At the 2014 SCBWI Midsouth conference. They set me up set to the amazing Ruta Sepetys. I was fan-girl-ing all evening.
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Email:
donnadriver68@gmail.com
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Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub
Email:
donnadriver68@gmail.com
I was a panelist at the 2017 Southern Kentucky Festival of Books.
Who am I?
I've always liked writing, but what I really wanted to be when I was younger was a performer. I grew up in Southern California and got my degree in Theater Arts from U.C. Irvine. I wrote a lot, but it was just a hobby. Well, a time-consuming hobby. While in college, thanks to a summer of ghost-hunting with a group of friends after graduating from high school, I spent every Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer writing a horror novel on a laptop my dad would bring home from work. Technically, this was my first YA novel, as all the main characters were teenagers. Alas, it pretty much stinks, so I never did anything with it. Plus, as you recall, I wanted to be an actress/singer, so I was doing back-to-back shows all through this time and never put much thought into how to fix the darn thing up and get it published. It’s still in a box. Maybe someday I’ll come back to it.
I've always liked writing, but what I really wanted to be when I was younger was a performer. I grew up in Southern California and got my degree in Theater Arts from U.C. Irvine. I wrote a lot, but it was just a hobby. Well, a time-consuming hobby. While in college, thanks to a summer of ghost-hunting with a group of friends after graduating from high school, I spent every Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer writing a horror novel on a laptop my dad would bring home from work. Technically, this was my first YA novel, as all the main characters were teenagers. Alas, it pretty much stinks, so I never did anything with it. Plus, as you recall, I wanted to be an actress/singer, so I was doing back-to-back shows all through this time and never put much thought into how to fix the darn thing up and get it published. It’s still in a box. Maybe someday I’ll come back to it.
I spoke on a panel with fellow SCBWI Midsouth authors Helene Dunbar, Rae Ann Parker, and Kristin O'Donnell Tubb at the Franklin, TN library (2015). I've read all their books, and they are wonderful!
After the horror novel, I began writing a series of original fairy tales and a couple grown-up fantasy novels. I slowly discovered that I liked writing more than acting. In 1994 my first story was published, in Catalyst Magazine, and my first original play (a children's musical) was produced in Los Angeles. From that point forward I was hooked and stopped writing as a hobby but with purpose. I did act professionally for a long time, and now I do community theater in Nashville with my family for fun. I joined SCBWI Midsouth in 2004, and it’s because of a couple revision workshops I took with them that I decided to rewrite my fledgling mermaid novel into something a publisher decided to put into print. - Cry of the Sea. I’m a big fan of looking back into that box full of poorly written ideas and trying again. That is the main theme of my blog Write and Rewrite.
What am I working on right now? Keep scrolling down for my update.
What am I working on right now? Keep scrolling down for my update.
For Teachers and Librarians!
School Presentations!
School Presentations!
Speaking at West Wilson Middle School in Tennessee
From concept to publication, it took 13 years to make Cry of the Sea the story I wanted it to be. My presentation for schools, libraries, and special events is about the process of revision. Sometimes the first version of a story, poem, song, drawing, etc. isn't the best it could be. Sometimes it takes stepping away for a while and looking at it with fresh eyes. Sometimes it takes several times to get it right.
I tell the story of how I came up with the idea for this novel and the process I went through to write it and revise it until it was of publishable quality. It is an educational and motivational presentation perfect for students 6th-12th grade or any creative people!
In addition to speaking about writing and revision, I have a presentation about the environmental themes in this award-winning series. I will be happy to speak to classes about the effects of ocean pollution, oil spills, and logging.
If you are interested in having me speak at your school, library, or special event, email me at donnadriver68@gmail.com and I'll send you some information.
New presentation! I am available to speak at elementary and middle schools about my new middle grade novel No One Needed to Know. This book is based loosely on my personal experience growing up with an older Autistic brother. My presentation includes:
"I felt really good about the entire presentation and the way the kids behaved." librarian at Stoner Creek Elementary school.
- An overview of Autism
- A discussion about being kind to people with special needs
- Sharing some of my memories as an Autism sibling and teacher of special needs students
- Talking about how I used my memories to write this novel.
- Take a pledge to not be a bully.
"I felt really good about the entire presentation and the way the kids behaved." librarian at Stoner Creek Elementary school.
I have been a speaker or panelist at many schools, libraries, and special events. Some of my favorites include: Middle TN Youth Writing Workshop (at MTSU), Alabama School Library Association conference, Wizard World Comic Con Nashville, Southern Kentucky Festival of Books, LibertyCon, Chattacon, and Hypericon. I would love to speak at your special event, so please contact me at donnadriver68@gmail.com.
What am I working on right now? (as of March 20th, 2019)
It's the first day of spring as I write this. I just updated the cover image for the website and thought I'd update this little column now as well.
My YA paranormal romance novel All the Love You Write has been picked up by Fire and Ice YA Books and is scheduled to release in July, 2019. I'll be doing editing and proofreading for that through the next couple months. This novel is an expanded story based on my novella Passing Notes.
Just yesterday, I released The Silent Beauty, the 3rd book of my original fairy tale novelette series. I've teamed up with another author on a middle grade dragon novel I've written, and she's working on improving it. If that all works out, we will start submitting it to agents as co-authors. I'll be taking a short break from writing new material in April/May to direct the play Our Town for Centerstage Theatre Company in Lebanon, Tennessee. My daughter is also graduating from high school in two months, so there's a lot going on.
In June, I plan to dive into my next writing project. At the moment (unless something changes my trajectory) I'm planning to try something new. I've got a solid idea for a women's fiction novel. It'll more like the style of my short story in Second Chance for Love. Wish me luck. We'll see how it turns out.
To keep up with my progress, please follow me at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/donnagdriver/
As always, I post cool mermaid and fantasy pictures regularly on my Instagram account along with other silly stuff. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to participate or enjoy the posts.
It's the first day of spring as I write this. I just updated the cover image for the website and thought I'd update this little column now as well.
My YA paranormal romance novel All the Love You Write has been picked up by Fire and Ice YA Books and is scheduled to release in July, 2019. I'll be doing editing and proofreading for that through the next couple months. This novel is an expanded story based on my novella Passing Notes.
Just yesterday, I released The Silent Beauty, the 3rd book of my original fairy tale novelette series. I've teamed up with another author on a middle grade dragon novel I've written, and she's working on improving it. If that all works out, we will start submitting it to agents as co-authors. I'll be taking a short break from writing new material in April/May to direct the play Our Town for Centerstage Theatre Company in Lebanon, Tennessee. My daughter is also graduating from high school in two months, so there's a lot going on.
In June, I plan to dive into my next writing project. At the moment (unless something changes my trajectory) I'm planning to try something new. I've got a solid idea for a women's fiction novel. It'll more like the style of my short story in Second Chance for Love. Wish me luck. We'll see how it turns out.
To keep up with my progress, please follow me at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/donnagdriver/
As always, I post cool mermaid and fantasy pictures regularly on my Instagram account along with other silly stuff. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to participate or enjoy the posts.