Ask the Author: Debra Dockter
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Debra Dockter
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Debra Dockter
Hi Cynthia. Thanks so much for the question. As of right now, there isn't a second book in the works, but anything is possible. I have some other projects I'm working on, but I'd love the chance to continue Kyle's story. There is definitely a lot that could happen!
Debra Dockter
I am currently working on a dystopian novel. Unlike many others, there are no evil governments or plots in this one. It focuses on the relationship between two girls in a very empty world. It's about finding hope in a world where there is very little worth hoping for. More than anything, it's a story about a bond between these girls and the difference that bond makes in their lives.
Debra Dockter
The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is to write and to read. And know that tomorrow you'll be a better writer than you are today. It's all about working and not giving up. But be patient. Writing is a craft and it takes time to develop your voice and style. Practice. Practice. Practice. We all know what a clarinet player who never practices sounds like! It's no different with writers. Learn the craft. Finish what you start, and don't give up.
Debra Dockter
The best thing about being a writer is not exploding! Okay, maybe I should explain. People have all kinds of emotions. For writers, there are always stories running around in our minds. Those stories come with characters who have emotions. So we've got all the emotions from our own life experiences and the emotions that come to us when we're imagining different scenarios with our characters. That's a lot of emotion! Writing gets them out. And even better, writing allows other people, complete strangers, to feel those same emotions with you. It's like being able to reach out and connect to people I'll never meet in person. It's magic.
There's a scene in Deadly Design that always makes me cry, no matter how many times I've revised it or read it. Hopefully when people read that particular scene (here's a hint -- it's during a high school graduation), they'll shed a tear too and somehow it will be like I've shared a moment with every reader. Like we've all been touched by the moment Kyle, the sixteen year old who has lost his twin, finally feels a connection to him. And we'll all feel a connection to each other.
There's a scene in Deadly Design that always makes me cry, no matter how many times I've revised it or read it. Hopefully when people read that particular scene (here's a hint -- it's during a high school graduation), they'll shed a tear too and somehow it will be like I've shared a moment with every reader. Like we've all been touched by the moment Kyle, the sixteen year old who has lost his twin, finally feels a connection to him. And we'll all feel a connection to each other.
Debra Dockter
I'm glad to say (knock on wood!) that I've never had writer's block. That being said, I have had plenty of those moments when the right words just didn't want to come. That's usually because my mind is being pulled in different directions, like it is for all of us. I find the best way to deal with it is to try to forget everything else and really put myself in the moment with my character and what he or she is going through. I try not to think too much about plot and more about putting myself in my character's skin and basically saying, "I'm here to tell your story. Help me out." And they usually do.
Debra Dockter
To be honest, I'm writing all the time (at least in my head). Sometimes it's good to turn the radio off in the car and just think about plots and characters. Or sometimes I listen to certain music that I think my characters would listen to and that inspires me to get in touch with them. Right now I'm writing about a girl who loves Green Day and My Chemical Romance so I'm listening to them a lot. The toughest thing is leaving the responsibilities of daily life and getting to that quiet, internal place where your muse can really start talking to you.
Debra Dockter
The idea for Deadly Design came from my love of science and also from a manuscript that I'd written that I decided to scrap. But while I could scrap the book, I couldn't say goodbye to one of the characters. I really loved the boy who would eventually morph into Kyle, the twin born two years after his perfect brother. Science is so amazing and when I was doing research for the book, I found myself in a world of so many possibilities, some amazing...some kind of scary!
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Sep 04, 2015 10:10AM