Kara Storti
Kara Storti graduated from the University of Southern Maine with an MFA in Creative Writing, where she fell in love with writing novels for young adults. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tripping Back Blue is her first book.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved Matilda, Go Ask Alice, and The Catcher in the Rye.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
There are so many, but I really like this one from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: “Sometimes we want what we want even if we know it’s going to kill us.”
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
My favorite authors are Patrick Ness, John Green, and I’m a sucker for Stephen King.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I wanted to become an author ever since I was a little girl because the thought of not writing was horrifying to me. When teachers told me I was good writer, it gave me an initial thrill, but I soon learned that writing is more than creating a pretty sentence. It requires hard work, discipline, and the instinct for a good story, and I was up for the challenge. Writing fits my personality—I’m a little introverted, I can be alone with my laptop for a long period of time without freaking out, and I thrive on the consistent practice of things I’m good at and love to do.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
If you want to pursue a career as an author, you’ve got to have talent AND a ton of persistence. It’s not an easy road for most of us! Keep honing the craft every day. Writing builds a muscle, and when you exercise that muscle, the writing will become stronger and stronger. Keep exercising. Don’t let those muscles get floppy. Enjoy the process. Think about your writing as much as you can, join a writing group, go to writing-related events, and read, read, read. Demand yourself to sit in that chair in front of a computer or piece of paper, even if it’s only for a few minutes. One sentence on the page is better than a blank one.
