Interviewing Dana Pratola

Hi Dana and welcome. I am so glad you could join me here at Sandrastuff. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

Hi Sandra, thanks for having me! I have about seven projects going now, but the one I’m working on now is a four book series. The first of the series is almost ready for publication.

I can hardly wait, please keep us updated!

How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? Who did you call first?

I don’t remember celebrating that, but I did celebrate the release day with champagne and Chinese food!

Do you find it easier to write with a deadline or without?  How do you feel when you write “the end” - are you ready to send your characters on their way?

Without. I HATE deadlines. I stress myself out so much I’m basically useless. The first time I wrote THE END I cried. It was such a relief to be done and I knew I had written the best story I could at the time. Also, I was optimistic about moving onto the next work right away. Definitely mixed emotions. As for sending the characters off, I don’t think that ever happens. It hasn’t for me anyway. With marketing, interviews, reviews, etc., Gunnar and Tessa are still very much present.

If you could have a maid for a day or day at the spa, which would you choose and why?

I would take the maid, absolutely, but not for my whole house, just my stove. Cleaning the oven/stovetop is the single worst job for me. I’d gladly pay someone to do that.

When finishing a project, are you ready to move on to the next one, or do you take a bit of breather first?

I haven’t breathed yet, LOL. I’m working on a few at a time right now. I can lend more attention to one story, but I’m always thinking of the others, adding notes, scenes, lines, to one or more as I think of them.

Summer is in the air!  What signals summer for you?  Do you do the fun in the sun thing at the beach?

Barbeque smoke is a good indicator that summer’s here, LOL. As soon as I inhale that first whiff I know it’s time to dig out all my sandals and flip flops. I get to the beach as often as I can but not as often as I’d like =-/

Name the one bug that will have you run screaming from the room?

Hmm. That’s a hard one since in my family, I’m the executioner. Everyone – and I mean EVERYONE - comes to me to kill things. One day I’ll figure out why that is. But I don’t like things that sting, and I hate those spiders that jump AT you instead of away from you.

I know those little black hairy spiders.  I call them “Jumpers”. 

Do you edit as you write, or finish the first draft and then begin editing?

Unfortunately, I’m an edit-as-I-go writer. I get little done and it turns out it doesn’t help in the end anyway – I have to edit just as much.

When first beginning a new project, how do you begin? Do you know the names of your characters right away?

I’ve started projects from every angle. I’ve started from a rough idea for a character, I’ve started from scenes, movie lines, “what ifs”… Quite a few are started from songs. I listen to a song and it might spark a whole scene in my head and I go from there.

When did you first know you just had to be an author?  Do you remember your first writing project?

For me there’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do. I’ve always loved to read and writing was just a natural progression. It became obvious that it’s God’s will for me. He said He’ll give us the desires of our heart. That’s because He puts them there in the first place.

Amen to that.

What does you're writing space look like? If you could, what would you change about it? 

I’m usually at my kitchen table but I have an “office” in my husband’s walk-in closet. I have a desk in there, even pictures and a candle.

Is your desk organized or complete chaos?

Organized. But it’s the only part of my life that seems to be, LOL.

What kind of pets did you have while growing up?  Do you have any now?

I always had dogs – usually two at a time. I had guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice – okay, basically anything from the rodent family. I also had fish, ferrets, ducks, chameleons and cats. My brother had snakes, a tarantula and a scorpion, so I was always exposed to unusual creatures. Wow, this is like therapy! I think I just figured out why I’m not afraid to kill bugs =-)

Wow!  Now that’s what I call an array of different animals.

Have you ever experienced the dreaded writer's block, and if so how did you overcome it?

I get blocked like most writers. I usually just quit and watch TV. Not very helpful for getting a story down though. When I want to get serious about it, I might try writing a random scene, something I have no intention of using, just to get things flowing again. Often, if I like it, I wind up working it into the story somewhere or it goes into my notes to be tweaked for another story. It also helps to write characters into scenes they wouldn’t normally be in. For example I might write Gunnar as a ballet teacher, or Tessa as a prison guard.

I could never imagine Gunnar a ballet teacher!

What is the best way to spend a quiet evening at home?

Writing. If not that, watching TV. I’m waiting for Flashpoint to come to DVD beyond season 1 ;-)

What screensaver do you have on your computer at the moment?

Just the Toshiba blue field.

Do you listen to music while you write? Have a favorite beverage or snack by your side?

I can’t really work to music unless I’m being distracted by other noises, like family, etc. Then I put on my headphones and listen to something instrumental, like Dave Matthews Band #34 from Under the Table and Dreaming. I’m always eating or drinking something. It’s part of my procrastination process.

There are many stories and movies about superheroes. What in your view constitutes a real-life hero?

Someone who gives to the greater good, with little or no thought for their own sacrifice. 

Do you prefer sunsets or sunrises? 

Sunrise. The promise of more to come. …unless I’m really tired, then I’m looking forward to bed.

And lastly, no interview of a writer would be complete without this question:  what is your favorite comfort food?

I can’t possibly answer that. Maybe some kind of pasta.

Thank you for sharing with us Dana.  We’re looking forward to your next series…