Donna Cook, YA novelist and book editor, explains how she created her first book series and how writing helped reveal her determination for a goal, but only as part of a well-balanced life.
YaYaYa: Donna, how did you begin writing?
Donna: I’m one of those who wanted to write since I was little, always scratching bits of story on yellow legal pads and never quite knowing what to do with them. I have a degree in Creative Writing and started my professional author career around fifteen years later. I write epic fantasy under Donna Cook and contemporary romance under a pen name. As of this writing, I’ve published fifteen titles.
YaYaYa: Who are your favorite fiction writers? Who inspired you?
Donna: I have many. My shelf of honor includes writers who range from Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Paterson to Megan Whalen Turner and Ursula K. LeGuin. I’m just now realizing these are all female authors. I do have some books I love written by male authors—The Book Thief by Markus Zusak leaps to mind—but that’s the only book of his I’ve read. I have to give props to J.K. Rowling though, because she’s the one who got me into fantasy. I totally missed the boat as a kid.
YaYaYa: What did you learn about yourself from writing and publishing?
Donna: That I have more determination than I ever thought, and that as much as I love writing I think it’s important to have a well-rounded life. With today’s publishing climate, it’s not unusual to see authors overworking themselves. Our mental and physical health matters, too.
YaYaYa: What do you love about fantasy? If not fantasy, what would you write?
Donna: In addition to fantasy and romance, I’m also interested in hard-hitting YA (think Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fault in Our Stars, etc.). Of course I also have a literary tome that’s been brewing in the back of my mind for about eight years now.
What I love about fantasy is the complete freedom to create anything I want. I love the magic and mystery of the genre, as well as respect for our most basic human virtues: honor, love, and sacrifice for the greater good.
YaYaYa: What stories in other mediums such as movies and graphic novels have inspired you.
Donna: I adore the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended version, thankyouverymuch). I mean, do I really need to explain that one? Of course, as with books there are many movies and television shows that inspire my muse. My current fixation is Luciferon Netflix, which is probably one of the most misunderstood shows out there right now. It’s not at all what people think it is, but it is crazy fun and completely bingeable.
YaYaYa: How much research do you do? Myths? History?
Donna: Not a ton. I don’t want my ideas to get too boxed in with what’s been done before. I do love reading about mythical creatures, but my “research” usually involves looking at illustrations that inspire me and letting my muse take it from there.
YaYaYa: How long does it take you to write a novel? Does it get easier on a second book with the same characters and world? Of course, setup time is less, but you also need a brand new story and you might not have more to say about certain characters. What has been your experience?
Donna: My first published fantasy took five years to write. The second took two years. I’ve since written twelve romances and can comfortably write one in a month. But that’s pretty much all I’m doing that month and I usually take a couple months off afterward to let my muse recharge. I prefer to sink deep into a story and get it out quickly. Other authors would hate that and do better writing a little each day.
An author’s first book almost universally takes the longest… by a factor of years. Just like anything else, the more you do something the better and faster you get at it. But don’t compare yourself to others. How fast you get once you’re working on, say, book five, varies widely by author. Learn about your process, try things other authors do to see if it works for you, be diligent about developing professional discipline… but ultimately honor how your muse works.
YaYaYa: The current DIY book biz recommends writers produce many (3 – 4) books a year to fill the pipelines. Some more experienced writers prefer to put more promotion time into a single book. That’s what Mark Dawson and Nick Stephenson recommend.
Donna: Marketing is a very complex topic and one that is ever changing as our industry evolves. I prefer not to give generalized advice since what you should do depends on your goals, your definition of success, your personal strengths and weaknesses, your genre, your time and financial resources, where you are in your career, etc. My best advice is to get as educated as you can about it, from many different sources (bonus points if they disagree with one another), and always ask “why” someone is doing what they’re doing. Their why may not align with your goals, strengths, genre, etc., etc.
Ultimately, for most authors it’s a matter of constantly trying things, seeing what does or does not work for you, and going from there.
YaYaYa: Your books have male heroes. I think there is an expectation that women write about female characters. What’s your response?
(I’ve written a few female protagonists so I know this from the other side)
Donna: I give zero stock to that. Authors have been writing outside their own gender forever. If there are readers who don’t like that, then they aren’t my readers.
YaYaYa: Do you have a writing routine?
Donna: Usually, yes. I try to give my best energy to my writing, so once I’ve finished my morning routine and workout, I’m working on the manuscript. I have a specific playlist I turn on to get me started. The first notes are like a cue to my muse that it’s time to work. I also keep my door shut and my phone off and away from me.
YaYaYa: What do you see as the most common problem in the writing that is submitted to you?
Donna: Lack of understanding what kind of story stakes are necessary to drive an entire novel. Sometimes characters are sort of meandering from one happening to the next. There should be a turning point at the 25% mark that asks a question, which will be answered by the climax. Always ask yourself, if my characters fail to get what they want, what horrible thing will happen? This horrible thing can be either in their personal lives or in the world at large, depending on the kind of story you’re telling. But it should be something that would devastate your character.
YaYaYa: Today in both movies and YA publishing, the biz model drives franchises such as the Twilight and Harry Potter series. You books are stand alone, but the world continues. How do you approach the franchise opportunity/challenge?
Donna: This is a very complicated topic that would take some time to answer even briefly. I’m going to have to pass on this one as well.
YaYaYa: What are your three favorite movies and what do you love about them? If you have more than three,
that’s great.
Donna:Depends on my mood. In addition to Lord of the Rings, I’ve watched the following movies repeatedly:Little Women, Empire Records, French Kiss… I could go on and on. Favorites lists are hard! There are so many!
YaYaYa: What would you add and what would you take away from your writing life to make it better.
Donna: I would have a wealthy patron supporting me so I could focus solely on the work and not have to deal with real-world stuff like bills and chores. Then again, how would I know how to connect to my fellow human being if I didn’t have to deal with any real-world stuff?
I would take away social media as a marketing tool. Not a fan.
YaYaYa: Your husband is an artist (excellent, btw) and is doing your book covers. Can you talk a bit about your co/design process?
Donna: Thank you for the compliment! I love the illustrations he’s created for me. I basically told him about the Phoenix and ash, he ran a few small comps by me, and took it from there. It was fascinating to watch him bring it all to life.
YaYaYa: DIY vs. Traditional publishing. I know you’ve heard this one often. Still, it’s an evolving question because the book business is still changing rapidly.
Donna: There is no one right answer for everyone. It depends on the author and often on the book. Some authors don’t want to deal with running their own business, so being Indie is a challenge. Some genres do better Indie than traditional and vice versa. I always encourage authors to do their due diligence and investigate the pros and cons of each so they can make an informed decision for themselves.
YaYaYa: Crystal ball time. What do you see as your personal writing goals. AND, industry wide, where are we headed in the future with Amazon, Goodreads, libraries, small book stores?
Donna: My goodness, you have a talent for packing a lot into one question. LOL. Truth be told, I have no idea. I leave future casting to authors who are better at it than I am. I’m also in the middle of a creative transition, so even my personal future goals feel murky. That’s something I’ve been trying to sort out for a few months now. All I know is there are two things my writing goals must preserve: the joy of creation and dedication to the craft.
You can learn more about Donna and her books here: http://donnacookauthor.com
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