11/10/06, interview
YAW: Danielle! Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to interview with YAW. First off, who is your favorite YAW-thor?
DD: You know, I've never read another young author’s work! I probably should. I think I have some on my reading list that I want to get to!
YAW: Secondly, what is your favorite dessert?
DD: My favorite...I'm loving cheesecake. Especially the caramel apple cheesecake over at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill here in Las Vegas. My "adoptive grandparents" took me there for lunch when the book came out, a congratulations lunch somewhat.
YAW: When did you start writing?
DD: I was always writing short stories and songs. I think I was six when I wrote my first song on paper, I still have it! I brought it into my guitar teacher to have music put to it, its still a work in progress. I use to write plays for my friends to act out, even though they never went along with it. I have always been a performer! My mom recently found all the notebooks that I use to write all my stories in. It was funny going back and reading them.
YAW: When and why did you start trying to get published?
DD: After I wrote my first draft on Writing.com I just said, okay well let’s turn this into a book. Of course the story changed drastically over the next four years and it was last year that I finally sent in the manuscript. For four years the publisher kept calling me asking me if the story was ready and I'm like "No! Not yet! Hold on!"
YAW: What type of novel do you prefer to write or publish?
DD: I like to write novels that make people think and feel the story. Something that inspires them to do something or write their own story, like other books have done for me. Suspense, drama, romance, intrigue…
YAW: What has been the best thing to happen to you since publishing that you feel you wouldn’t have been able to have happen if you weren’t published?
DD: The best thing would have to be....well there have been a few. I have met some really great interesting people, who have inspired me even more to purse my writing career. I’ve gotten to meet my writing idol, Mary Higgins Clark, band members and people like that. It’s been exciting!
YAW: If you could have three wishes, and they wouldn’t backfire at you, what would they be?
DD: As of right now these are my three wishes:
1. To leave an impact on the world that generations to come will one day discover.
2. To have the only thing I’m asking for on my Christmas list for the rest of my life (shh, I’m not telling!)
3. To no matter what learn one thing from everything. I don’t do that enough.
YAW: A lot of writers are friends with other writers, like JRR Tolkien was friends with CS Lewis. Are you friends with other writers of any age and if so, how does having other writers in your life influence your own writing?
DD: I am friends with a few authors. Without one of them I don’t think I would have my novel right now. He was a bestselling author and somehow or another he ended up being my tutor. Long story short, he told me that I could never make it as a writer and that my ideas were stupid. That really pushed me to write and show that I was capable. Another author I am friends with published with the same company as I did, she wrote a children’s book. I take credit for getting my friend Andy into writing because he was reluctant to show his work and one day at school I think I persuaded him to put it out there!
YAW: A lot of people think that young writers don’t have enough life experience to write well. They think that young writers are a gimmick. As someone who has been published young, what is your response to those people?
DD: This is a never ending battle that I am always faced with. I think that you can’t say that you are not able to write about whatever it is just because you "haven’t experienced it". It’s called imagination. I read so much that I feel that what I have written is pretty accurate.
DD: I do. It’s a mixed response, sometime you get the kids who go, "oh wow! That’s so cool!" and then you get the ignorant jerks who ignore you and talk behind your back because you did something they didn't. In that situation, it doesn't help when the teachers know because they mention it and then I look like an even bigger goody-too shoes that I am (I heard someone say that about me when she thought I wasn't listening!).
As for boyfriends....I haven’t found that lucky guy yet. I can’t answer if they think its just apart of me. I’ll get back to you!
YAW: A lot of young writers look up to young published authors, because you represent the hope that adults will take young writers seriously. What is one piece of advice that you would give to young writers?
DD: Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Forget them and do what you want. Take every chance you have because you might not come across it again. I’m still kicking myself because someone who I really needed to talk to was right behind me and I didn’t turn around and talk to him. If I had talked to him, who knows where I would be right now. Also try everything. If you don’t get it one way, come up with another plan. I have a picture that I printed out from somewhere it says, “There is always a way”. I keep it in my bag at all times.
DD: I was buying makeup at the Benefit counter and this woman who worked there seen me at a book signing for another author. She pointed me right out and kept saying "I thought I knew you! You wrote that book!" I was hoping that she would give me a discount but she didn't!
Recently I was on the internet and I get a message that asked: Are you Danielle Deneault? I seen your picture in the library and I’ve been trying to find you everywhere! I’ve already wrote to five other blonde Danielle’s!
That made me feel really famous!
YAW: What is one thing you wish you hadn’t done as far as your publishing life goes?
DD: It would have to be the experience I had with my editors. I had eleven and each of them messed it up one way or another. Instead of going with people I knew I should have just paid a whole bunch of money to have it done right. Thankfully things turned out alright in the end.
YAW: What do you feel are some of the reasons your novel resonates with your readers the way they do?
DD: I think people relate and connect to the story because it has elements that everyone goes through. There is always that person that you wish you had talked with or started a relationship with but they slipped away.
YAW: What has it been like being a young adult while also being a published author? How have things changed, or not, with your friends, family, and co-workers?
DD: A little bit, I don’t know, I’m not famous enough yet for people to start acting weird around me. If they are acting weird I don’t notice, I guess.
YAW: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you and what three people?
DD: I just got a sidekick 3 and I am addicted, so that’s going with me. The only book I can read over and over again, Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcarterra, and my ipod filled with every song that I love. Three people I would bring, my mom, my nephew(s) (you have to take both of them!) and Mr. Tyson Ritter from the All American Rejects!!!
YAW: You published Decision of a Heartbeat with a print-on-demand publisher instead of a traditional publishing house. What have been the pros and cons of this decision?
DD: The pros have been that I’ve gotten to retain all my rights and had complete control over all the aspects of the designs. The cons have been that there is no promotion. You have to do everything yourself and try to get people to look at it because its not with a traditional publisher then it must be a terrible book. This is a misconception that I take to heart. If the book is good then it shouldn’t matter how you got it published. Everyone should be given a chance to show themselves.
YAW: Your book’s main character is a young man. Why did you choose to tell the story from a male perspective over a female one?
DD: I always felt that I had to write from a female perspective but every time I would I would freeze and not like it. I connect more to guys and I found it so much easier to write from that for some reason.
YAW: How have other young writers inspired you to pursue your own dreams of publication?
DD: Really I didn’t know of other young writers, I figured they were out there but I didn’t know of any.
YAW: You have started work this past summer on your next novel. Care to tell the readers at YAW a little bit about your next project?
DD: Absolutely! It completely different from anything that I’ve written before and its something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. It’s very raw and unrefined. It’s about finding the path that you want to take and becoming who you want to be. Facing the “right path” where you’re conformed to do things just like you should or the “wrong path” which always looks so inviting. There’s got to be a happy medium and hopefully my character can find that. He’s not having much luck right now…
YAW: Well that's all from me! Anything else you'd like to tell our readers and your fans?
DD: I’d like to first of thank B., she’s been changing things around for me and making everything so great, so thank you! To the fans, thank you for the support!! Come up to me for advice I’d be so happy to hear from you and to help!! Again, don’t give up and keep pushing for the top!
YAW: Thanks, Danielle! It's been an honor and a pleasure. We are wish you continued success in your writing career and look forward to many more books from you! On that note, everyone should go out right now and hunt down Danielle’s novel Decision of a Heartbeat and be sure to visit her at www.myspace.com/decisionofaheartbeat!
-- Interviewed by B.
© Copyright 2006, oocities.com/youngadultwriters. All rights reserved.
< Back to Interviews >
Are you a young author? Want to see a page of your own here?
Contact B. at youngadultwriters@yahoo.com