Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a fourth generation Californian who lives in East Highlands, California, not far from
where my great-grandfather planted the first orange trees in this area. I had a wonderful childhood and grew up thinking that everyone had grandparents with big, soft beds and great stories to tell. I like music (classical and swing), walking by the ocean, reading (MG, YA, and adult), cooking, and the smell of violets I seem to have a good memory, for I can recall things that happened when I was not yet three years old.
I come from a family of pioneers. My great-grandmother walked all the way from Vermont to California because the swaying of the wagons made her “seasick.” She had very large feet, and no wonder. I have always loved to hear those stories. I have a special love for the beach, for I spent summers there at my grandparents’ house. Maybe that’s why so many of my children’s books have beach scenes in them – or at least river scenes. My favorite color is blue, and I love caramel sundaes. When I was a child, I was ill for several months with an ear infection, and I read the poems of Robert Lewis Stevenson. I still remember the magic of the counterpane when I made hills and valleys and populated them with tiny china animals.
I have written 30 books, over 500 articles and short stories, and seven juvenile plays.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I just finished the final draft of WHEN CRICKETS STOPPED SINGING, set in 1939 in the fictional Southern California town of Messina. It was a time of indecision in our country – a time when we were on the brink of entering World War II. It was also a time of indecision in Messina. Mr. Jefferson Clement was back, and no one seemed sure what to make of that. Three friends (Angie, Reba Lu, and Geraldine) decided to follow the preacher’s advice and love their enemies – the people in the town who were the worst sinners. Mr. Clement was on their list. So was Dodie Crumper, the least liked child in the 5th grade. The inspiration for this story comes from a situation in my home town, something that I observed and escaped becoming a part of. Though these characters are fictitious, they are very real to me.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I often read of writers who work for long stretches of time – sometimes whole mornings.
This would be such luxury. Since I teach school three times a week and conduct a fair number of writing workshops, I find myself working in spurts and late at night. Twenty minutes here; ten minutes there. It all adds up, and I have learned to use these minutes to the best advantage. I always carry a notebook of some kind so that I won’t let a bit of conversation or a great idea slip by me. When I do get a chance to write for an extended
period in the morning, I sit at the computer in my robe and slippers, a fresh pot of coffee and a bowl full of Cheerios nearby. Whenever I get a chance I spend a few days at the beach, where I know of a little motel right on the sand. Then I write for long, luxurious stretches of time, stopping only for a walk at sunset and food now and then. I don’t really think these are unusual writing habits. They are just mine.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
In college, I loved to read Faulkner (especially THE BEAR) and Hemingway (everything). I have a special place in my heart for Mark Twain and Steinbeck. In more modern literature, I admire the simplicity of Alexander McCall Smith and the great energy of James Rollins’s adventures. In MG and YA literature, I like to read anything by Karen Cushman, particularly CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY and THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. Mary E. Pearson’s THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX fascinated me. I love everything by Ursula K. Le Guin and Laurie Halse Anderson. Gary Paulsen’s HATCHET is timeless. And I admire the poetic voice of Jane Yolen. As for influence, I guess I’ll have to return to Faulkner. It was while I was working on an analysis of THE BEAR in college that I discovered that I had a voice of my own and could write. My analytical essay earned me a monetary award and the feeling that I had more words to share
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on two books: one a MG novel titled THE TROUBLE WITH ARNOLD and the other a YA novel titled KYTELER’S INN. This book is both contemporary and historical – one layer built on top of the other. It takes place in Ireland today and, alternately, in the 14th century.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon. Linked In, Facebook. My own site at http://www.marilyndonahue.blogspot.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read, read, read. Especially read in the genre in which you want to be published, but don’t limit yourself. As you read, use a yellow marker and highlight passages that you admire, bits of dialogue that are meaningful, images and metaphors that make you catch your breath. It is even a good idea to type several pages from a favorite book. This is a great way to capture the phrasing – the pauses that matter – the flow and rhythm of the writing.
Write, write, write. Carry a notebook with you. Jot down bits of conversation and make notes about the voices you hear. Record impressions: smells, sights, sounds that touch your imagination.
Take a piece of paper and rough sketch a setting (any setting) that appeals to you. Don’t try to do this well. It is meant to be rough. Keep your hand moving. Take another piece of paper and describe what you just sketched.
Now use your rough-sketching experience to map your entire story by creating the kind of map/sketch kids love to look at in the front pages of the books they read. These exercises keep you (and your readers) aware of the details of setting. They also help you create characters who belong in your story and a plot that is believable.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t try to write about what you know. Instead, write about what you feel. If you’re not sure what that is, go back to Number 7 and sketch a little more. I find it amazing that emotions are related to moving a pencil around on paper!
What are you reading now?
I am starting FAKING NORMAL by Courtney Stevens Potter. Just finished another of the Richard Jury mysteries (THE ANODYNE NECKLACE) by the talented Martha Grimes. And waiting in the wings on my new Kindle is THE FIXER UPPER by Mary Kay Andrews.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have several books I want to finish and a few I want to begin.
(1) KYTELER’S INN: a YA novel set in contemporary Kilkenny, Ireland, with the historical story of Dame Alice Kyteler, the “witch of Kilkenny” as an undercurrent.
(2) THE TROUBLE WITH ARNOLD: with MG characters who are close to my heart.
(3) THE QUICKSILVER TREE: first draft completed, but I’m not satisfied.
(4) THE BUS AND US: a memoir piece that may have limited appeal, but I intend to finish it anyway.
(5) A collection of family stories that I have to write if I want to be able to use my spare bedroom as something other than a storage place for family papers and pictures.
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?
That’s easy. THE BIBLE. Shakespeare’s collected plays and sonnets. HUCKLEBERRY FINN. A collection of GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES. That’s four, but I need one more: A CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES by Robert Lewis Stevenson.
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