in Kirkus Reviews [read the review here] is up there as well. I don’t seek validation for my work – I write because I love it – but seeing that impartial book reviewers enjoyed it gave me a big boost of confidence in the lead-up to publication day.
8. What’s your best advice for someone who wants to be published?
Perseverance is everything. It’s not surprising to hear published authors reveal that it took fifty or more queries to land the right agent. When faced with a slow-moving process, rejections, and dashed hopes, it is easy to give up. In fact, it can feel like there’s nothing harder than sending yet another query to an agent. If you’ve taken the time to write something you believe is worthy of publication, you owe it to yourself to see it through as far as you can take it. My advice is to steel your nerves and keep going. Keep writing, revising, and submitting. The difference between success and failure is often just a matter of how much you’re willing to persevere.
9. What are you currently reading? Or, what's one of the best novels you've read lately?
Lately, I’ve read a lot of nonfiction related to the subject of my work in progress. It’s part research, part fascination, but it also begins to feel like work because my mind whirls in the background. I have to stop often to take notes!
I thought Magpie by Elizabeth Day was impossible to put down. Also, Daphne by Josh Malerman was a terrifying blend of horror and coming-of-age. Groupies by Sarah Priscus was vibrant and enthralling. And I am always first in line for the new Riley Sager thriller each year.
10. What are you working on now? Any projects coming out soon?
Earlier this month, I finished the first draft of a new thriller. I’m revising it and sharing it with a few trusted beta readers now. I’m not ready to reveal details yet, but I’ll share that it’s dark, suspenseful, and chilling. Stay tuned!