About K.G. Kilpatrick
It all started...
...in the 60s. Raised in a Catholic school, then public high school where girls looked quite different. After that it was party time. Snow skiing, skateboarding, the beach with my girlfriend. Unfortunately, the party never stopped for me. Fifteen years later, I woke up eating out of trash cans and looking for cigarettes in the gutter. Something clicked—the moment of incomprehensible demoralization. I decided to seek something better than rotting food and other people's used cigs. With the help of my mother's infinite patience and love, I went back to school and earned two college degrees. With a great deal of luck, I fell ass-backwards into a teaching gig at Cal State San Marcos. I've been there twenty-three years. My students love me. I've changed many lives.
My writing roots
July 24, 2004. That's the day I quit my research job. Told my wife I wanted to be a writer. Figured if J.K. Rowling could do it, why couldn't I? I finally hit on the right strategy—write one double-spaced page a day. Every day. Wrote my first middle grade fantasy series—Conor and the Crossworlds. Five novels. One page a day. Then I wrote another five book series—Diego's Dragon. After that, a thriller for adults—A Pound of Fur.
Your writing style
I've learned that there two styles of writing: organic, where you just wing it, and structured, where you write outlines and follow them as you write your chapters. I use a bit of both. I love letting the characters tell me where they want to go, but I also keep track of chapter content. Allow your own writing style to find you. Whether structured or organic, morning or evening, be patient. You'll find what's best for you, just as I did.