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
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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 December 29, 2018)
I haven't updated this in half a year. I've been pretty busy. I do theater as well as writing. This second half of the year I wound up directing a play in August and then performing in one in December. Still, amidst all of that, I kept writing. My newest YA novel Lost on the Water - A Ghost Story was released in July, and my 2nd fairy tale novelette, The Tomato Quest, came out a few weeks later. I spent the remainder of the year writing All the Love You Write, which is a full-length YA paranormal romance novel expanding on the story that is my novella Passing Notes. I just sent it off for publishing consideration this morning, so I'll keep you updated.
My next project is the 3rd installment in my romantic fairy tale series. This one is called The Voice of Desire. It is a darker in tone than The Royal Deal or The Tomato Quest. I'm hoping to have it complete and ready for you early in 2019. I sold a picture book (I know, it's crazy) called Matching Costumes to MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing. I don't have a release date for it yet, but I'm sure I'll be doing some edits for that. I'm also directing Our Town for a local theater in May, and there are some talks about me directing a show later in the year, too.
After those projects, I don't know. I'm juggling six ideas in my head and trying to decide which one to start. Two are middle grade novels (one a fantasy and one a contemporary), one is a contemporary YA novel, and two are contemporary adult novels. In general, I feel my ideas are starting to slip away from urban fantasy for the time being. We'll see what I get brave enough to pick.
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.
I haven't updated this in half a year. I've been pretty busy. I do theater as well as writing. This second half of the year I wound up directing a play in August and then performing in one in December. Still, amidst all of that, I kept writing. My newest YA novel Lost on the Water - A Ghost Story was released in July, and my 2nd fairy tale novelette, The Tomato Quest, came out a few weeks later. I spent the remainder of the year writing All the Love You Write, which is a full-length YA paranormal romance novel expanding on the story that is my novella Passing Notes. I just sent it off for publishing consideration this morning, so I'll keep you updated.
My next project is the 3rd installment in my romantic fairy tale series. This one is called The Voice of Desire. It is a darker in tone than The Royal Deal or The Tomato Quest. I'm hoping to have it complete and ready for you early in 2019. I sold a picture book (I know, it's crazy) called Matching Costumes to MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing. I don't have a release date for it yet, but I'm sure I'll be doing some edits for that. I'm also directing Our Town for a local theater in May, and there are some talks about me directing a show later in the year, too.
After those projects, I don't know. I'm juggling six ideas in my head and trying to decide which one to start. Two are middle grade novels (one a fantasy and one a contemporary), one is a contemporary YA novel, and two are contemporary adult novels. In general, I feel my ideas are starting to slip away from urban fantasy for the time being. We'll see what I get brave enough to pick.
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.