Enjoy & Comment!
What is the worst thing you’ve
written, how did you learn or know it was bad, and what did you learn from it?
The worst thing I ever wrote had to be a love letter begging
a high school boyfriend not to break up with me. I stayed up all night stating my case - told
him how awesome we were and it was meant to be.
The upshot? He must not have felt
the magic because it was over the next day.
Not that I can blame him – I’m sure the letter smacked of crazed
adolescent desperation. But hey – when
you speak from the heart, you can’t go wrong, right? My hindsight lesson: practice your craft on
the exes - LOL!
Why did you start writing and when did you decide to go
professional?
Around eight or nine years old, I started writing
plays. A week before a family reunion,
I’d crank out a script on my parents’ old Smith Corona and cast my brother and younger
cousins in roles. On “opening night” we’d
charge admission by passing around one of my mom’s Mason canning jars. So I guess you could say that was my first
paying gig as well. Fast forward many years
later – in grad school, one of my papers won a prestigious award, and around
that same time I was published by the National Council of Teachers of
English. It was probably in the late
90’s that I knew I wanted to write professionally.
Do you write in more than one genre? Which ones and which do you like the best?
I write children’s books, middle grade, and young
adult. I also dabble in poetry although
I’m not very good at it. Shel
Silverstein’s my idol when it comes to verse.
I did recently write a book in verse about creepy creatures. Here’s my poem on Zombies:
Brains for breakfast – brains for lunch
Brains for dinner – brains for brunch
Flesh with fries is what they crave
When they burst out from their grave
The walking dead’s alive and well
Most come from a voodoo spell.
Do you read other author’s books when you're writing? If so, do you read the same genre or
something different?
Oh my goodness – yes!
I’m like the fourteen-year-old who never grew up. I love Rachel Cohn, Francesca Lia Block, Sara
Shepard. I dig graphic novels like
Jennifer Holm’s Baby Mouse and Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. My students will often suggest books to me so
I get a lot of recommendations from them as well. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve
never read the Twilight series or Harry Potter.
Shameful, I know.
What is the most difficult part of the entire wiring process
for you? Queries, pitches, editing, etc.
Definitely revision.
To take out a line or a scene or even a character that I have fallen in
love with is a real drag. I might think
a line is funny or clever but if three people are telling me it doesn’t work, I
have to go with that. Majority rules…
If you could have the same type of career as any author
currently publishing who would it be and why?
Judy Blume – she’s my idol.
Loved her growing up – love her now.
And if I had to guess, I’ll bet Margaret Simon of Are You There God is one
buxom agnostic hottie today!
Author Bio: An award winning author and teacher, Kimberly
Dana enjoys teaching writing to middle school students who give her much
inspiration and insight into the world of tweendom. She is published by the
National Council of Teachers of English and the recipient of several writing
honors from Writers Digest and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Other
affiliations include the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
and EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition, where she serves as a
judge for the annual eBook competition. Kimberly's most recent books include her
YA thriller, Cheerage Fearage (Wild Child Publishing, 2012) and the delightful
picture book, Pretty Dolls (Tate Publishing, 2011). A lover of photography and
experimental cooking, Kimberly lives in Los Angeles
and Nashville
Pretty eyes and pretty hair. We’re the best dolls
anywhere.
If you were a pretty doll, you’d be up here standing tall.
It’s a pretty doll’s world. Just ask beautiful
Emily-Nicole, Lilly-Kate, and Chloë-Anne who perch on the tippy top bookcase
shelf in little Tasha’s bedroom. Yet it’s Gracie, the purple-eyed,
one-armed, spiky haired doll who’s won the snuggly arms and heart of
Tasha. Only Emily-Nicole will have none of it. Little does Tasha
know that when the lights go out in her room, the doll wars begin…
Social Media and Web Links
2 comments:
Great interview! Thanks so much for participating Kimberly!
Thanks, Jenn! I had a blast...
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