Post your questions for Debra Driza here!

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Hello, everyone! It's Debra Driza and I will be participating in a live author chat right here on Gaia about my new novel Mila 2.0: Renegade. Feel free to post your questions for me here in this thread, and I'll pick the top 10 or so to kick off the conversation on May 14th! Once I select the top ten questions, I'll be answering those and any others you might have for me!

Mila 2.0: Renegade

This suspenseful, heart-wrenching follow-up to Debra Driza's MILA 2.0 will leave readers racing to turn the last page.

Mila is back on the run—this time with potential boyfriend Hunter by her side. As they search for a man who might know more about her mysterious past, Mila must rely on her android abilities to protect them from the people who want her dead. But embracing her identity as a machine leads her to question the state of her humanity, as well as Hunter's true intentions.

Fans of books filled with mystery and intrigue, like The Bourne Identity and I Am Number Four, will find everything they're looking for in this exciting series, including several unexpected surprises.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Hey everyone-

I'm here! I'm here! So excited to chat with you all today, about writing, reading...dogs. Raymond Reddington. Anything, really! biggrin

Thanks so much for having me!

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

llama-kiss

How do you come up with the ideas you are writing for your book? What is your creative process?

I use a variety of sources for inspiration—TV shows, news stories, things that happen in my own life or friends’ lives, watching people interact. Asking myself “what if this event had happened differently?” The problem for me usually isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s knowing which idea to focus on. I’m a super indecisive person, and I can (and do) often drive myself batty trying to choose between several premises.

As for my creative process---um, I’m supposed to have a process? Oops. What typically happens is that I do a lot of scene “creating” in super inconvenient places—the shower, driving in my car, while on a outdoor jog, three miles away from home. I try to get the scenes onto paper asap, and go from there. I’m a pantser by nature, meaning—my first impulse is always to just blaze into the story without thinking much of it through. With the MILA series, though, I had to become an outliner, and that’s been an interesting transition for me.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

PastelMaple

What inspired you to write such novel? Any tips and inspirational message to writers who seem unmotivated to continue their works?

First off, I’ve always been an absolutely voracious reader . . . from as far back as I can remember. And even though I don’t self-identify as a total sci-fi aficionado, science fiction was a huge influence on me growing up. Two of my favorite books as a kid were A Wrinkle in Time and Dune, and one of my all-time fave movies is The Matrix. In fact, I enjoy torturing my kids by asking them if they want the blue or red gummy vitamins every morning.

I think writing requires a real tenacity and the ability to believe in yourself. There are so many distractions available now via the internet. And, you are responsible for your own schedule as a writer – so, you need to know when to unplug, rather than spending hours laughing over Tumblr gifs. (though, Tubmlr gifs = win!) One way that might help keep you inspired to reach the finish line is to give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft. I’ve found that if I self-edit as I write, I lose enthusiasm for a project. It’s so important to realize that you can make anything better with revisions, but you can’t revise words that aren’t on the page. Also, BIC (butt in chair) works wonders—because you’re not always going to feel inspired to write, but you need to do it anyway. Often, you’ll find that once you start typing, the inspiration will come.

Finally, I’ll circle back to: believe in yourself. You can do this. The biggest difference between a published writer and an unpublished one is that the published writer never gave up.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Osom

Do you participate in writing groups or share your early drafts with anyone for feedback?

Both! I think feedback is hugely important for writers. In fact, I think learning how to use criticism to improve your writing is one of the most important steps for beginning writers. I started out working with online writing groups/forums– oftentimes exchanging manuscripts with people I’d never met before. As time went on, those strangers become friends, and by attending different conferences, book launches, and other industry events, I had the chance to meet many of them in person. These days, I would never consider sending out a novel without having it torn apart, I mean, critiqued, by trusted beta readers first.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Hell_Tutor

Do you have a routine before starting to write, something that helps get you more focused before you start writing?

Routine? Am I supposed to have one of those? Uh-oh. For me, pretty much the only routine is sitting my butt in my chair. I like a bit of chaos when I write – but it needs to be the right kind of chaos. I don’t necessarily mind music in the background, or people around me having quiet conversations. Unfortunately, I can’t work with kids running through my room shrieking or asking for PB & J sandwiches—if I could, that would be genius. Sometimes a quick jog while listening to a song that ties into the manuscript helps get me in the writing mood.

I also find I tend to work best in highly focused spurts. The write-at-x-time-each-day like clockwork just isn’t me. I have a fluctuating schedule, depending on which child needs to go where when, so I have to be flexible. My best writing often happens late at night, which is sort of unfortunate, as my children wake up at the same time regardless, curse them!

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

net9

When did you decide on writing stories to be published?

I started the quest for publication later than many—after grad school. I don’t know that “decide” was the right word at first—more along the lines of “hope.” My first book never saw the light of day, nor my second, or third. So at some point along the way, I guess I did make the choice to stick with writing until I got published. I’m stubborn like that. razz

net9

When you create a character...... what do you start with? Looks? Attitude? Purpose?

Well, I’m not an especially visual person, probably because I don’t see all that well. Because of that, looks aren’t very high on my list of important character attributes (this goes for real people, too). That’s one reason that I always fail when bloggers ask me to create a “dream cast” for my books—I really don’t picture my characters very specifically in terms of looks at all. I like to think about who the overall person is first. Purpose is often a starting point for me, because a lot of my stories are pretty character-driven, and what the main character wants is crucial to the plot. Once I know what they want, I tend to figure out their background—what happened in the past to make them the way they are. From there, I get more specific: what they like, what they dislike. What they fear, who they look up to. That sort of thing. What I don’t do is compile any of those fancy character trait charts that some authors have—not because I don’t think they’re awesome, but because I’m organizationally challenged.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Purplex Simplex

How long did it take to finish your new novel?

With the MILA series, I’m on a book-a-year schedule, give or take a little. With RENEGADE, I think it took just a smidge over. I had a lot of personal stuff happening in my life during that time period, so finally crossing the finish line felt like a huge victory (yay!)

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

KillerCaitie

Do you have any attachment to characters to the point where you don't want terrible things to happen to them?

I do become attached to my characters, and sometimes it is tough to write about them making bad decisions that I just know are going to backfire on them in a big way. You’re sitting there thinking, “oh, honey, no! Bad idea—don’t do THAT!” But over-protecting our characters typically = boring fiction, so torture them we must! I readily admit to squirming when Mila had to perform some pretty terrible acts to protect her mom in Book One. Then, of course, there are those nasty characters that you get intense satisfaction out of torturing. Just picture that kid who bullied you in high school, and take it out on the bad guy—a totally legal, non-violent, and satisfying way of dealing with crummy people!

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Tadashiini

I have a two-part question. I'm interested in becoming an author but am unsure of what to expect. What is it like being an author and what can I do to boost my career?

You know those movies and books where the author rides an emotional rollercoaster, thinking he’s a genius one minute and a washed-up poser the next? I’m afraid to say that stereotype can feel pretty accurate. My author friend Cindy Pon calls the quest for publication the “emo-coaster.” There are highs and there are plenty of lows, and you need to be prepared for lots and lots of rejection along the way. Know that rejection is normal, and that it doesn’t mean you won’t get there. You must be self-motivated and be confident in your writing ability. Also, a great piece of advice I heard early on is that, if you are serious about publication, you should take your writing seriously, long before you achieve that goal. The truth is that many people think they have a great story in them, and they very possibly do. It’s an entirely different thing to get that great story onto paper and revised into something compelling and readable, though—that takes commitment and work.

A bit of advice you’ll hear frequently as an aspiring author is: write, and write some more. Take that to heart. I think Stephen King says that you need to write about one million bad words before you get to the good ones. The best way to learn to write, as with pretty much any other skill, is via practice. I’d also add that any aspiring author should read widely and often.

For new writers, I’d suggest worrying less about how to boost your career and more about writing actual stories. That said, it’s never too early to create social media platforms. Workshops and conferences are great places to meet other authors, agents, and editors, and learn about craft and the industry.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Majestic Sugar

How did you start off? How was your life before becoming a writer?

As I’ve said, I was always a voracious reader and a big fan of movies, so I think writing for me started with a love of stories. I kicked off my first attempt at a complete book with a (really really bad) romance. I decided that since I’d been reading romances for years, surely I could write a decent one? Um. The book focused too little on the love story and too much on the dog sidekick character. Perhaps if I’d tried to pen a canine romance instead…

It’s hard to remember when I officially began to consider myself a “writer,” but I’d say that before I made writing a priority, my life was missing a little bit of a creative outlet. I’ve always had stories in my head, and once I began to put them to paper, it was a very fulfilling experience. Now, I can’t imagine NOT writing.

[[NPC] Debra Driza]

Sapphire Lapis

How often do you re-write scenes? Like, you have it written one way but are not pleased with it so you write you another way... How often does that happen?

Great question. The quick answer: often. I have twenty, thirty, forty+ versions of old manuscripts saved with different naming conventions, many of which reflect changes in key scenes. I’ll also take particularly problematic scenes out of the manuscript and save multiple versions separately, too. My Documents is basically a landmine of discarded scenes that weren’t quite “there” yet. Sometimes I do get a scene mostly right on the first try, but even then revision is necessary to add depth and polish.

Sapphire Lapis

How long does it take you to write? Does the inspiration just come flowing, or can you suffer months of writer's block?

Most of my rough drafts—once I start the actual writing—take about three-four months or so. That’s usually because they’re super crappy. I typically spend more time on revising than I do on first-drafting—everyone is different. I think each person develops their own routine and discipline over time. I’m sure most authors experience writer’s block at one time or another, and the key thing is not to panic. Sometimes, though, what you think is writer’s block may really just be a matter of overcoming inertia. If your creative juices don’t seem to be flowing, maybe it’s less a matter of creativity and more a matter of fear. Your internal critic can be by far the worst detractor from forward progress, so slap some duct tape over that obnoxious, negative voice and keep on going. Also, ideas tend to flow more easily when you relax, so if you’re struggling, get up and go for a change of scenery. Take a drive, take a walk, heck, take a shower—do anything where the pressure is off. You might be surprised where your mind takes you.

Sapphire Lapis

Have you ever worried if something you write might end up sounding too similar to something someone else wrote that you may or may not have heard of and someone accuse you of drawing too much inspiration from it?

Um, yes…several somethings, in fact. I do hope to go back and finish them at some point. Basically, most of them are perfect examples of me allowing my inner critic to psyche me out. Learn from my mistakes and don’t do that.

Sapphire Lapis

Have you ever left something unfinished and never ended up going back to it?

I think this is something that all new writers worry about a little, but it’s an anxiety that typically fades once you begin to realize that there is really no such thing as a completely new idea. There are so many stories out there; writers come up with similar concepts all the time. The key is the difference in execution and each author’s unique spin on the subject. That said, it’s still really easy to get discouraged if I’ve been working on something and then see a story that sounds very similar pop up on Publisher’s Marketplace. Which is why I no longer subscribe to Publisher’s Marketplace—it’s too easy to psyche yourself out that way.

[I_Write_Ivre]

How can I get my book featured on gaiaonline too?

[E U R Y D l C E]

Hi. Can you tell me about the publishing process? Did you submit to an agent??

[Rosie Blush Red]

What the first thing you do before writing ?