INTERVIEW WITH Kim Baldwin

August Newsletter 2005

By Connie Ward, BSB Publicist/Author Liaison

What made you decide to become a fiction writer?

I’ve always been an avid reader, and had thought from time to time about trying my hand at fiction. I made my living writing and copy editing news for 20 years, and during that time, several of my friends and coworkers had novels published.  But I had little free time then, and no great idea for a book of my own.

All that changed when I left journalism a few years ago and moved to the north woods. Soon after, I stumbled across The Academy of Bards Web site and discovered the wealth of wonderful lesbian fiction being written and published. I was tremendously inspired by what I read and suddenly had a lot of ideas for stories of my own. Finally I had found a genre I could get passionate about! I wrote a few short stories and found the experience very rewarding, and when I posted them online, I got some wonderfully encouraging feedback. I was hooked!

 What type of stories do you write?  And why?

I write lesbian romances, usually with a good dose of action/adventure elements thrown in, and often with some tie to the out-of-doors and nature. It’s what I like to read.

What do your family and friends think about your writing?

My partner and friends are wonderfully encouraging and supportive. In fact, their feedback was instrumental in my considering submitting my first novel for publication.

Some members of my family are incredibly supportive as well.  Unfortunately, a few disapprove of what I write.  I try not to let it bother me too much, and instead view every experience as good fodder for future stories. 

Where do you get your ideas?

Everywhere. Experiences I’ve had, people I’ve known. Stories I covered as a journalist, places I’ve visited, movies and television shows. My partner gives me some wonderful ideas.

How do you write; do you plan everything out or just write?

It varies. The first few stories I wrote were done without much of any kind of outline or plan. I really didn’t know much about writing fiction then—I was largely self-taught, relying on tools I’d developed as a news writer—start with a strong lead, create a full sensory image for the audience/reader, be concise, use realistic dialogue.  Enticing the audience’s curiosity with a good tease before a commercial is much like tossing a reader a good cliff-hanger at the end of a chapter.

When my first novel was accepted for publication, I started to get much more serious about improving my craft, reading everything I could about plot, pacing, dialogue, and all the other elements of fiction. Nowadays, I’m more of a planner, doing full character profiles and a rough outline before I sit down to write.

How much of yourself and the people you know are in your characters?

A lot, generally. There are exceptions-- Hunter’s Pursuit, for one, which sprang entirely from my imagination.  But there is a lot of me and a lot of my partner in my second novel, Force of Nature. And I’ve used elements of my friends and family in many of my short stories.

Which lesbian authors inspired you the most?  Do you have a favorite of this author(s)?

Radclyffe. Her writing helped inspire me to try my hand at fiction in the first place, and she continues to be my greatest inspiration today. She was one of the very first authors I discovered online, and I just devoured everything she wrote.  I’d have a hard time picking my favorite, although I have a particular affinity for both Innocent Hearts and Love’s Melody Lost.

So it was really a dream come true for me last year when I signed with Bold Strokes Books and Radclyffe became my publisher.

Do you have any suggestions for new writers?

Write what you are passionate about. Write every day. Learn your craft, and pay attention to the details—spelling, grammar. There are a lot of great books out there to help you improve your writing. Find a good beta reader or two who can give you some serious and thoughtful feedback, and be a willing student with an open mind!

When you're not writing what do you do for fun?

I’m often outdoors. I kayak, fly-fish, cross-country and downhill ski, go for a ride on my motorcycle. In the summer, I have a large garden. I live in a forest and love to just sit on the screened-in porch reading and watching the animals and birds.

Music is another passion. I play alto sax in a small community band. At one time or another I also have dabbled on the piano, flute, recorder, guitar, and mandolin.

Which is your favorite among the books/stories you’ve written? Why? 

I will always have a particular fondness for Hunter’s Pursuit because it was my first novel, but my second book, Force of Nature, has a lot of my partner and me in it, so that’s close to my heart, too.