Abigail Stark
Abigail Stark is an author by passion and an engineer by trade. She has more hobbies than talents—while she knows you’d enjoy her writing and cooking, she hopes you never have to hear her sing. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and overstuffed dog, who are her biggest fans (and critics, for both her written works and vocal performances). |
Tell us about the featured book. What is it about, and why did you choose to write it?
Bad Duck is a novel about a young man named Sam who lives in a sad, dying mining town in rural West Virginia. It takes place in the three days after Sam’s eighteenth birthday, when time does not move linearly for him anymore. The book is him trying to fix the strange situation he’s found himself in, while the readers slowly piece together why this has happened to Sam.
I set out to write a book that incorporated several themes: the visceral feeling of a small-town summertime, a journey of forgiveness, and what it means to be a ‘good person’. Bad Duck is the brainchild of those disparate themes.
Tell us a little about your writing process. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
To write, I first need the themes and an understanding of where I want the book to end. Any research I do is ad-hoc, and my writing is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube: I run scenarios and ideas in my mind over and over until something just clicks. When that happens, I carve out several hours to sit down and write. Then, it’s onto the next section, and the cycle repeats, thinking, thinking, thinking until I find The Idea, and then writing it all out at once. Contrary to how cliché this may sound, I truly believe that there’s no right way to write. All you can do is get started and figure out what works best for you.
The most difficult part of the artistic process is reading and re-reading your own work. There comes a point when you spend so much time in your work that it’s easy to become desensitized to certain things, and you can miss obvious hiccups or areas of improvement. That’s why our editors are so important!
Are there any writers or authors who have influenced your writing? If not, who are some of your favorite writers?
The one author who has influenced my writing style the most would be Ray Bradbury. He’s a master of using sentence structure and syntax to give life to his writing beyond the words themselves. Being intentional about the length and number of your sentences can change the feel of a scene entirely, and I use this as an important tool in my writing.
Has a library or librarian impacted your life or your writing life?
I spent much of my childhood in the public library of my hometown and really started writing by entering local writing competitions hosted by the library. My public library helped grow my horizons, my confidence in my writing, and satiated my voracious appetite for books – which was not an easy feat.
When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I have a number of hobbies, most of which are creative. I think that, as an adult, if you don’t keep your creativity stoked you can lose it. In my free time, I run a Dungeons & Dragons campaign I created myself. I also like to cook and create new recipes, and I travel extensively.
Favorite place to visit in Minnesota?
I’m particular to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). There’s no entry fee and their exhibits are so comprehensive and varied, you see something new every time you go. My perfect afternoon would be a visit to the MIA, then a Juicy Lucy at Matt’s.
Where can readers find you online?
Instagram: @abigailstarkwrites