Kay A. Oliver: On Writing

The art of writing has always been a passion of mine as far back as I can remember. In the sixth grade I entered a speech contest at my elementary school. However, I only won second place because the teachers believed that my parents wrote the speech for me. That could not be further from the truth. That did not stop me. 

Junior High, I spent in drama and in impromptu speaking. From there it seemed to be a natural fit to move into being behind a camera, not in front of one. The power in the entertainment industry to tell a story comes from the ability to write and direct. The story is crafted and comes alive by the development of the characters and the plot. 

Eventually, the art of storytelling led me to a degree in Radio and TV. As a video editor, I understand what it takes to make a good story line come together. Movies or Television become fantastic stories, supported by music, completed in different timeframes. A movie or story that has unexpected twists and turns always excited me. But repeatedly in that media, the foreshadowing comes across too loud for me and often adds to the prediction of the next twist before it occurs.

The similarity between writing a good script for movie and writing a great book parallel on several levels. Equally have an expected flow of highs and lows. Equally both need to have characters, setting, plot, conflict and a resolution. Film allows for less description of surroundings and actions due to the fact that images are seen by the viewer.

For instance, if you want a character to come across on film as intelligent and strategic, you dress them accordingly. Their office probably has a chess board with a game in motion. The office or room is free of clutter and contains modern technology. All this is seen by the viewer. A person who uses gut instinct, like a detective and who doesn’t follow the rules, will dress more casual in a film or TV show. They may have a wooden desk with little to no technology on it. Maybe their desk has a few books and something earthy, like a plant on the corner. All these upspoken hints are picked up by the watcher. 

Books need more explanation of time, place and setting. We need to build out those characters in descriptions and actions. Dialog is a strong feature in novels. Do not make the mistake of full and complete sentences when characters are talking to each other. People in real life do not speak that way. We speak in incomplete or even run on sentences. Make sure the characters’ actions fit their personality. Add tiny little things that they do, which is commonplace for someone like them. It is those little things that help bring a character to life. 

And novels do not come with a soundtrack so we must build momentum in words and pacing. 

As I write my stories, there are certain elements I incorporate in my characters and stories. Cherishing intelligent entertainment, I love incorporating actual facts and information. My characters are strong, intelligent people not hindered by their sex. Relationships, though often troubled, are not disrespectful. Only the bad guys show the ugly side of human beings. 

My books are purposely designed to be easy to read and frequently have humor thrown into each story through a character’s personality. But my twists and turns often do not have any foreshadowing to them. It is my goal as a story teller, no matter the medium I use, to catch my audience off guard. To have my readers gasp at unexpected moments that they do not see coming, changing the story’s pace suddenly. 

My first book, Disturbed Tombs, is a story of an adventurous archeologist who finds herself on a collision course with the unknown as she is thrown into a world of secrets, danger, and ancient spirits. Her passion leads to a discovery that many cannot comprehend and her associates find hard to believe. Her only support is found in her husband and best friend. 

This book has won several awards from Best Historical Fiction – Mystery Spring 2022 Bookfest.com, Reader Review Five star review seal, and Book of the Year 2022 Historical Fiction – Paranormal from Onlinebookclub.org. 

The highly anticipated sequel, Grave Disturbances, will release in April of 2023.  

Sisters In Cold Blood has also been awarded two honors. First second place for best Detective – Women Sleuths, and third place for Mystery – Murder & Crime from Bookfest this Fall 2022. This story puts a twist on finding a serial killer by changing the priorities of the hunt. In addition, this book comes with a free eBook for the amateur sleuth reader who wants more clues and better details of what is found during the chase. 

My latest book was inspired by a true story. Road to Elysium is a story of a man named Ken, whose perfect life collapses around him in tatters when tragedy strikes. After a group of neighborhood kids add insult to injury by trying to rob Ken’s house, an unlikely moment of bonding and realization occurs. As Ken begins to interact with the world again through his new friend Mykel, the path to hope becomes a little clearer.

If you want to learn more about my books, you can visit my website at: https://kayaoliver.com 

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A storyteller by her very nature, Kay A. Oliver has been creative her whole life. An avid reader and writer, she has begun focusing on her own stories to share in hopes of bringing joy to those that read her work. Her easy-to-read style makes her books page-turners that are full of twists you never see coming.

Kay A. Oliver was a prolific writer in the entertainment industry, and she has been writing since her youth, winning many different awards in the course of her career. Now she is following her passion for authoring fictional books. Her fictional series “Voice of A Mummy” won her first place in the Spring 2022 Bookfest Writing Awards.

This book, being her latest page-turner, leaves nothing to doubt. Her writing style and Hollywood experience never deliver a dull moment. Her ability and her imagination is quickly making her a legendary storyteller of our time.

Kay A. Oliver graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Communication: Radio, TV, Film degree, before working in Hollywood for a few decades. During that time, she obtained her master’s degree in Business, Finance. She is still a current member of the TV Academy.

ROAD TO ELYSIUM

Inspired by a true story.

A man who had all he ever wanted, unexpectedly finds himself shattered and broken due to a single tragedy. Ken has come to know his sorrow as he clings closely to his painful memories. Giving his life over to his heartache, Ken sees the world as a cold, hard place to live. He settles on the fact that he may never again find the same happiness he once knew.

When some neighborhood kids decide to rob his house. This fateful event sets off a chain of repercussions that Ken could not have predicted. It leads to meeting Mykel, a young man, in a very unconventional way. This leads Ken to make an instant, profound choice. As their friendship grows, Ken sees something in Mykel. Ken begins to redirects his personal focus to the young man and not his self-pity. Not realizing it, that momentary decision will affect countless lives in many unforeseen ways.

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Category: How To and Tips