Ask the Author: Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
Answered Questions (6)
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
Throw Away Sisters had been in the back of my head for a handful of years. It was being obstinate and elusive - always just on the verge of revealing itself, when one day it did. I wrote down the entire outline the moment it surfaced, so it couldn't escape again. I think sometimes book ideas are a culmination of events one has seen, read about, heard about, imagined or wished for, and they begin to surface when there is a common thread or a common denominator, or something that links the ideas together. Then it's a matter of filling it in with details, to make it rich, real and three dimensional.
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
When I'm in the middle of a book, I reread the previous chapter or two, to get me back inside of the book and get the creative juices flowing. When I start a new book, I make a plan of action. I need to be able to see the general beginning, middle and end before I can get excited about it. Then I flesh it out with details as I move forward. I constantly observe people, I read, and I play the "what if" game. I also bounce ideas off of writing friends. That's huge for me! They are a wealth of knowledge and ideas.
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
A sequel to my YA book, "Throw Away Sisters" called "Always Sisters. I'm also in the editing process for my middle grade novel, "Camp Get Me Out of Here", a Nellie Kate Applegate Book.
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
Read, research, go to conferences, network, play the "what if" game, observe people in public places, but most of all, sit down and WRITE! Make a plan of action. Who are your characters? What are their situations? What's not going to work in their favor? How are they going to deal with it? How are they going to solve it? How will they have grown from it? Get everything in your head down on paper.
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
The creative process! When you free your mind of the daily grind and focus solely on your characters and their situations, amazing things start to happen.
Debbie Winnekins Deutsch
I believe writer's block is your book's way of telling you you're moving in the wrong direction. Go back to where it felt right and play the what if game - let your mind venture off into all sorts of crazy scenarios and see if something clicks.
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