Darklight On ... Donna Maree Hanson

Today's Darklight On is ... Donna Maree Hanson

Welcome, Donna

When I rule the world (or think I do)

Sometimes I think I must be crazy with all these people and places in my head. Before I started writing in earnest in 2000, I suspected I was crazy. Then I started writing and fantasising became a legitimate activity. I was content now. I didn’t try to escape because I was unhappy, or bored or whatever. I wrote and I also interacted happily with others. Perhaps it is therapy!

When I write, I rule those worlds and those characters I create. Nothing can beat that feeling. If you think about it, in the normal course of life, we don't have much control about external things that happen to us and we only make the decisions about things that we can control ourselves and sometimes even that doesn't work. Who hasn’t had a decision be the wrong one or have it go bad or throw up something unexpected?

At times, when I write a story can get a little bit out of control or the characters can. I don't know where that comes from. I mean I’m writing the story so I should. But sometimes a character decides something or something happens—a monster walks across the stage and all my plans blow up in my face.

I think I rule the worlds that I create and I move the characters around to where I want them to go—most of the time.

My unconscious has a role to play in that because there are things that happen that I just don't expect. Sometimes I have to travel this unexpected path to see where it leads. Once this happened to me and it took me four months to decide that the strange turn of events was the right way to go. The story was much better because of it. That was in my early writing days.

So do I rule these worlds and characters or not? I have a choice to press the backspace key to erase these unexpected turn of events. Maybe that’s the fun part of writing from the seat of your pants. I plan but only generally. I’m not a scene by scene or chapter by chapter planner/writer. I do get a point where I have to map out what’s happening and that helps.

Part of creating to my mind is running with these random ideas. The story is so much more exciting to write. If I’m kept guessing while I’m writing I think the reader will be too.

The new stuff that comes out when I’m writing is the most fulfilling for me. I enter a space where I create. I call it the ‘zen zone’ and I come away thinking “Wow! Just wow!” 

That’s better than drugs!

So I pat myself on my shoulder and say. I rule these worlds and all of my characters do my bidding and come bask in my glory. Cough!

And, then one of my editors, in this case a dominatrix who likes to beat me senseless over the head with my evil deeds, has something to say. For example, with Deathwings (part three of the Dragon Wine series) a recent book of mine, the editor didn't like some of the things that Danton, a key player, was saying and how he was saying it. At first, I had a little chuckle over this and then I took what she was saying seriously. Obviously, Danton is a favourite character of hers. He is one of mine too. She gave me an insight to how readers view him and the expectations of him as a character. He’s a bit of a rogue but also a gentleman. So I took her advice and rewrote that section. But it still makes me smile that she cared enough about him to comment like that.

So maybe I have assistance in ruling the world?

Blurb

Deliciously dark fantasy…Deathwings, Dragon Wine Part Three 

Life on the ravaged world of Margra is more difficult than ever… Salinda and Garan blasted the evil Gercomo into the sky. Except … he didn’t die, he transformed into a dragon. Final moonfall looms ever closer and the world is on the brink of destruction. 

Gercomo’s vile influence spreads among his dragon herd and he is reaching for power in both the human and dragon worlds.

Salinda has the means to stop him and save the world. 

And Gercomo wants her dead.

"Shatterwing has all the fantasy ingredients I love: tormented heroes, a truly twisted villain - and a brand new take on dragons!" Glenda Larke, (award winning author of The Stormlord Trilogy)

"Dark and compelling, with strong characters and a sense of grim inevitability that pulls you along with the story." Craig Cormick, (award-winning author of the Shadow Master Series.)

Buy Links: Dragon Wine Series

About the Author: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Thanks, Donna