Author Jennifer Kohout Shares Their Story

About the Author
A former lawyer, Washington native Jennifer Kohout combines a love of the paranormal, romance, and the erotic to create a writing style that is dark and sexy. She enjoys wine and running and those two things have absolutely everything to do with each other!

What inspires you to write romance books?
Conflict. The stuff that makes you want to yell, scream and curse at the characters. I like the rocky bits, the parts that make you feel things you don’t want to feel. I like a hard fought for happily ever after, because, in the end, it makes it that much sweeter.

That, and the sex I get to enjoy with my characters.

Tell us about how you write:
I’m an outliner. Not only am I an outliner, I’m a redundant outliner. I start with a summary, move onto the 15 beats (yay for Save the Cat!), and then finish with an expanded outline detailing each scene. Thanks God for Scrivener, or I’d be a disorganized nightmare.

After that, I research locations and anything else that might be new to me.

As for characters, they’re funny; they pop into existence in the strangest places. They’ve been known to introduce themselves to me while I’m in the shower, which can be awkward. I do sketch them out, write down physical characteristics and learn/create their backstories.

Then it’s time to write. I like to be linear and start at the beginning. Usually, I have one or two scenes pretty well thought out. If the opening line doesn’t come to me, I’ll jump in in the middle just to get started and then go back and fill in.

Sometimes, it works beautifully and I write my way to “the end.” Usually, it doesn’t and I’ll edit and move things around until I’m satisfied with it.

Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen, but they rarely let me get a word in. I think about them a lot, and I even dream about them. They’re my constant companions during the writing process and I miss them when they’re gone. People talk about missing characters after they’re finished reading a book. Imagine what it’s like when you’re the one creating those characters.

What advice would you give other writers?
I don’t think I’m at a place where I have earned the right to give other writers advice. What I will say for anyone thinking about becoming a writer, is hire a professional editor. I didn’t with my first two books. I had two friends (both with much better spelling than me) edit my books and they did a great job. But there were things that an editor would have picked up on. I have days when I think about going back and revising those first two books. Unfortunately, I have several other projects on the list.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I’m a self-published author. Honestly, I would have gone the traditional route if it wasn’t such a arduous process, and if KDP hadn’t been available. But now, I’m not so sure. I like the creative freedom that comes with self-publishing. I control everything from what I write to book covers. The biggest thing I miss is the marketing help a publisher would offer.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It’s changing, evolving. Hopefully, it will continue to improve. I think we are at an amazing point with self-publishing, but I worry about how decisions at companies like Amazon will affect self-published authors.

What genres do you write?
Paranormal romance, historical romance, and erotica.

What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site

Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/JenniferKohout
https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKohoutWriter
https://twitter.com/JenniferKohout