Interview With Author Carolyn Watson Dubisch
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written and illustrated fifteen children’s books, and four comic book series for kids -two are ongoing, “The Dragon in The Closet” and “After The Robots Died”. An older series, “The People That Melt in The Rain” is going to be released as two graphic novels -the first one next year, from odness books.
I have also illustrated four children’s books by other authors, as well as done illustration work for children’s textbooks, Star Wars books, Hopscotch, Highlights and other magazines.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dragon Stones is my newest book. It was inspired by my brother. As a child, we would visit central Maine where my family had a cottage on a lake. My brother was brilliant at skipping stones across the water. When my character Lizzy and her older brother Ron happen upon a lake in the woods. Ron immediately begins skipping stones. Much to their surprise, the stones come skipping back out of the fog that covers the water.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write long hand in a notebook. It creates a task for me of transcribing the story, but I have found that having stories and ideas hand written in notebooks is more secure than storing them on computers or drives. Computers get old and inaccessible after fifteen or more years. Storage devices fail. Even online storage accounts have not been reliable for me.
It’s the old notebooks that worked the best.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
David Weisner and Chris Van Allsburg were early influences for me when I was a young art school student in New York City. I saw their originals on display at the Illustrator’s Society gallery.
When it comes to writing, I love so many authors. Recently Sarah Rees Brennan and Erin Entrada Kelly for YA level stories, Audrey Wood for picture books, Ed Gorey, Richard and Wendy Pini for comics, and Aminder Dhaliwal’s “Dead End Job’s For Ghosts” was hilarious and taught me I still have so much to learn.
What are you working on now?
I am working on putting out the third issue of “The Dragon in The Closet, Dragon’s Journey”-up on one website will be on Amazon next week- and writing the fifth issue of that series. I am also finalizing the art for a wordless book called “Alien Farm, Scary stories For Kids”. Als finishing the art for the first issue of “After The Robots Died” and writing the third issue of that series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use social media -A LOT. I also use Amazon ads and offer up free ebooks when I can. Promoting locally is a good idea, but hard for me, because I live in a foreign country where I have only semi-fluency with Spanish. I have still done some school visits here and have my book in a local bookstore, but if I lived in the States I could do more I think.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t quit. This business is all about sticking around. The longer you last at this the farther you get. Even if you walk the marathon you still get to the finish line.
Promote. Promote. Promote.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
-If you do not go after what you want you will never have it.
Get out there. Get your work out there. Don’t stop.
What are you reading now?
A YA novel called “Binti” by Nnedi Okorafor. It’s a fascinating sci-fi story that I highly recommend. I’m also very slowly reading Stephen King’s “On Writing” book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have many stories that are waiting for me to illustrate, but as a writer, I am finishing “The Dragon in the Closet” and “After The Robots Died” -two comic book series that are pretty long-running. I have two other series, one is called “Dragonfly Girl” and the other is “Chronicles of a Flying Monkey” in the early stages of writing, both will be comics.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Purple Hibiscus. by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Let’s Not Go to The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The Institute by Stephen King
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Author Websites and Profiles
Carolyn Watson Dubisch Website
Carolyn Watson Dubisch Amazon Profile
Carolyn Watson Dubisch’s Social Media Links