She is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behaviour, Katharine moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy. 

Hi Katharine

Me – It’s easy to understand where your inspiration for your stories comes from.

Which aspect of the writing process do you enjoy the most? And why?

Katharine -I love writing action scenes. I can’t help but get caught up in the fast-paced prose and imagery. So far, all of my series utilize medieval-style warfare. I will admit that I sometimes act out the combat scenes with my real or not-so-real weaponry to make sure that the movements are plausible. 

Often, when working on a new action scene, I look up and realize that time has flown by and my day is already over. However, I am typically pleased in that moment as I have completed a large number of pages without appreciable pauses.

Me- I love how you say you act out some scenes, that sounds like fun and a practical way to understand how to describe the movements.

What distracts you when you are in writing flow? Is there anything you do to counter this?

Katharine -I am rather disciplined about sitting down and focusing on my writing. Nevertheless, if I am concerned about the amount of other stuff that I need to accomplish that day/week including marketing, social media, edits and more, my concentration can be affected. To minimize this, I really try to keep a schedule of writing in the morning and leave my other work for the afternoon/evening.

Me – You sound very organised.

What part of the story pushes itself into your imagination first? Story premise, character, setting, plot, ending?

Katharine -I guess it would be the idea of a character, although once I begin conceiving him/her/them/it, I rapidly begin developing the world and the complexities of that universe. I have been fortunate so far in that the premise has manifested almost immediately. Within a day of conceiving a new character, I typically know the beginning and end of the book/series and the gist of the plot.

Fleshing out the subplots and adding the details to the descriptions and personality traits/quirks requires the most time. There is a saying—“the devil’s in the details,” and it’s true.

Me – You are lucky to understand your plot before you start writing.

Of all the stories you have written, which have you learned the most from? And why?

Katharine -In the traditional sense, I will say it is my adult novella series, The Guardian’s Speaker. This series is based in Norse mythos, and I have spent years of research reading history books about the Nordic peoples during the Viking era, watching documentaries, reading current archaeological articles as well as stocking my bookshelves with Icelandic sagas and other source material for Norse mythology. I even have a small collection of reproductions of Viking artifacts. This has helped ensure that my novellas are rich in era-appropriate details and true to the original myths.

Me – it is amazing what you can learn when doing research for a book.

What personality trait of yours is reflected in your characters?

Katharine - I love a strong, idealistic woman—the warrior woman, so to speak. In all three of my current series, there is a character who epitomizes that identity be it a Nordic shieldmaiden, a war goddess, or a prophesied heroine. Though these characters are not always the protagonists, they do reflect an aspect of myself.

I love fitness and competition. I used to be a competitive archer. I won an axe throwing competition at the Highland Games in North Carolina. I even competed in an on-stage fitness competition in the bikini category. I like to keep active be it Saturday bootcamp, mud runs, kayaking, or skating. Women should be proud of all their strengths regardless of the specific form they take: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or other.

Me – What a wonderfully positive answer.

What is the strangest observation from the real world that has made it into one of your books?

Katharine -When I was younger, I took a class for wilderness survival in a local state park. We were taught all sorts of fun things and experienced a few very strange ones. This included making spaghetti from the inner bark of pine trees. I remember how it took hours and hours to boil in order for the wood to soften enough to consume. I also remember that it was still extremely chewy and very bland. Regardless, that experience—and others like it—stuck with me, and I have incorporated that knowledge into some of my stories. Other observations include a friend who dealt with a dislocated shoulder as well as relationships and interactions between different people, but the bark to food is definitely one of the strangest.  

Me – Ha,  I’m not sure bark spaghetti will be added to my diet, but it’s good to know it is possible.

Your stories are rich in mythology, how did you become interested in myths and mythical creatures?

Katharine - As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by mythology of all sorts and dragons in particular. I am not sure what initially drew me to this outside of the idea that there might be magical, awesome worlds and realms beyond our own that we humans are not fully aware of. I love the concept of someone, whether specially chosen or by accident, finding him/herself in one of these alternate realms. Neverland, Narnia, Wonderland are all well known to the average child.

At some point, I made the connection between children’s books and stories and the mythologies which inspired them. I might have been in middle school when I was given The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm. It was so beautiful and filled with wonderful art as well as countless creatures and beings that I had never heard of before. I loved it dearly. I still have the book; it’s loaded with numerous bookmarks though its spine is in a bit of disrepair.

My love of mythology continued to grow over the years. In college, my solo art show featured the history of the dragon and was designed to look like a museum collection of ancient artifacts and research. I utilized a variety of artforms including sculpture, painting, pastel, and pen & ink to showcase the various “breeds” of dragons, famous dragon slayers, diagrams of dragon physiology and more. Now, I express my love of myths through my writing.

Me – The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Mythology sounds like an interesting read, thank you.

I see you are a painter as well as a writer. Do these two creative expressions support each other? Or are you conflicted timewise with which to pursue?

Katharine - For me, painting and writing are like two sides of the same coin. My passion for artistic expression along with my love for animals links them together. My paintings are predominately animal portraiture while my books incorporate numerous creatures both real and mythic. Finding the time to pursue both creative expressions can sometimes be a challenge. Although I can paint at any time, mornings are best for writing, so during a day in which I am planning to do both, I schedule my time accordingly.

At the moment, more of my time is dedicated to writing. Nevertheless, my art always finds a way to be present. When someone commissions a pet portrait, I am more than happy to paint the furred, feathered, or scaled family member.

Me – I think many writers are creatives in another form too and it’s great when they complement each other.

Where do you write?

Katharine - I write at my house where I have an office space dedicated to my work. Since I need to write new material in complete silence, I never work in a coffee shop or anywhere in public.

Me – I’m the same and have a writing hut in my garden. It’s not silent but the birdsong is welcomed.

Do you have a writing tip for others who wish to write fantasy?

Katharine -Know your myths. Once you are familiar with the source material of all fantasy, you can decide if you want to stay true or flip the script, so to speak. You might be surprised to learn how many of your favourite fantasy creatures were originally depicted.

The second tip is to decide if you want to write to fit into a specific genre or not. Staying within a genre can make it easier to find ready and willing readers. If your story encompasses multiple genres or is the first of its kind, be prepared for the extra effort it will take to convince people to take a chance and read your work. Although you might be the forefront of the next huge fad, understand that achieving such lofty goals can be an uphill climb.

I do not mean to sound dismissive. My own work crosses genres and some has no relatable literature. However, recognizing and understanding the challenges you will undertake can help you dig your heels in and prepare for that climb.

Me – Thank you, Katharine. It’s always interesting to delve into another writers process, inspiration, and stories.

Thank you so much for your fun, interesting and detailed answers, it’s been a pleasure chatting to you.

If you wish to find out more about Katharine Wibbell and her books, please explore the links below.

Website: https://www.katharinewibellbooks.com/
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KatharineEWibell

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Katharine-E-Wibell/e/B01MQQIPGN/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatharineWibell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katharineewibell/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katharinewibell/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/katharine-e-wibell
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16150539.Katharine_E_Wibell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-wibell-68090b77/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZTWT2CxFYDivQt25HDkQvw/video