Reading time: About 2 minutes
Kent Shwendy says that all writers need to develop their own methods and styles for getting words on the page. What works for one person might be ineffective for the next…
Kent Schwendy is an engineer and military veteran who balances his day job as a corporate executive with his passion for writing. He believes everyone is the sum of their experiences, and he tries to create characters with unique perspectives and feelings. Imagining how these distinct personalities would interact and respond to events is his favorite part of storytelling. He writes historical military fiction and speculative fiction. His most recent book is Sailing Toward the Tempest, published in March 2025.
I was excited to talk to Kent about how he approaches writing.
Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
It can vary from no time (other than mulling over plots and ideas) to eight hours of research and writing.
Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?
I like to go for hikes in the woods and work out plot points and dialogue while I walk.
Q. What interferes with your writing?
The normal distractions of life and my day job can interfere with writing. If I’m worrying about something else, it’s hard to focus on the story and imagine what the characters are feeling and how they would react to situations.
Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
I try to follow the advice of a good friend and author who told me to keep writing fun. So, if I really don’t feel like writing, I don’t try to force it.
Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
See the story through the eyes of your characters.
Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?
I love the creative aspects of telling the story – the research and writing. I very much dislike editing. I struggle with significant rewriting because once the story exists, it is the story. I can tweak the presentation, but the plot is fully developed before it goes onto the page.
Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non-) in the last five years?
The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson. All Systems Red, by Martha Wells. Thief of Time, by Terry Pratchett.
Q. What book are you reading right now?
As usual, I have five or six books that I’m currently reading. I like to have a combination of genres spanning fiction and non-fiction, so I can read whatever I’m currently in the mood for. Like writing, I want reading to be fun, so I give myself options from day to day.
Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?
That there is a right or wrong way to write. Whatever you enjoy and works for you is the best way for you to write. It shouldn’t matter if it’s different from the methods used by others.
