Interview With Author Jackie O’Donnell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I admit it. I’m addicted to writing, be it poetry or prose. It’s a compulsion I’ve had ever since I first held a pencil and could make words appear on pieces of butcher paper from the roll my parents wrapped bread and other goodies in at our family bakery in San Jose, CA. It continued through third grade, when I won a prize from the school bank for a little masterpiece called “It’s Fun to Save.” Writing drove away the lonesomes of not being able to play with other kids because polio left me less than agile, and it led to several notebooks containing imaginary escapades of my mom, my dog Slicer, my wheelchair, and me. As a senior in high school I won the Creative Writing award and a scholarship, but I earned only a B in the class because I wanted to write what I wanted to write, not what was assigned.
When I began college, I decided writing was not going to feed me, and I loved the idea of teaching others how to communicate. Teaching was a natural fit. For many years I taught high school English, that universally hated subject. Those years gave me happy fulfillment and lifelong friends in the form of colleagues and ex-students. I count among my blessings “kids” who were now in education, politics, on both sides of the aw (in prison and a District Attorney), corporate executives, trades people, the famous and slightly infamous. Keeping in touch with these people, along with experiences I had growing up as a person with a disability, gave me food for thought…and for writing. Much of what I write, then, deals with how people treat each other.
In 2005, my son, Brian, vacated the nest to begin his own life. Deeply saddened by this, his father and I set out the following day to turn his bedroom into a guest room and buy new living room furniture. When Brian asked why we hadn’t done all that while he was still home, I could only tell him he’d understand when he had teenagers, and that we hoped he’d drop by often to see whatever else we were up to. Meanwhile, my husband, Frank, and I were content to make a life of our own while enjoying the man our son had grown up to be.
I’ve written six books so far, the latest one (“The Women in Me: How they Helped Me Survive and Thrive”) with my good friend Nancy Malone-Mercado.
Life is good. Life brings surprises, Life exists to be written about and shared.
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What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Women in Me: How they Helped Me Survive and Thrive” was born from a desire to empower women to recognize the Influencers within themselves and draw on their legacy. By doing so, they can face obstacles that could otherwise prevent them from having full lives. This memoir was designed to be readable, real, humorous, entertaining, and inspiring.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
1) I usually write a chapter or section in my mind before writing it down.
2) I’m devoted to the Oxford/Serial comma.
3) I avoid triteness and enjoy twisting old clichés into new images and keeping language fresh.
4) I insist that chapters be short so each can be absorbed in a single sitting, say, in the dentist’s waiting room.
5) I insist on injecting humor that helps keep readers engaged.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Frost and Ernest Hemmingway for their simple yet powerful style.
Mark Twain for his language and humor.
Stephen King for learning that a book’s excessive length doesn’t make it good.
What are you working on now?
Publicizing and selling my latest book and writing poetry. (Need a break from writing long works.) Also, I’m changing prices on all of my eBooks except The Women in Me. They’ve been out long enough that all I care about now is sharing them with readers, so they’re all free.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Bookstore events.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Decide on a purpose, audience, and structure before writing a single word. Then let the words flow, knowing you’ll go back many times to fix grammar and punctuation, repetition, missing parts, etc. before you give it to an editor. Don’t look at it while the editor has it–a break from it gives you fresh perspective when you go through it again when you get it back. Read it aloud. If you stumble or something doesn’t make sense…fix it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Best advice on writing: Keep your eye on the book you’re writing and worry later about how to publish or promote it.
Best advice on parenting: When I lamented the condition of my teenage son’s room, my grandmother told me to close his door and ignore it. It’s his space. He’ll get tired of its condition and clean it up–or he’ll run out of clean clothes.
What are you reading now?
Mainly mysteries. They’re fast-reads, let my mind play guessing-games, and are relaxing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I’ll stick to my poetry for a while. Which means that I have to immerse myself in experiencing the world around me more than I did while writing the memoir.
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?
1) A book of poetry, probably an anthology.
2) A book, with pictures, identifying birds, their features, habitats, mannerisms, etc.
3) A Bible, because it has so many good stories, ideas, and inspirations.
4) A solar-powered notebook computer so I could continue to write. (Okay. I know this is cheating, but it IS a “notebook”!
Author Websites and Profiles
Jackie O’Donnell Amazon Profile
Jackie O’Donnell’s Social Media Links
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