Let's Chat with Dawn Colclasure!

I met Dawn a few years ago on My Space. She was the first person to contact and friend me there. When we made the move to Facebook, we kept in touch. She amazes me with her skill and faith. I'm delighted to have her visit my blog.

When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was a young child. I was in a car accident at a very young age and had to have a lot of reconstructive surgeries done. A nurse at one hospital gave me a blank journal and encouraged me to write poems inside it. That’s when the writer in me was born and I haven’t stopped writing since.

What gave you the idea for your first book?

I was lucky: My dreams inspired the idea for my first book. I had these dreams of a man which lasted for several years and, at one point, I dreamed that everything was turned into a novel that was called “November’s Child.” I actually wrote that book and got it published.

What genre do you write?

I don’t like to write in just one genre. I like variety. I like the challenge of writing something different. I’ve done children’s, dark fantasy and paranormal mystery, but I’ve also written horror, sci-fi and romance.

What do you do to keep yourself focused?

By far, having a weekly list of writing tasks is what helps me to stay on course. Every Sunday or early Monday morning, I create my “schedule” of what I’ll be working on during the week. I started doing this out of necessity because I was juggling so much and it was the only way for me to get so much done on everything every day. But now it’s a habit and I feel guilty if I don’t stick to my weekly schedule. I try to cross off as many items on the list each day.

Do you stay with one project or do you work on multiple projects?

I can never, ever work on just one project at a time. I have tried but I grow restless and crave something different for my muse to focus her energies on. It’s possible this is a Gemini trait. I’m the kind of person who will multi-task and jump from one project to the next. For example, in the morning I may work on a current poetry book, then in the afternoon I’ll work on a novel-in-progress then in the evening, I can be found working on a nonfiction book.

What is your writing process?
I make it a point to write first thing in the morning. It is when my mind is clear and I’m ready for action. I also grab every free minute possible to write, especially if I’m on a deadline. Perhaps this is why I am rarely in front of a TV set; I’m busy writing! I try to work on a chapter each day or, if it’s something like poetry, so many poems each day. I also try to finish what I am working on in one sitting, but if that is not possible (and it very rarely is!), I save it for later and go back to it time permitting. But I definitely write first thing in the morning and right before I go to sleep at night.

What is the theme of your novel?

The theme is “things are not always what they seem.” In the story, my character, Malissa, is having these dreams that are a part of a family curse. While everyone around her keeps saying “they are just dreams” and try to convince her that she is too obsessed over nothing, she knows that the dreams are something more. This is the truth she must ultimately accept in order to fight the man haunting her dreams, or else risk losing everything she holds dear, including her life.

Do you consciously use symbolism in your book?

I try not to, but it tends to creep in. I have used symbolism in my novel Shadow of Samhain but only because I realize how important symbolism is to Druidism, and since I have Druid characters in this story, it seemed appropriate to include symbolism. But at any other time, when it’s any other book, I usually don’t rely on symbolism.

What is your latest release?

My novel, Shadow of Samhain, will be out very soon. This novel is the revised version of what had once been November’s Child. The reason it got a new life is because the publisher of November’s Child went bankrupt and the book went out of print. I spent years revising the novel, as well as catching up on extra information about Druidism in order to bring realism to the story, and I am thrilled it finally found a home with Gypsy Shadow Publishing.

What other books do you have published?

My nonfiction titles include BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents; 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity; and TOTALLY SCARED: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses, which I co-authored with Martha Jette. My poetry books are Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion and Songs of the Dead. My one and only children’s book thus far is The Yellow Rose. I also have a poetry chapbook called Take My Hand. It is currently out of print, though I have remainder copies in a box in my garage. I am currently revising and expanding this poetry collection and will send it off to my publisher in late 2012.

Where are your books available?

My books can be purchased from my publisher, special ordered at bookstores and purchased at online retailers such as Amazon.com, B&N, etc.