KT Hanna has a love for words. Born in Australia, she met her husband in a computer game, moved to the U.S.A. and went into culture shock. Bonus? Not as many creatures specifically designed to kill you. She creates science-fiction, fantasy, and LitRPG like it’s going out of style, with a dash of horror for fun! She freelance edits for Chimera Editing, plays computer games, and chases her daughter, husband, corgis, cats, and snake. She just launched a new book which you can find at Amazon – Initializing (Somnia Online Book 1).
When did you first start writing?
I’ve been writing since almost as long as I can remember — way back when I was still in primary school. I remember writing my first book when I was eight. I called it Ghostly Deluge.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I love anything that isn’t realism based. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror — anything with supernatural aspects. Speculative fiction galore. Basically, I love reading what I love writing.
Do you deal with writer’s block?
I’ve never had writer’s block as such, but more of a mental block of my own. Long story short, sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you want to write. If your head isn’t in the right place, and if there’s too much going on, I believe it’s fully possible to have too much going on in your mind to fully concentrate on your work.
It’s a matter of sorting shit out and partitioning off your writing brain, and that can take a lot of practice.
Outliner or pantser?
Actually, I used to be a strict outliner, but after my 2.5 years of unintentional vacation, I’ve found pantsing to be much more my style, at least for a first book. Then I’ll sort of make sure I know where I’m heading for the rest and craft the story accordingly. Sometimes I’ll sketch out 2-3 chapters in advance with a few bulletpoints, so I guess I kind of have a plantsing approach now haha.
How many hours a day do you write?
When I’m writing I’ll spend about 3-5 hours writing per day, but I’m a binger, so I will write for 2-3 weeks straight and churn a book out. And I’ll edit in the same way. 2ish weeks per go through. I read in binging bouts too. Must do it all at once!
Of your books, which is your personal favorite? Why?
Actually, that’s definitely Somnia Online. My husband and I met in EQ2 (Everyquest 2). It made it pretty easy to fall in love with LitRPG/Gamelit, and it’s now a genre I never want to stop writing in.
Share a photo of your workspace?
I even tried to tidy up a bit haha (yes that is a coffee machine on top of a fridge in the background 😉
Who are some of your favorite authors of all time?
Sometimes I get ideas from singular words, from songs, or discussions I have. My LitRPG idea came from reading a slew of books and my history of MMORPG gaming since 1999, not to mention a love of D&D that’s decades old haha. I always have too many ideas stewing, but that’s what makes writing so much fun, right?
What is your writing process like?
I spent a long time believing that I had to write every day, because there were people around me who kept telling me that. It took me about 6 years to realize that you need to listen to yourself and discover your own process, because no two people’s brains will ever work in exactly the same way.
I’ve been an in depth plotter, I was with my science fiction series. But after a couple of years off for health reasons, when I returned … well lets just say now I do a mixture of pantsing and plotting and it’s like breathing life into myself.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Being able to clean my house from top to bottom with the click of a finger. No, seriously. Housework is the bane of my existence.
What advice do you have for writers?
Write. Read. And then write some more. Never stop. You’ll only improve if you keep at it. Write what you love, and don’t listen to what people tell you will be successful, because sometimes, you just never know.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Scrivener. Way back in 2007. Loved it then, love it now.
What’s your favorite Sci-Fi movie of all time? And why?
Oooo sci-fi movie hmmm. Event Horizon. Because I adore the whole concept behind it, and mixing space exploration with horror rarely goes wrong.
What can fans expect from you next?
Well, I’m hoping to get books 2 & 3 of Somnia Online out this year. But I also have about six books just sitting there waiting to be edited a bit that aren’t LitRPG. Should probably put those out at some stage too 😉
Anything else you would like to add?
The LitRPG/Gamelit community has been amazingly welcoming. It’s a fantastic place.
