Ask the Author: Dana Burkey
Answered Questions (22)
Dana Burkey
I've written the first draft of books in as little as a week if it is a novella, or for a full length book as little as 27 days once! But then it's also taken me month from when I start to finish the first draft if I take breaks, or even years from when I outline a story to when I finally get the words on the page and am able to finish a draft. I love when I can start writing and finish the whole thing without much breaks between. Sadly that is not always the case! haha
Dana Burkey
So often my most recent book becomes my favorite!! It's hard not to love one I just poured so much time and energy into. However, I have a non stop love for Learning To Fly and also The Kiss Dare. But, then my whole cheer series is a favorite in general since I have so many books and content there that I have LOVED writing over the last few years!
Dana Burkey
Yes!! Book 7 will be coming out on July 1st. From there I am hoping to continue the series, but may be taking a little time off of writing the series in order to get some other writing done. So lots more to come, both in the cheer series and also in general. :)
Dana Burkey
For my spring and summer of 2020 I'm working on reading as much as I can. With the extra time on my hands I figured it's a good time to not only work on writing, but also reading, supporting fellow authors, and taking the time for self care in diving into some fictional worlds!!!
Dana Burkey
October 1st. It's currently available for pre-order through Amazon Kindle!
Dana Burkey
I'm actually in the middle of editing my next book that is a coming of age tale called Goodbye Quinn. It will be out on October 1st!
Dana Burkey
I think the biggest things I learned was the detailed rules of cheer. Before it was all about being entertained by cheer. But now I have to make sure everything I say in my books is level accurate. The research also helped me connect to others in the industry on FierceBoard, which has helped me get to know a lot of other people including a few YouTubers and athletes in my area. All of which makes me even more excited I was inspired to write this series for the cheer world!
Dana Burkey
I have actually written all of my current books in chronological order. However, I have an upcoming project that is an old idea I am revising and I am actually writing book 2 in my head without even having all of book 2 outlined. It might be a big "connect the dots" book once I sit down to write it!
Dana Burkey
I'm not going to lie...it sucks. But, I am much more understanding of them then when I first got one and would more or less fly off the handle! I understand now that not everyone is going to like a book, and I don't even like every book for that matter. One thing I do when I'm feeling extra bad about a bad review is I go on Goodreads and read all the 1 and 2 star reviews from my favorite book. It puts things into perspective a little more. I also re-read my best 4 and 5 star reviews, and try to be thankful for those people even more! :)
Dana Burkey
Getting a good review is a massive validation of all the time and effort and energy that went into making a book what is it. It's the same feeling as getting the thing you wanted most for Christmas, getting everything on your Birthday list, and also getting that dress you've had your eye on at the store for a few months ON SALE! It's basically the best feeling in the world! <3
Dana Burkey
Meeting readers is my favorite. I recently had a mom contact me to let me know my TNT Force Cheer books were her daughters favorite books. Not only was she excited for a book all about all star cheer, she was also finally reading without being forced. I was so encouraged and touched that I send her signed copies of both books and the images her mom took while she was opening the gift made me actually cry. Moments like that make all the hard work worth it every time!
Dana Burkey
Great question! I am actually just over a month away from the release of my next book, Learning to Fly. It is the first book in the TNT Force Cheer series. This series is a YA/middle grade fiction series all about all star cheerleading. The book will follow a 12 year old tom boy named Max as she joins the world of cheerleading and begin to see if it is something she wan't to continue doing. The series will have some romance down the line, but for now I am loving the chance to just write about the sport, hard work, and friendship. It's been a fun writing journey thus far! :)
Dana Burkey
When I have writer's block I often will stop a project and come back to it much later. But, when I am facing it on a smaller scale I will often go around my house and do something different to distract myself. While I am doing a mindless task like laundry or dishes or watching random YouTube videos, then I will get enough ideas to keep me going once I sit down again.
Dana Burkey
Thanks to doing NaNoWriMo in 2014 I try to write my books in a shorter time frame so I can get the first draft all finished and on the page then go back and make edits. My book that is coming out this summer was written in about 22 days. This means I am often writing 2,000-3,000 words a day. Sometimes, I go a LOT farther in a day when I am really on a roll. I am working on the second book in my TNT Force Cheer Series right now and I average about 4,000-5,000 words a day. I don't always plan to get that much in, but thankfully when I'm loving the project my fingers just fly over the keys! :)
Dana Burkey
I am currently writing book 2 of my TNT Force Cheer series. This book is not due out until October, so I am just getting started on it. Book 1 in the series, called Learning to Fly, will be out on July 1st of this year, so I am also in the process of formatting the paperback book and also getting ARC copies out to readers.
Dana Burkey
Although I did NaNo in 2014, I don't know yet if I will do it again. Last November my book Playing For Love came out on the 1st of November, and this year I know the second book of my TNT Force Cheer series will be out in the fall at some point. However, I apply what I learned in NaNo anytime I write, often getting a first draft of a new book done with in a month, or shortly there after!
Dana Burkey
I am actually just getting started on a new book that will be book two in the TNT Force Cheer Series! Book one comes out on July 1st, so I am beginning work on book two now so it will be ready for release in the fall. The series is about All Star Cheerleading, and I am super excited to share it with readers!
Dana Burkey
I have been doing a lot of audio book lately since I can listen to them when I am doing house work. Since, when I have time to sit and work on things for a while, I am usually writing. Well, I have been listening to book 4 of the City of Bones series, and I don't like it much and I am kind of stuck. I am also in between books of the I Am Number Four series. I also just got both Jurassic Park books on audio as well. So...I have a lot of options....now I just need to start listening! :)
Dana Burkey
Right now Playing for Love is not a series. However, I have had such a great response from readers that I am not against a second book. I don't think I will ever make it into a longer series, but I have toyed around with the idea of writing about the time just before Jordan is going off to college and leaving town. This will be a nice way to follow up the emotions and story from Playing For Love while also allowing readers to see how things have progressed one way or another in the month after the end of the book. This is again not set in stone, and not really something I have outlined or anything, but it is a thought. Perhaps if nothing else I will write a few short novellas to follow up the story as well. It is all a possibility since I loved making these characters so much!
Dana Burkey
That is a really hard questions. I enjoy creating character that aren't like other book I have read. I really loved Summer from Changed?, and also both Claire and Olena from Locket Full of Secrets for very different reasons. Fiona from Playing for Love is the character I can see the most of myself in, and then Max who is the lead character in my new book Learning to Fly is based off of a lot of people I know all rolled into one. Picking a favorite from this group of amazing girls I had the pleasure to create would be basically impossible. I love that I get to create and make these great women girls can look up to and aspire to be like, but choosing just one is way too hard. They are all great and wonderful for different things that make them unique for their story and journey as a character.
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