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When Writing Fantasy is Your Fantasy |
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Tuesday, 11 July 2006 |
An Interview with Donita K. Paul - Fantasy and Christian Romance Author Donita K. Paul is a Fantasy and Christian Romance author (under the pen name Kathleen Paul), grandmother and retired schoolteacher but what struck me most about her was her openness and willingness to help others along as writers. Paul’s DragonKeeper website is brimming with interactive games, chatrooms and forums for her fans and random onlookers to noodle around with. She holds a weekly chat whereby participants can ask her questions about writing, publishing and so on. A group of teens Paul mentored e-published four juvenile novels on writersexchange.com.
When I initially perused Paul’s site and asked to interview her I was unaware that she was Fantasy writer of the Christian variety. Paul has four awards that honor Christian writing under her cap, including a 2004 Christy Honor Award for DragonSpell (WaterBrook Press, 2004). This seems like something that may turn off some readers, or peg her as only appealing to a certain sect of readership. In a chatroom interview she said that, though her religion is part of her worldview that she is proud to represent, her fans cross all age groups and sections of belief. “I get email from soldiers, missionaries, moms, kids, and youth workers in both secular and Christian jobs,” says Paul. She writes to tell the story and part of her story is a Christian one, but this is also true of widely appealing authors such C.S. Lewis’s, Chronicles of Narnia. “For a year DragonSpell sold better in secular stores than in Christian stores.”
Religion aside, a tough little girl named Kale is the lead character in the DragonKeeper series, another of the elements in Paul’s DragonKeeper series that is inspired. Initially, Paul thought that this would cultivate a largely female audience. “Since Kale is a girl and some of the dragons (particularly the minor dragons) are cute, I really thought this book would be a girl’s book,” says Paul, “I was wrong, part of this can be explained by her sidekicks Dar, Bardon and Librettowit--they are all attractive as male role models.” Paul’s Kale was so popular that when she was absent from the first 2/3 of her last novel, DragonKnight (WaterBrook Press, 2006), her readers were quick to voice their objections. “I got mail from the male readership protesting that Kale wasn’t around. Go figure.” Like with JK Rowling when you are an award-winning writer the characters and the story will appeal to the opposite sex and differing belief systems when it’s done well.
Paul’s interest in writing fantasy was ignited after reading Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series during an illness and recalling how much she enjoyed fantasy as a child. She had already published several Christian Romances at this point and wished to try something new. During her weekly crit group meeting she presented the first chapter of DragonSpell. She got the big raspberry, but on the third try she won the group’s praise. “Then it just rolled along after that.” Paul is a “fly-by–the-seat-of-her-pants” writer, meaning that she does not plot or write character descriptions ahead of time. “I go back and take notes on what the characters have done and who is which character’s aunt.” Considering the number of characters in her stories this is no small feat. When she teaches she asks students to consider and attempt both this jumping off the cliff methodology of writing a novel and the more engineering plot every moment and every character regimen. Paul says it frustrates her when teachers shove students down one pathway or another as the only correct way. “Most students fall somewhere in the middle,” says Paul.
As far as editing her manuscripts goes Paul relies on feedback from one online critique group and two face-to-face groups she meets with weekly. “We crit everything from commas to comments,” says Paul. “My manuscripts have gone through critical analysis before they are given to editors (at her publishing house).” She deals with three editors at WaterBrook Press (a division of Random House, Inc.). A main editor, a content editor and then copyeditors. “I take what my editors say very seriously and change the things that are no-brainers.” After all, says Paul, “It is in all our best interests to make a great book.” There are only a few small fires Paul has had to put out in terms of dealing with her editors. “On the few occasions that we have a difference of opinion we talk. If I have a good reason for my presentation in the novel, they understand.” Paul is, apparently, skilled at proving her points as she won out against her editor’s recent objections. “In the last book there is a huge cast of characters. But one of the main themes of the book is that Bardon wants to serve Wulder and Wulder requires him to serve mankind. It is kind of an ivory tower concept to serve God, but in reality, that means getting your hands dirty and dealing with people, some of whom are not nice. Reality! So, the editors thought there were too many characters. I pointed out why this had to be. They said, Ohhh, and we went with the multitude of minor characters. They let me keep all of them in.” As for the editors not liking one of her characters extended names, “It’s fun and easy to say once you get the hang of it!” That characters name, Bromptotterpindosset, stayed intact.
One agent, Beth Jusino from Alive Communications (Colorado Springs, CO) deals with all genres of Paul’s books. “She is a real peach. She listens and she is proactive,” says Paul, “She thinks of things that I would never think of like putting in clauses on stuff that may happen years from now. She is not afraid to put her foot down or stand up for me.” Even small things like, recently, when Paul’s publisher asked her to get some new professional headshots taken. “She (the agent) is going to ask the publisher to pay for it. Whether they do it or not is still up in the air,” says Paul admitting, “I never would have thought to have even asked.”
Her publisher has recently bumped up the marketing for her series of books now that she has a solid platform. The fans in her chatroom and on her forum are enthusiastic and let Paul know what they do and don’t like about what her characters are up to—she’s worked hard to get this kind of support. “It’s the paradox of publishing that once your books are doing well, the publisher does more marketing.” But, like most writers Paul adds, “The author has to be willing to go the extra mile and that should not be a begrudging thing. After all it is your baby!” Paul recommends reading Carmen Leal’s You Can Market Your Book and Guerilla Marketing for Writers by Levinson, Frishman, and Larsen. Also Randy Ingermanson’s Tiger Marketing that can be found at his website, http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com. Marketing books help you rock that baby.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 17 July 2006 )
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