Start With the Facts With D.B. Pacini
1 – How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?
My maternal grandparents were part Native American Indian. From that knowledge I developed an interest and a lifelong study of Native American peoples.
2 – Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?
Since my teen years I’ve been involved with Native American community organizations and also with organizations that promote equal respect for all people. I have also cared about environmental concerns. My youth/YA fantasy novel, THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW is the first in a trilogy. It features Native American youth and young adults as the main characters. The second book will feature Tibetan youth and young adults, and the third will feature African youth and young adults. These main characters help young people throughout the world in the spirit of mutual respect and cultural harmony.
3 – What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?
I would urge them to strive to teach the people in their lives, especially young people, about environmental responsibility and about the universal need for cultural harmony. Regardless of our age, we each have a responsibility to this planet, and we each can chose to reject racial discrimination, intolerance, and narrow-mindedness by refusing to value any race of people more than another race of people.
4 – What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?
Participating in groups and organizations is a way to join efforts with likeminded people to make a positive difference for a specific cause. Whatever our interests are, if we join efforts with people we have multiple hands and minds working together for a common cause. This will usually contribute to personal growth and perhaps to business growth too.
5 – Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?
Ideally, the people that I most want to read my novel are school principals, teachers, youth advocates, especially those that serve underprivileged and at-risk youth, and parents. I believe these adults will recognize the value of the multifaceted aspects of this novel and will appreciate how this story can appeal to young readers. The target age group is approximately 11-22 years old, but the novel can be enjoyed by adults of all ages and by younger readers with advanced reading skills. I know a nine-year-old who is a big fan of the characters. She’s excitedly awaiting the second book in the trilogy. Regarding recommending my book to others, I hope that the adults who read THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW will put it into the hands of the young people in their lives. I wrote this novel especially for young readers to enchant them with an intriguing fantasy that will enthrall their imaginations. I also wish to inspire young readers to treat all people with respect, and to help protect and take care of the earth.
6 – What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?
For me, an active imagination and an ability to speculate is my lit match. Something that attracts my interest is a flash of a flicker that could spark once and then disappear in a thin swirl of dissipating smoke if not lit by my imagination and lit my willingness to wonder. I believe that most people can be creative if they will allow their imaginations to soar. Some people have an extraordinary talent, but even people that believe that they aren’t gifted can be creative if they will allow their imaginations free reign.
7 – What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?
I can think of three huge stumbling blocks off the top of my head.
1. A LACK OF TRAINING.
Writing is a learned craft. Diligently study it. Take writing classes, read books about writing, and join writing groups. Also, in my opinion, a serious writer must be an avid read; he/she must constantly read. Reading teaches. If you want to write well-written horror stories, read well-written horror stories. If you want to write well-written mysteries, read well-written mysteries. If you want to write well-written murder mysteries, read well-written murder mysteries and study forensics. Don’t do this to copy or to imitate other writers. Do this to learn. Every skilled writer can be a teacher to you for the price of his/her book. Unskilled writers can be valuable teachers too. Their writing shares examples of mistakes and errors that you wish to avoid.
2. A RELUCTANCE TO REVISE.
I’ve met writers that believe what they write is “pure” from the start. They don’t want to revise. They want to “honor” what was gifted to them from their muse. I think that is ridiculous. Few of us write perfectly in our first draft. Revising smoothes, polishes, shapes, and refines our writing. It enables us to develop our stories and to fully create our characters. It allows us to correct mistakes, to rearrange material, etc. I’m constantly revising. It is an ongoing, laborious, tendentious, exciting, and wonderful process of improvement. Our readers deserve the best writing we can offer. We rarely get the best writing we can produce from our first drafts. Sometimes it takes 10-20+ drafts to get there.
3. HAVING UNREALISTIST FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS.
I’d write even if I never had the opportunity to publish/sell my work. I write for the pleasure of inventing interesting stories and creating believable characters. I wish to publish and to share my writing with readers. I’d love to make a living from my writing. Yet, I know that few writers do. Most writers have day jobs or additional means of financial support. They cannot rely solely upon the money they earn from writing. In nearly all creative arts (writing, music, theater, painting, dance, photography, etc.) you will find an enormous number of artists passionately embracing their chosen field because of their love for that particular field. Many do hope to make it financially but they are not deterred if they do not.
8 – How would you suggest they can overcome that?
1. Write because you love to write. Acknowledge that making money would be wonderful, but admit that it’s not the primary reason that you write. That is not being idealistic; it’s being truthful.
2. Read at least one half hour everyday, longer if possible. Read to research specific material that relates to your subject matter, read for pleasure, and read for general study. Sometimes I read a novel all the way though and then read it last-chapter-forward to study how the story/characters were developed. I keep a journal for words I like, words I’ve not used. I also write down character traits and health conditions that I find interesting. For example, I learned about synesthesia, an extremely uncommon and rare neurologically based condition that blends the senses. It fascinates me. I researched synesthesia thoroughly and then gave one of my characters the condition in THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia
3. Revise your writing. Have people that you trust read your material and then give you constructive critiques. Strive to improve your writing, to shape and to polish it to the best of your ability.
9 – What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame, or something else?
If you are a cosmetic surgeon that gives rich and famous people face lifts and body enhancement surgeries I will suspect that your biggest motivation is money and perhaps fame. If you are a cosmetic surgeon that reconstructs cleft lip/palates, and other face/body deformities of underprivileged people I will suspect that you main motivation is not financial. A person can be motivated by more than one factor. In my case, two of my biggest motivators were writers, my mother and her father. They admired my creative ability to make up stories when I was a child. They believed that I could become a gifted writer. My mother and my grandfather taught and encouraged me. I often talk with them with my heart when I’m writing and I always thank them when I write “THE END” to a book.
10 – Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?
I have two “perfect” types of people, two very specific types. The first is the dejected and discouraged young person alone someplace feeling uncared for, misunderstood, mistreated, and/or neglected. The second is the happy young person living in a safe and loving home with a supportive and nurturing family.
11 – Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Yes, I wish to thank you for your generosity. It is extremely difficult to get the word out about a newly published book. My novel was published in March, 2009 by a small publishing company with a small budget. Most of the promotional costs are upon my shoulders and I have a small budget. I’m doing my best to get word about my novel out there. People cannot read or recommend it to others if they don’t know that it exists. I thank you for being an avenue of support to struggling authors who need publicity assistance.
Topic to Discuss – YOUTH DREAM TEAM
1 – How did you get interested in creating the YOUTH DREAM TEAM for your youth/YA fantasy novel, THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW?
I started the YOUTH DREAM TEAM to give youth that like the novel a place where they can share their endorsements. It is a safe place on my website that does not reveal the last names or the city location of anyone under the age of 18. THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW is a universal story. In time I hope to have YOUTH DREAM TEAM members across the globe. Becoming a member is a free opportunity. I feature a photograph of the young person, a short summary about them, and their endorsement. I need permission from parents or legal guardians for youth under 18. Eventually, I hope to provide members prizes, writing contests, collaborated writing opportunities, and more. Please visit the endorsements page of THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW to learn more about the YOUTH DREAM TEAM. www.astarrynightproductions.com
2 – Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to the topic?
I’ve been a youth advocate and a volunteer writing mentor for young people for many years. On my website for the STARRY NIGHT CREATIVE ARTISTS COMMUNITY I answer questions that are emailed to me by teens. If I’m unable to answer a question I will find someone that can answer it. Here is the link. http://www.astarrynightproductions.com/creative/pages/qa.htm
3 – What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?
I advise people to contact me. I will tell about my YOUTH DREAM TEAM and I will help them create their own. My email address is Pacini.Novelist@gmail.com.
4 – What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations that discuss this topic? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal or business growth. What are your reasons?
My YOUTH DREAM TEAM project enables young people to correspond with a published author, it allows them to submit their writing in contests, it provide opportunities to young writers to collaborate on projects, and it promotes reading and writing. These opportunities can contribute to personal growth and perhaps to business growth if young writers decide to do a “for profit” project together.
5 – What products do you offer that would help a person who is interested in this topic?
My novel and I intend to offer writing contests, book give-away projects, and reading/writing opportunities that will interest young people and teachers. My YOUTH DREAM TEAM is developing. I believe when more young people learn about it that they will have creative suggestions/ideas too.
6 – Who is the ideal person for these products? If each person that reads this was going to recommend these products to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?
Ideally, the people that I most want to learn about my YOUTH DREAM TEAM are school principals, teachers, youth advocates, especially those that serve underprivileged and at-risk youth, and parents. They are the adults that I believe will most appreciate the value of such a project and how it can appeal to young people. The target age group for my YOUTH DREAM TEAM is approximately 13-24.
7 – What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to learn more about this topic?
My youth/YA fantasy novel, THE LOOSE END OF THE RAINBOW, was published in March, 2009. The YOUTH DREAM TEAM is a new project associated with my novel. My biggest challenge is getting the word out there. I contact a few educators, librarians, youth advocates, parents, and young people each week. It is a word-of-mouth, phone call, and email effort. I am a “one woman” team. The word is slowly getting out there. I’m excited about the YOUTH DREAM TEAM project, it has great potential.
8 – How would you suggest they can overcome that?
I overcome the problem of people not knowing about my YOUTH DREAM TEAM by telling people about it. I diligently tell more people every week.
9 – What do you find is the biggest motivator to learn more about this topic?
I’m motivated to tell people about my novel and my YOUTH DREAM TEAM project. I’ve written a wonderful novel and I believe that the YOUTH DREAM TEAM project can become a terrific opportunity for young people, especially young people that are interested in writing. I believe that my novel and the YOUTH DREAM TEAM project will motivate young people to read and to write.
10 – Who is the “perfect” person to delve into this information?
Young readers, young writers, school principals, teachers, youth advocates, especially those that serve underprivileged and at-risk youth, and parents should appreciate learning about the YOUTH DREAM TEAM.
11 – Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Those questions are only slightly different from what I had and I’m going to add them as an alternative way to post for this blog.)
Again, I wish to thank you for your generosity. It is extremely difficult to get the word out about a newly published book or about a project like my YOUTH DREAM TEAM. I thank you for being an avenue of support.
