Donna Hole Interview Questions

Hey ya’ll. Your Intrepid Jr. Editor of very small publishing company here in the dessert that North Texas has become. The temperatures are blistering, tempers are short, and our country is struggling, and so are we all. But one thing I know in the midst f it all is that people are working their tails off to keep it going. I know disabled vets and injured mothers making things happen. I know hard working fathers who spend every moment they can at the pool with their children during this epic turn in weather and economic events. We are all carrying our own burdens, and many of us, a great many of us are carrying them well. I had the privilege to get to know one of those people.

I want to offer you, my loving Friends and Fans the opportunity to do the same. I give you Donna Hole. Donna offered us a feral tale called “Scent” and we tracked it down, caught and chose to keep it. She also pointed out some glaring missteps in my blog, and for that I thank her. I promise Donna, I am going to get that fixed.

Open Heart Publishing: Hello. I know you have been on pins and needles waiting on us to move forward with AHL V3. Believe me when I say everyone has. I had the best time doing my research for this interview. Your blog is compelling and I enjoyed reading it. One thing that really stands out for me is the fact that you work in the social services sector and that you love your work. The general idea about that type of work is pretty negative. What is it you like so much about social services?

Donna Hole: Yes, there are a lot of negative associations; but when the programs are being used in the manner they are intended it can be a rewarding experience for both the recipients and the case manager. I love working with families, putting people in touch with the resources that can help them get back on their feet and feel good about themselves. As an Employment and Training Worker, who also happens to be an eligibility case manager, I am privileged to meet and assist a wide variety of people in various transitions of life. Given today’s volatile job market, many of my clients have worked their whole lives, and suddenly find themselves unemployed from business closures, employee cutbacks, funding loss. Whatever the reasoning, they have exhausted every available resource, and my agency is their last resort before starvation or homelessness and not uprooting their family on a wish for better circumstances elsewhere. Geographical relocation is no guarantee of employment success. The agency and people I work with also make it a great job. Work is work, no matter what you choose to do for a living, or how much you enjoy the field. My co-workers, managers, directors; all make the office environment a congenial place to call a second home. Short of sounding altruistic, it’s hard to explain how fulfilling it is when people work together to bring about a success story.
　
OHP: Wow. That’s an insight to the service sector I’ve never considered before. In the end ya’ll are doing what it takes to help people. I also realized that in addition to your desire to help the community that you also have a pretty large family, by today’s standards anyway. They obviously inspire you. What makes them your creative muse?

D.H.: LOL, five kids is quite a lot. And before any of the readers has a heart attack they are quite spread apart; 28, 26, 22, 21, and 13. Four boys and a girl (26). As kids go, they all did the usual stuff; but they are all so different in personalities, interests, skills and friends. Talk about an education in life! There is always something going on in their lives, or their friends’ lives, and as weird as it ever got, sometimes I can still say “yeah, but what if instead . . .” and come up with an even freakier story.

My kids taught me anything can be true if it is bizarre enough. No, I never had to sit at a mall or the DMV to observe people; I just had to let my daughter have a slumber party, or listen to my oldest explain that he didn’t intend to build the pipe bomb he researched for a science project, or eaves drop on the middle son talking to his geek buddies about game scenarios like the characters were physically present in the bedroom with him all night long . .

Two blonds, two brunets and an ADHD red head … Does that say anything about my muse?
　
OHP: Indeed it says quite a lot. Kids … they are a heavy spice in life. You inspired me just telling me about it. I read in your blog that you have some characters that people aren’t really connecting with. Why do you think this is and have you considered breathing new life into them in separate stories?

D.H.: My best writing strength (IMO) is my ability to write vivid, realistic characters. Readers become quickly and intimately involved with the character’s world, their perspective and their specific circumstances. This skill works in my favor in fantasy/thriller stories. In the case of my women’s fiction trilogy, I have developed people that are easily identifiable in just about everyone’s lives; a sister, brother, parent, best friend, or even the reader themselves. I think I accomplish my intent of taking social issues that are usually published in non-fiction – memoir, biography, case study reporting – and exploring it in a fictional setting.

The problem is, possibly, that readers have an emotional or moral reaction to the subject matter (domestic violence and substance abuse), which in turn means they either love the novel (or characters) or they hate them. There is no in between.

The members of my FTF critique group are action/plot driven writers; fantasy, mystery, YA, thrillers. They write to escape the real world, so real world issues aren’t interesting enough to catch their attention. I’ve had a few online friends who write in the same genre read the first novel, and they liked it and had some valuable feedback that did “breathe new life” back into the characters. I also had two expensive professional readings that had about the same responses as the women’s fiction/romance writers.

All of this leads me to believe that honest feedback is invaluable, even if it hurts initially.
I have experimented with the characters separately. I have a serial I’m writing on my blog that uses Cal and his illicit lifestyle from his POV, and Amy and Robert have shown up in several of my romance excerpts. I also wrote a very sexy short story using Cal and Amy and a lot of erotic toys that is set in Las Vegas. The serial and blog excerpts are never intended to be published anywhere else, and while they are true to the character profiles (ARCs), not intended as anything more than writing experiments.

The original premise for the novel(s) remains intact; scene plot and character progression is the only thing that changes with the feedback. But I’m no Jodi Picoult (even minus the sexual content), and perhaps I still have some story/character building skills to hone before delving into such controversial issues with any amount of success. I keep learning new writing skills, and maybe one day a light bulb will flash and I’ll again be able to work with my favorite characters and make them marketable. Many authors never sell the first novel (in my case trilogy) that launched the writing obsession. Like the first child, the first novel is the one that hosts all an author’s experiments and learning experiences.

　
OHP: Again, with the inspiration over here. But that’s not all. I saw the vlog you have attached to your blog. It’s very good. What’s your inspiration?

D.H: The vlog is good? Or the story it portrays? Both I hope. My blog friend Elana Solodow is experimenting with vlogs, and has a spot on her blog you can submit up to 500 words of your manuscript and she creates this awesome vlog excerpt. For free! She has a U-Tube account she posts through.

Elana wasn’t the first blogger to go vlog that I’ve heard though. Nathanial Lee (Mirrorshards) posted a link to one of his short story writings and while I can’t remember exactly the story title, I’m sure the publication was either through Drabblecast or Dunestreef that I listened to about an hour and a half of story vlog (no visual, just audio) and it totally engrossed me. Of course, Nathan is an excellent writer – uhm, no really – and to hear his amazing short stories and novella’s in verbal medium (Nathan reads his own work sometimes, but Drabblecast is the best readers for his work) just astounded me.

Like finding the right agent/editor/publisher for your written work; finding the appropriate reader for the vlog/audio presentation is just as important. I think Elana is an amazing reader; and she gave me some editing inspiration to make the “reading” smoother.

As for the story itself, it is the brain child of my 22 year old son. Literally, it is a story he wants me to write for him. (There are more fantasy and sci-fi books on my shelves than any other genre.) Although there are barely two chapters written of his requested novel, we’ve spent hours and hours arguing over Wynter’s heritage, where she grew up, what type mage she is, what the exact items of her quest should be. We’re using the character descriptions from the Never Wynter Nights game book, but that is where the similarities end. He was adamant about the MC name as Wynter, and that she has a crow for a familiar (which is difficult to explain since I insist she is Paladin trained); but he’s unusually silent when I bring up the necessity of a plot.

If I could pick any novel to work on consistently, it would be Quest for the Book.
　
OHP: OOOOhhh. That’s just fantastic. I just had a nerdgasm. You sent us a fantastic story. I loved reading Scent. It has an almost erotic emotional depth to it that is very engaging. What was your inspiration for the story?

D.H.: Thank you Davin. To tell the truth, An Honest Lie was my inspiration. (Eric Trant was my introduction to the site) Under the “What we’re looking for” heading, my interest was piqued with “… the mix of mood, moment, and movement”, and “… we’re looking for the perspective.” I had this stalker story lurking in the back of my head – probably from watching police story episodes like Criminal Minds – and put that “perspective” concept together with the “justifiable hypocrisy” concept. I wanted to know how a stalker/serial killer justifies his actions in his own mind. (Yep, blame Dr. Spencer Reid)

But it needed something different to give it the in-the-moment feel that would sway the reader’s sympathies towards a ruthless killer. As I was writing the back-story section on his first meeting with the girl that becomes his obsession, I remembered a writers group prompt that involved a modern day werewolf passing an outdoor café and is distracted from his path by the smell of female blood.

And suddenly I knew how to “justify” the killer’s perspective. It was so much fun to write Reggie. I was afraid it might be too sexual, but after a bit of research on gray wolves – well, let’s just say it all fit.
　
OHP: Indeed it did, it fit very well indeed. That inspires me to query something else I found on your blog. It would appear you have a few novels you’re shopping. Would you be willing to share with our readers something you are super proud of?

D.H.: I’m only shopping the one novel, but have several short stories ready. As for sharing, do you mean an excerpt from the query ready novel?

OHP: That would be very nice.

D.H.: No problem; but what to choose that is reflective of the novel voice without being too sexual or abusive? How about:

A few days later, Robert paid her an early morning visit. He came in without knocking, helped himself to the refrigerator and a Bud. Dropping onto the sofa beside her, he patted her knee. Amy launched herself off the couch and ran for the front door.

“That wasn’t the real me you know,” he said, as if picking up a conversation they’d left hanging earlier. “I was just drunk. Worse than that. I’ve never treated a girl so disrespectfully before.”

Disrespectful, she repeated to herself. It should have sounded strange, but didn’t, not from Robert. She knew sincere when she heard it. Too torn to move, she stood with her hand on the knob and waited for him to say or do something that would make a decision for her.

　
OHP: Yeah, yes that’s the type of scene I love and that you deliver in Scent as well. Bravo. I have to say though that the whole writing process seems to keep your nerves on high alert. Why do you do it?

D.H.: Because the whole writing process keeps my nerves on high alert. I’m a stress junky. I enjoy creating worlds, and characters, and giving them crisis to overcome, growth to achieve. Thinking about the next idea, or how to get character A to point B, developing possible end-of-world scenarios, or creating alternate worlds is exciting. I love the challenge.

The most stress I feel regarding writing is querying, and finding the actual time to write. Most people have problems fitting in family time; but my day job is all consuming. It is ironic that I rediscovered my childhood dreams of being a writer at a time when I was unemployed. I spent that year writing the first two novels in the trilogy, and the early months of my job training (no stress, no responsibilities, no overtime) writing the third.

Four years later, I feel I have two careers, and I’m not willing to give up either the paying job, or the writing. I’m at a time of change in my life with the children being grown and gone, or self sufficient. Most of my co-workers are either out partying and chasing down the perfect relationship, or raising young kids and planning the next family outing, or enmeshing into their grandkids lives; (A second chance at raising their kids.) After 27 years of constant children, I’m not ready to start all over again with constant grandparent duties, and the outdoors has never been my thing.

Had I not been pointed in the direction of the online writing community (by my FTF writers group leader) I may have given up about three years ago – after my first round of query rejections. Meeting so many other writers with the same frustrations and desires has kept me going. I’ve gotten constructive feedback on my writings, encouragement as an author, tips from fellow blogger/writers that have been-there-done-that, resources I may not have found on my own. I have now achieved two writing publications; but without the interaction with the larger writing community, I doubt I would have made it that far without becoming discouraged

There are only so many times you can hear “I like it because you wrote it” from family and close friends and not question your abilities. So I guess what really keeps me going (aside from the dream of writing the next NY bestseller) is the writing community itself.

OHP: I noticed that some of your interests slide over into the realm of “geekdom”. Are you a product of the geek generation?

D.H.: I’m not entirely sure what the “geek generation” entails. I love futuristic worlds, technology, gadgets. I grew up watching my Dad work on Heath Kit projects, and my first husband was an electronics genius. I know the difference between a capacitor and a transistor, a mother board and a memory chip. A floppy disc will always be 5×8, not 3×5; Word Star was the first decent word processing program I used as an admin clerk in the Air Force. (I hated Magcard readers!) I still miss DOS, and my Apple IIe. How many people remember a TRS 80, Commodore 64? The Atari?

I’m like my father, who was a mechanical genius and could make any old hunk of junk run like the newest car on the market. But when everything under the hood was as electronic as the inside accessories, he just gave up. The PC changed the electronic age; sped it up and somehow made it smaller. No matter how quickly I learn something new, it’s obsolete before I perfect a skill. Except for the software that drives my day job, I get lost in the actual application of all this technology.

But I’ve been blessed with children who are motivated by this electronic world they live in. My 22 year old son is my consultant on the Cyborg Fairytale for gadgets, appropriate language, even weaponry. I am glad I can listen to and decipher enough of his monologues to sound knowledgeable in my stories.
　
OHP: Yeah, you qualify. You work very hard obviously. How do you keep it all together?

D.H.: Well, I don’t always. I fall behind, get overwhelmed, and lose my focus. I forget why I do what I do – day job and writing. But I am surrounded by friends and family who keep me sane – even against my will. And it helps that I enjoy my work. I even take breaks once in a while to read a novel and enjoy time outside of work and writing.
　
OHP: It seems to turn out that way, no matter how deep the pressure. There is always time for a book and a dip in the pool. I usually ask for advice for writers out there, but I want to ask you if you have any advice for our dear readers. You may advise our writers too if you like.

D.H.: My advice to readers is to be patient with a story. In this fast paced, progressive world, it’s easy to overlook exactly what you are looking for in a good book because it happened in the narrative instead of the action or dialogue. Remember it is not a movie, where you “see” the room or the character and can focus your attention solely on the action, and the plot. Even Neo had to slow down to “talk” with the Oracle, or to adjust from the vividness of the Matrix to the stark reality of the gruel Mouse called cream of wheat. Words take time to read and assimilate. Read with an open mind; be prepared to be entertained or to learn something new about yourself, or the world you live in. Let the story unfold at its own pace.

I guess I’d give some of the same advice to writers about patience. Words take time to write, to craft into a vivid world that a reader will barely glance at and expect a complete visual. Write with an open mind; let the characters speak to you, let the world develop its own unique set of rules and culture (yes, even the contemporary world).

Listen to feedback, but don’t be mired in too much opinion. A beta reader or critique-er is just a second set of eyes to point out things you may have missed, or that could be misinterpreted. Write with confidence that you are the best author to relate the story, and trust the reader to understand your message.

And don’t be afraid to offer your own feedback. Constructive criticism helps an author grow; and if you think you have nothing to offer as a writer because you’re reading out of your comfort zone, then switch hats and critique as a reader. Ultimately, it is the unknown reader that will either sell or denounce our story concept.
　
OHP: Do you play Words With Friends? And if so would you be willing to share your player tag?

D.H.: Huh? Is that a Twitter thing? Or game on Facebook? I’m all for social networking, but I don’t have time to tweet or play trivial games on FB (my blogging is time consuming enough). Word play sounds interesting, though; perhaps you can explain it?

OHP: It’s virtual scrabble. If you have a smart phone just look it up on your market. Words with Friends.

Donna Hole is an eclectic reader who enjoys horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and women’s fiction. She has a passion for short stories, both for reading pleasure and to write. Her short story “Two Minutes In Tomorrow” was published in Bewildering Stories issue #424. Her short story “Scent” will appear in An Honest Lie, Volume 3: Justifiably Hypocrisy. Donna continues to write short stories and novels, and also enjoys social networking. For more information about Donna Hole, visit her blog at http://www.donnahole.blogspot.com