Welcome to Author Interview Thursday hosted by the Never Too Old for YA and NA Books group on Goodreads.
Today we welcome Dawn Metcalf!
Welcome Dawn!
1Did you always know you wanted to
be a writer or did you want to be something else?
I always
wanted to be a writer. Always. Next question!
How long does it take you to write
a book from start to finish?
Sometimes it
takes a year, sometimes it takes exactly one month, but those are extreme
circumstances. Most often it takes me about 6 months with plenty of
self-editing and revamping to have a solid first draft from start to finish.
Do you have a schedule of when you
write?
Yes. Whenever
there’s no one in the house or everyone’s asleep. I am easily distracted (Ooo!
Shiny!) and rife with guilt for not spending time with my family while they are
around and conscious. So this means that I usually write from 9am-2pm and, if
I’m lucky, from 9pm-midnight.
How are you able to balance other
aspects of your life with your writing?
Um… Next question!
What
was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Telling my inner editor to SHUT UP
and let me write!!!
How
many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite?
Published? My
third book, INVISIBLE, is coming out September 30th. If you mean how
many trunk novels? I believe I’m at 23 full-length manuscripts, not including
roughly 30 terrible picture book attempts. But, as I often say, there is no
timeline for awesome!
Where do you write?
I am very fortunate that I have my
own office in my house which is my writing sanctuary and filled with everything
from colored Post Its to scraps of paper littering my desk to a giant picture
window with a view of the backyard wilds. It is the perfect place for me to get
things done. (There is even a little sign on the door that says “No Whining”
under a cartoon by Ursula Vernon.)
Have
you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
I always share my first chapters
with my parents. My favorite reaction of my father’s was when he calmly
finished reading and pushed the pages back across the table and said, “What did
we do to you growing up?”
What
kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
There are things outside of
writing?! Actually, I like to do quite a lot including karate, baking, board
games, improv theater, make elaborate clothespin dolls, visit art fairs, throw
parties and add to my collection of costuming and Victorian hats. Oh, and have
fun with my family…that’s in there, too!
What
kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
Sit down and start writing. If
that’s too hard, stop. Go do something else. Seriously, if you can do anything
else besides writing, that’s probably better for your sanity, but if you can’t
NOT write, then you are One Of Us and your only hope is to sit down, butt in
chair, and start writing. When you are ready to think about things like
critique partners, story arcs, the Hero’s Journey and publication, then it’s
time to join your national writer’s organization (I belong to SCBWI, the
Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) and start talking to
people, reading forum threads, check out your online resources and hopefully
attend a conference or two. That’s when the magic starts to pop! You are not
alone and your community is there to help you. Writers are an amazing group of
passionate, creative people!
What
is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that
inspired/inspires you to write?
Oh, there are so many… Neil Gaiman, Spider Robinson, William
Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Joan D. Vinge, Mercedes Lackey, Terry Pratchett, Jim
Henson, Joss Whedon and Connie Willis to name a few early influences. Now I’m
also a rabid fan of folks like Holly Black, Laini Taylor, Maggie Stiefvater,
Brenna Yovanoff, Nova Ren Suma, Steve Brezenoff, Rainbow Rowell and Audrey
Niffenegger. I look to these folks for inspiration and the push to write
better, bigger & braver.
Are
you working on anything now?
Yes. I’m
awaiting edits for Book 3 of the Twixt series while outlining Book 4, which is
the next book up to bat…if not for the 3 ideas I have toodling around my brain
including a near-alt-future book about gender, a murder mystery involving
Jewish mysticism and a (*gasp*) contemporary
story about being honest versus being nice. And I can’t stop thinking about my
Dr. Who for middle graders…
It never ends, really. The ideas keep coming and there’s only so much time
to write
Thanks so much for being here today, Dawn. So great having you. We loved all your answers!
Thanks so much for being here today, Dawn. So great having you. We loved all your answers!
The role of Dawn Metcalf will be played by the tall brunette in the off-the-shoulder, floor-length leather straitjacket. Makeup by Clinique, buckles by Jada Pinkett-Smith, hair by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.I have no good excuse for the way I write. I lived in a normal, loving, suburban home, studied hard, went to college, went to graduate school, got married, had babies, and settled down in northern Connecticut. Despite this wholesome lifestyle, I've been clearly corrupted by fairy tales, puppet visionaries, British humour and graphic novels. As a result, I write dark, quirky, and sometimes humorous speculative fiction.
INDELIBLE: Book One of the Twixt by Harlequin Teen is now available. Book Two: INVISIBLE will be out September, 2014. Books 3 & 4 [TBA, 2015-2016].
Review Policy: My review policy has changed. I am removing all comments and stars from Read books. If it's here, I liked it or loved it (3-5 stars). I brag about books I absolutely adore and share other wild opinions on my website, Officially Twisted at www.dawnmetcalf.com
Website: www.dawnmetcalf.com
Blog: www.dawnmetcalf.com/blog
I loved Indelible! Great interview! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interview! :)
ReplyDelete