Today I welcome fellow Atlanta author, Deidra Ds Green! I had the privilage of meeting Deidra on Facebook and then in person in October at the Fall Festival at the Clayton County Headquarters Library in October. This is one busy woman!
Welcome, Deidra!
MJ: Uh oh....make me wonder if I'll end up in one! :)
Do you have any suggestions to help new authors become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I tell the authors I work with to ‘just
write’ and to write everyday even if it’s just for 15 minutes. It’s important to just write because there
are times when we can burden the story by trying to conceptualize everything in
advance. That kind of thought process
doesn’t give the characters any room to breathe and they never get a chance to
come to full fruition. Readers enjoy
characters they can get to know and relate to but if the author creates
contrived characters based on over-thinking, those characters tend not to be
memorable. The other suggestion is to
write every day. It takes 21 days to make a habit. Once you master the art of writing every day
even for brief periods of time the habit is developed. Success is built on the little things we do every
day toward our goal and purpose.
Welcome, Deidra!
What inspired you to write?
I know there are a lot of authors who say this but I have always
written – not always for public view of course, but writing has been a part of
the fabric of who I am since as long as I can remember. I can’t say that there has been any
particular inspiration but rather writing for me is essential like
breathing. I feel like without it I
would cease to exist as the person I know myself to be.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
My writing work schedule is very vigorous. Because I freelance, ghostwrite as well as
write for myself, it feels like I am always writing. On average, I write for myself roughly 5
hours a day – getting up before 5 a.m. and often not going to be until late in
the evening.
What
would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
When I write I listen to music through my headphones at the
highest volume. I have a variety of
playlists I listen to from classical musical to gospel depending on what I’m
writing.
Are you a
pantser or plotter?
I am both
which I guess makes me a pantsplotter!
Most often I do character development and at least have a general idea
of where I think the story will end up.
However, my characters will and do speak for themselves and I let them
which has and does drastically shift what I thought would be the original story
line.
Are your
stories based on experiences based on someone you know, or are events in your
own life reflected in the characters/stories you write? Can you share and
example?
I think a part of me goes into every storyline. Having worked in child welfare for nearly 18
years has also greatly influenced the kinds of stories I tell; tapping into the
experiences of the children and families I worked with. I am an observer and
like to watch people. Even brief
encounters with others can penetrate a storyline.
MJ: Uh oh....make me wonder if I'll end up in one! :)
Do you have any suggestions to help new authors become a better writer? If so, what are they?
MJ: Wonderful suggestion!
Are you
self-pubbed, indie pubbed, or traditionally pubbed?
I am with Rathsi Publishing
which is a small press publishing company.
What are
your current projects?
October 2012, I released “Woman at the Top of
the Stairs”; a psychological thriller.
Domestic violence is an unfortunate
part of many relationships today. Every year more than 1.5 million women are
made victims of this relational epidemic. Has domestic violence become so
commonplace that it is no longer considered a problem? Have we grown so
accustomed to seeing and hearing about it that we not only turn a blind eye but
a deaf ear as well?
Meet Gina. She is the woman at the top of the stairs who
repeatedly hears the cries and screams of the woman who lives below her as she
is constantly victimized at the hands of her partner. Bearing witness to
Zenobia’s pain reminds Gina of the abusive life she narrowly escaped from. But
Gina can’t get away from the nightmares of her past; the tumultuous reminders
of how she was battered and nearly broken at the hands of her contemptuous and
menacing husband.
Will Gina be like the many and turn her back on Zenobia,
leaving her to fend for herself, or will she build an alliance with Zenobia to
end her suffering once and for all?
Find out in this compelling novel, Woman at
the Top of the Stairs.
About the Author
Deidra D. S. Green is highly sought after as a
lecturer, educator, and presenter. Her command of the podium, extensive
knowledge base, and ability to effectively communicate, has both informed and
captivated audiences. They leave challenged, inspired, and wanting more.
Deidra has continued her literary prowess as a
freelance writer, literary coach, ghostwriter and professional editor, as well
as authoring several books for all age groups. In 2009, she founded The
Mahogany Writers Exchange (MWE), a writing group for adults interested in
honing their writing craft. MWE became a virtual literary writing group in
2012.
Other Works by Deidra include:
·
From the Outside In
(non-fiction, true crime)
·
My Forever Airplane
(children’s non-fiction)
·
Smallest Superhero
(Children’s fiction series)
·
Smallest Superhero
and the CBU (Children’s fiction series)
·
Epiphanies While
Driving (inspiration/motivation)
·
Closet Issues: A
Poet’s Journey into the Dark Places (prose/short stories)
·
Wordsmithin’ (poetry)
·
Twisted Sister
·
Here Comes Katrina
(teen novel)
As well as a number of short stories and novelettes
including The A Letter to My Mother series, The Candy Man, My Own Mister,
Bearing Witness, 16, Doors, 48 Hours, Insatiable and Cornered.
Deidra continues to move in her passion and embrace
the power of the written word. She has several projects slated for release in
2012 including Exiting Gracefully, a collaboration with Author Andrea Ryan;
High Stepping, a collaboration with Author TyLeishia Douglass, Woman at the Top
of the Stairs, a psychological thriller, and Interstate 64, another in the
thriller genre.
