An Interview with Kaylee Umstead
Kaylee’s writing career took off at the age of twelve, when she decided to record the stories she and her older brother had created while they played. Six years later, now a high school graduate, Kaylee Umstead is ready to share her debut novel with the world. Having traveled the world as a little girl, she learned how to stretch her dreams beyond the horizon and pursue her passions with the fervor of a pitbull. She’s a two-time winner of the VFW’s Voice of Democracy in her community, and a Blue Ribbon winner in Equestrian competitions. Kaylee prides herself on achieving excellence in everything she does. All the glory and honor to her personal Lord and Savior. Joshua 1:9.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
Growing up, my brother and I used to play Legos together. I distinctly remember how wild and fascinating his storylines were. After The Lego Movie 2 came out, our main characters started becoming more and more distinct. Mine was Unikitty, Lucy, and Rex, and his was Techknight. When I was in the sixth grade, we started getting the storylines all muddled and couldn’t remember the continuity, so I resolved to write down our characters’ adventures from the beginning. Neither of us, however, remembered how it all started, so I invented a beginning. Over the next six years, I changed the names, rewrote the story multiple times, and finally created a novel that was my very own.
Once it started becoming an actual book, I had a dream to eventually adapt it into a 2D animated TV series. I drew the characters…and drew them some more….and some more. Six years and nine sketchbooks later, they officially have become my most drawn characters.
A big challenge I had when writing was accurately portraying Rex’s backstory. I talked to many real-life C-PTSD abuse survivors to really get the wide scope of what they went through and what they’d want to see in a novel. This research took about two to three years, but was worth every day. I’m proud of how far the book has come from the original source material and am so excited to share it with the world!
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The title was a work in progress. The first title was “Hidden Truth,” which, once I realized there were already fifteen other books with that same title, I changed it to “Thunder’s Claw,” because the main character’s last name was Thunder and it fit with earlier drafts of the story. However, like a month before publishing, I thought it didn’t fit. I went through many different ideas for a new title, but nothing satisfied me. Eventually, I did a final readthrough of the novel and the name “The King’s Actors” just struck me as perfect!
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
For each character I have a playlist on Spotify! Rex’s songs have a solemn tone, with a few fast-paced songs reminiscent of the feeling of going insane. Chestnut’s list is full of dreamy love songs like “POV” by Ariana Grande, and Ava’s list is full of fast-paced pop and musical theatre!
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
When I was a little girl, about twelve or thirteen, I lived on a golf course, and when golf balls would fall into our yard, I would clean them up, set up a booth on the edge of our property, and sell them to passing golfers.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
Steven Universe is a big one. That show made me fall in love with animation and the impact it can make on someone’s life. I wanted to create something like that, an animated 2D series, but thought writing it into a book first for visibility would be a good idea
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Never give up. And never write for money, cause if you write for the views, for the popularity, for the sales, you won’t last very long and you’ll be miserable. Write because you love it. And always have an open mind!
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That no matter what they’re going through, there’s always a back door. There is always a way out and people who will help you escape. You just have to stay strong and keep going.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.
Atmosphere Press is a selective hybrid publisher founded in 2015 on the principles of Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, Kindness, and Making Your Book Awesome. Our books have won dozens of awards and sold tens of thousands of copies. If you’re interested in learning more, or seeking publication for your own work, please explore the links below.
