Thanks to Donna Dillon-Truckenbrod
for this interview
What is your day job
or are you lucky enough to write for a living?
I am lucky enough to have a husband who thinks I should
focus all my attention on writing. We have tightened our purse strings a bit to
make it happen, but he works and I write.
What books have you
written so far?
I have completed 3 books so far. The Snake Pit: Jr. High Can Be
Torture, a YA novella about bullying, was published in October 2009. Through
The Gloaming is a full-length YA/mainstream crossover about a young man
who falls through the ice, finds his afterlife is not as pleasant as it could
have been, and is given a second chance to change. It was published in April
2012. Why Did It Have To Rain Today is a children’s picture book
about Jack, a little boy whose Saturday plans are ruined by a rainstorm so he
finds adventure through reading.
What works in
progress do you have?
I am currently working on another children’s book about Down
Syndrome, called My Sister Has Down Syndrome.
How long did it take
you to write your book/s?
The Snake Pit basically wrote itself and I had the first draft
done in 2 days. Through The Gloaming took almost a full year to complete. Why
Did It Have To Rain Today? was very easy to write; just a matter of
about an hour to get the story down, but the illustrations seemed to take
forever. It took about 6 months to complete.
Do you write linear,
or jump back and forth? Do you plan or write by the seat of your pants?
I don’t plan or plot anything. I generally sit down, open a
bag of M&Ms and write whatever falls out of my head. Sometimes it’s good; sometimes
it’s not so good. Usually it works very well for me.
Why do you write?
Because I was born to.
How long have you
been writing?
Pretty much all my life.
Where and when do you
write? Do you have set times?
I do my best writing late at night when my family are asleep.
I have 4 kids and you would think that the daytime, when they are all at
school, would be optimal, but it doesn’t work. Phone is ringing, dishes need
doing, laundry needs folded… late night is all mine.
Which character from
your books do you like most / are most like?
Cinda, the main character from The Snake Pit. I was born
with the same birth defect as she, and I endured many of the same nasty names
and bullying as she did, so I do identify with her. I was not one to stand by
and allow myself to be bullied, so there lies the difference.
What/who inspired you
to write and still inspires you?
My mother. She thought everything I put on paper was
brilliant.
What do you think is
the ideal recipe for a good novel or story?
You have to have a hook – something that grabs the reader
from the beginning and doesn’t let go.
Have you ever based a
character on someone from real life? And did you tell them?
Cinda’s best friend, Charlie, is based on a friend of my
daughter, but I never told her so.
If you had to pick some actors/actresses to play the
characters in your book, who would you hire?
Oh my, I have no idea about that one!
Fave things: animal?
food? film? colour? band? place? item of clothing?
Dog, M&Ms, Shawshank
Redemption, purple, Queen, home, My Walter Payton Jersey.
When you were a kid,
what did you want to do/who did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a medical examiner. Then I found out I had to
go to medical school, so I scrapped those plans.
Would you say that
your dreams have come true or are you still working on them?
Dreams are always, and always should be, a work in progress.
You’re walking in the forest and you bump into an alien
librarian from Mars. He wants five book recommendations from you…
1. To Kill A
Mockingbird;
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2. The Five People You
Meet In Heaven;
3. Harry Potter;
4. Stephen King’s The
Long Walk; and
5. Roots.
Who is your favourite character from any book and why?
Dobby from Harry
Potter… I’m still not over his loss.
Who is your hero /
heroine?
My mom… she was amazing.
Which book do you
wish you had written?
The Harry Potter
series... absolutely brilliant.
Which three authors
would you like to take to the pub?
JK Rowling, Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare. I would
say Stephen King, but just the thought of it turns me into a big slobbery mess
and I don’t think that would make a great impression!
Are you published or
self-published? What is your experience?
I am self-published through Createspace. They have done all
three of my books and I am still happy with the experience.
How do you find the
marketing experience?
Picture the world’s largest headache; then multiply by 7.
What advice would you
give other writers just starting out?
You can’t do this by yourself. Join author groups and
surround yourself with those who have been there, done that. And it won’t
happen overnight. If it were that easy, everyone would do it.
Do you have a blog?
What do you blog about?
I blog like I write. Whatever is rolling around in my head
at the time falls out on to the paper.
What other hobbies do
you have?
I love to paint, if I am not writing, you can find me at my
drafting table drawing and painting something.
What would you like
to achieve in the next five years?
I would like to see The Snake Pit part of the curriculum in
every Jr. High School in the country.
If you won the Lotto or a major publishing contract, what
would you do with that dosh?
I would buy a bigger house so my kids could each
have their own room and then rent my current house to a single mother for next
to nothing so she could go to school and not worry about struggling to pay
rent.
Complete one of these
stories in 100 words or less…
1. There was once a wee worm called Fred…
2. In the deep and darkest reaches of the dank forest...
3. One day Charlotte decided she was going to change the world...
There was a wee worm called Fred
Whose hat wouldn’t fit on his head.
He struggled and cried, and eventually sighed,
And put on an old scarf instead.
What question do you
wish I’d asked and, of course, what is the answer?
I think you asked the perfect questions and wouldn’t change
a thing.
Links:
Donna is also Janus' chosen author this week - http://www.facebook.com/janus.gangi
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