THE JOHN OAKWOOD INTERVIEWS SHEET
Tell us a little bit about you outside of being an author.
I am a native Detroiter. I am a visual artist and freelance as an artist and writer.
Tell us a little bit about your work in progress and/or your upcoming release.
I have several items in the works. I have a short story mystery that I am re-creating as screenplay and a book I wrote when I was fourteen that needs approximately 125 updated illustrations. I am constantly composing poetry and plan to publish a new collection in the near future.
My latest release is my young adult novel, The Magic Pencil. It was published this past August and is an accomplishment of which I am extremely proud.
How many years of professional writing experience (if any) do you have? What have you written?
I have been writing all of my life; beginning with telling stories through pictures. As I have done writing and editing for some time and am paid for such, I would guess I have been a professional writer since the early 80’s. I have written articles for newspapers, copy for advertising, ideas for comedy, and poetry, poetry. poetry!
Do you have an occupation in addition to being a writer? If so, what is it?
As stated earlier, I do freelance art and am attending school to get certified in digital and web design.
Positions I have held in the past include teaching, project administrator and as a legal assistant.
What credentials establish you as an expert in your field or have contributed to your success as an author? (Please include degrees, work experience, personal experience, hobbies, etc.)
I have two bachelor degrees in which my writing ability was a boon although neither degree is for English studies. I have been involved with youth in many capacities: as a teacher, re-creator, mentor and friend. I believe I possess great knowledge regarding how children think. I call myself a “big kid” because I am able to nurture and share my inner-child despite growing older. I have great empathy for children and the challenges they face.
About the Book
What was your motivation for writing this book?
I began writing The Magic Pencil after noticing how important pencils are to children in school. They are considered as special as any other status symbol. This knowledge caused me to reflect upon my own experiences and I stated writing about them in the voice of an eleven-year-old boy. I wrote about ten pages in a small note book and didn’t pick it up for some time. It wasn’t until years later after I was accepted to a writing seminar that I found the note book. It was one of those times when one is guided to something forgotten based on what some may call divine intervention. I lengthened the writing to thirteen typewritten pages in preparation for my seminar. I felt the story had promise but I didn’t realize how much until the instructor, a well-renowned author, told me I would make a million dollars if I would turn those thirteen pages into about 120! I was so excited I managed to get the book to about 166, 8.5 x 11 pages.
Tell us some of the factors that make your book unique.
I feel my novel is unique because it handles a plethora of challenges all youth face, while growing up in our world. Not only are these things presented; suggestions for how to navigate through them are supplied in an entertaining way. The characters are engaging and will cause the reader to want to know more about them and in order to do so s/he may be driven to a dictionary. I like to describe the book as “sneakily didactic” as many new things will be learned without being force fed. Also, Malcolm, the main character, uses black vernacular to tell the story but demonstrates he is fully conversant in standard American English. Another way The Magic Pencil is unique is that ages five and up will be able to enjoy it.
What is the single most important thing that readers of your book will be able to do after reading your book that they could not do before?
I think the most important thing a reader will get from my novel is a new way of looking at the world and ways to meet its challenges.
Is there local or regional relevance for your book?
I imagine the story as taking place in Detroit but I didn’t want to limit it to any one city. Its main setting is in a tough, urban neighborhood.
What emotions does your book evoke from readers?
All of them!
Are there any controversial elements in your book?
Yes, many. Some of the topics dealt with are drug dependency, absent parents, sex education, truancy, blended families and methods of formal education.
In researching your book, did you come across any surprising facts, figures or statistics?
Yes, I did. I had to do a lot of research regarding sports in which the average boy may be interested. However, I didn’t deal much with figures and statistics.
If your book were for sale in a major bookstore, in what section would it be found?
I believe it would be found in the young adult section.
What did you learn while writing this book?
How much I enjoyed getting up everyday to work on something I am passionate about. I enjoy the discipline that is required to write well and daily.
What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?
How much of ourselves we writers pour into our work.
What are three things you wish you'd known before you reached where you are now?
- How to have gone about publishing a book at fourteen years old.
- That I was born to be a writer; first and foremost.
- How thrilling it is to see the effort I put into my story come to fruition.
How and why does your book differ from books of a similar topic?
Because it teaches serious lessons in a lighthearted way.
What would you like your readers to take away from your book?
I would hope the readers will experience the enjoyment and wonder I did while writing the novel.
If you could change one thing you did during your road to publication, what would it be and what would you have done different?
I would have had more faith in having someone else edit the book.
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
To just let whatever you care about flow onto the page. You can always clean it
up later!
posted November 1, 2009 by Push Nevahda Review
Book Readers Heaven has been proud to spotlight Karen E. Dabney this month! Now that you've learned more about her book, I've asked Karen to share about herself. and her writing..
Where are you from? Detroit, MI
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
When I was first able to talk, I started drawing pictures and then begin to tell stories through them, making them up as I talked, so, naturally, I have always felt I am a writer. I had no other choice, I think! I always had the desire, but I didn’t really appreciate my ability until I learned to be inner-directed regarding it—didn’t need to feel anyone’s approval to know that I am an excellent writer.
Your first book was a children’s book,
Yes, The Magic Pencil!
do you plan to continue in that area or move into others?
As far as I can remember, my first books were for children. I have one I wrote and illustrated (over and over) when I was 14. I am working on new illustrations for it. It’s taking some time because I don’t want to make them too detailed or too simplistic. It needs approximately 125 illustrations. My first self-published book is called Necessary Roughness. It’s a poetry book for adults. I drew the cover, laid out the type and made photocopies of it. Came out pretty nice. I will do a revision with additional poems I have written. I am trying to turn a short story into a screenplay (or play?). I am envisioning sequels to The Magic Pencil but the next storyline hasn’t revealed itself as yet!
You say you self-published Necessary Roughness. Perhaps you'd be willing to share several of those poems before you leave us and tell us more about it! Where do your ideas and subjects come from?
My observations; from all of my senses. For an example, I wrote The Magic Pencil because I wanted to uplift and guide youth and to spotlight African American Vernacular English (aka Ebonics) with demonstrating code-switching and allowing people to view AAVE as a legitimate language. I can go anywhere in the US (and I’m sure most of the world) and find somebody who’ll know what am talkin bout.
Indeed you would. I think we all use a shorter and/or colloquial language to a great extent and I've enjoyed a number of other books where Ebonics was used as part of the dialogue. To me it lends a reality to the storytelling that I enjoy.
Obviously writing came naturally to you from your childhood storytelling experiences...Yes, it comes naturally to me...
or do you have to work on it? Of course I still work on it! Writing comes from my life, from other people...from everything, so I'm constantly thinking in my head about a story to tell!
Did you go to school for writing?
No. But I always felt that my writing was great! I’ve attended two workshops I had to compete for in 2005 (Voices of Our Nation’s Arts, VONA in 2005 and the Hurston/Wright Foundation in 2009) and before them I worked as a volunteer for my city’s public relations department in order to have some official evidence of my skills when I was in my early twenties. The boss and staff thought highly of my work. I began to do freelance writing then.How many different drafts of a manuscript do you go through before you publish? I don’t go through many drafts but I do an immense amount of editing because I like to write in the stream-of-conciousness style.
How wonderful to have that self-confidence. I know that I can write, but I'm really not a storyteller, and here you are looking for what your next book will be about!
I believe The Magic Pencil will become a successful series!
How many different drafts of a manuscript do you go through before you publish?
I don’t go through many drafts but I do an immense amount of editing because I like to write in the stream-of-conciousness style.
OK, that's the second time you've said "stream-of-conciousness style." For those of us who aren't quite sure what that means...tell us more soon! So...what kind of environment do you prefer when you’re writing?
It depends on how I am feeling. But I like to be able to do it whenever I wish and to be comfortable in front of my computer.
What is your favorite part and least favorite part about being a writer?
My fav is when I am “in the zone” and my least fav is when I lose something I wrote that I felt was excellent. Just last night I didn’t properly save the draft of a nice long passage to publish to my blog and had a fit. One time, I did an all day marathon of poetry (about 50 poems) and accidentally deleted all but one. I was so upset I didn’t even think to click the undo button.
That's happened to me many years ago...once you lose something major like that, you do tend to remember to save, save, save! LOL Does your story/subject change direction after you have begun writing it?
If I allow it to go where it seems to want to go and don’t rein it in to a particular path.
How do you become knowledgeable about the topic you want to write about?
Research it and try to experience what I can about it. Talk it over with knowledgeable folk.
What do you do when you get stuck in writing? Take a break. Usually a short one.
Who were the people or person that inspired you to write?
There are so many I can’t name just a few. I am still inspired by anyone or anything. The writer being famous has nothing to do with my being inspired, nor does it have to be a written item.
What has been your favorite story/subject that you have written about and why?
The Magic Pencil, so far. I like getting into children’s heads and inspiring them. I like making them laugh too!
What tips do you have for aspiring writers? To read as much as they can and to write as much as they can.
Have you ever wanted to quit? What did you do when that thought struck you? It hasn’t.
Somehow I knew you were going to say that! Where do you see yourself and your writing in 10 years?
Living the way I want to with plenty of space and freedom to write and create visual art. I also imagine being a mentor to other creatives.
I think you are already a mentor to many of us online! What are you working on now?
My blog, my illustrations for my (40 year old) children’s book and promoting my children’s novel.
What projects do you have for the future?
Other than what I’ve mentioned above, not much else is concrete. I believe I will have to keep writing poetry and play with ideas about what to write next. I occasionally scribble some down and save them for future projects.
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date?
As far as writing is concerned, completing and self-publishing my novel The Magic Pencil.
Do you belong to any interest groups? Presently the National Conference of Artists and the Motown Writers’ Network.
Can we find you anywhere online? Where? http://dabsandcompany.com/ I'm also on Facebook, Gather and several other social sites, getting to know people...
How do you feel about social site marketing, is it beneficial to your present marketing?
I enjoy it but I need to be more subtle with my promotion techniques and become a bit more social because no one wants to see you pushing something on them all the time! It has been great for Internet exposure!
Now, that's not entirely true, even though you may feel that way right now since your book is out. If you'll recall, I met you on Gather.com years ago and we got to know each other there...in fact, you contacted me to give me an important suggestion regarding my book reviews... And I still think of you more as Nyota! (Folks, you'll have to ask her about that name, which has a beautiful interpretation!)
Karen, thanks so much for talking with us today...I hope you don't mind my request for a followup and maybe a few poems, if you're willing...LOL... I'm looking forward to seeing what magic that pencil gets into next time!
|
