Today in the first draft hot seat is non-fiction and childrens author, Denyse Kirkby.
Denyse lives in the South of England in a home otherwise filled with males – husband, boys and pets – she writes to escape the testosterone.
She is a Patron of Reading at Beacon View Primary Academy and was the 2012 Writer in Residence for Portsmouth Libraries. Dee writes using the name D.J. Kirkby and Dee Kirkby. Dee is the author of Without Alice, My Dream of You, My Mini Midwife (due out Feb 2014), Realand and Raffie Island (book one and two of The Portal Series for children).
Dee is a registered midwifery lecturer, teaching midwifery two days per week, and a registered public health practitioner, working three days per week for her local Public Health Department. At the age of 40, she was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger syndrome, in addition to dyslexia and dyspraxia (which she states, definitely explains a lot of things including why she can’t read a tube map).
When you decide to write something new, what is the first thing you do?
Before I start writing I spend time thinking about what I want to write; the story, the characters and how they might all fit together. Then I pretend to plot it out though deep inside I am really a pantser and this tendency tends to win about three chapters into the plotting attempt.
Do you have a set routine approaching it?
I write fiction and nonfiction for adults as well as fiction for children and often have a few projects on the go at the same time. Once I have decided whether the book idea has legs I figure out a date when I will have time to start writing the first draft that wont conflict with impending project deadlines.
Pen and paper or straight to the keyboard?
I am dyspraxic and dyslexic – the keyboard is my best writing friend. However, I do sometimes work out drafts of key stage one writing with a pencil and paper because the writing is minimal and I like the sound of a pencil scratching on paper.
How important is research to you?
It depends what I am writing. If it is a fictional but midwifery related book then I don’t research much if at all but when I wrote Queendom (book three in the Portal Series) I had to do a lot of research into sword fighting and weapons training despite the fact that this only gets a brief mention in the book. I still wanted the mention to carry authenticity, which required a lot of research. Not just for my reader’s sake (though they are very important) but also because my children’s books editor writes history books for children and I didn’t want to invoke the wrath of his track changes!
How do you go about researching?
I borrow books from the library, go online, and speak to experts. When I wrote My Dream of You there is a scene set in the late 50s at a bus depot so I spoke to the chair of our local bus museum to find out what wording would have been used in terms of fares, what the terminal would have looked like, whether my character would have been allowed to buy a ticket and board the coach and so on.
How do you store everything; ideas, research, images that catch your eye?
I keep a folder with the book’s working title in my laptop. In there I keep a running notes page, photos, draft paragraphs, chapter outline etc. I also keep photos for each book on pinterest.
Tell us how that first draft takes shape?
I write a bit in it every morning, then think about what I have written and where to go next for the rest of the day. I write myself notes in my notes app on my phone. When writing for children my 10 year old son reads (and critiques) what I have written each morning while he has his breakfast. I grit my teeth and make notes because he is almost always right.
Are there any rituals you have to do or items you must have with you while writing that draft?
I cannot read anything in the genre I am writing in while I am writing them. For example I don’t read mid grade whilst writing the Portal Series and I don’t read contemporary fiction whilst writing my adult novels. This is why I read so much crime and humour as I cannot write either of those.
Does the outside world exist or are you lost to us for a period of time as the magic works?
I live in a house dominated by males. The world very much exists (it is filled with sports, electronic gaming noise, pleas for food, farts and fussing over the cat). I tend to have to plug in to music while I write (and try not to breath too deeply).
What does your work space look like?
I have a laptop so my workspace looks like wherever I am writing – usually my dinning room but also the front room and loft room. I try to keep my desk tidy because I believe I write tidier if my work space is uncluttered.
Edit as you go or just keep getting words out?
I try to get the words out. If I am in a phase of ‘editing’ as I go it is because I am avoiding the actual writing.
I see many writers counting words in a day. Word counter or other method of keeping track of progression?
I use the word count built in to my Word for Mac MS
So, that first draft is down. Roughly how long did it take? And what shape is it in?
The answer to this question depends on what I am writing. I get first drafts of my mid grade novels (key stage two) for children written quite quickly whereas I find key stage one books (which I write in rhyming verse) more challenging, and fiction for adults take the longest of all to write.
In what format do you like to read it through, ereader, paper or the computer screen?
I use the laptop screen, then convert it to mobi and read it on my ereader.
What happens now that first draft is done?
I put it away for a while, then send it out to beta readers before editing it a couple of times and then sending it to my editor.
This is the end result of the part of the first draft that I photographed (the final will have illustrations too):
Mauvais picked it up,
and saw it was a key,
gold and bright
she wrapped it up in her hand and then she held it tight.
She slowly opened up her hand to look again at the key,
and to her surprise it whispered “Please look after me!”
“I am the key to the Globe of Peace, keep me safe forever.”
Mauvais nearly dropped the key; it could talk?
My, that was clever
Then suddenly Shouty her one eyed cat,
appeared yelling “Trick or treat!”
he was wearing a grey and white sock on his head looking rather neat.
Thanks for digging into the depths of the first draft. It’s been a pleasure having you.
Thanks for asking me about my first draft, I was pleased to be a part of this series and have enjoyed reading about other writer’s first drafts.
You can find Denyse chatting to people on Twitter and Facebook, and adding photos on Pinterest.
mikhaeyla kopievsky says
Loved your advice on just getting the words out! I have been struggling with this for a while and the pedantic editor in me was killing off the creative author. The problem was, while I knew this to be the case, I couldn’t switch it off – until I read a quote that made me understand why a messy first draft is necessary. Hopefully now, the author in me will have more free reign!
DJ Kirkby says
Hi Mikhaeyla, thanks for your comment. I am glad you loved my advice! My inner editor is more a scoundrel who tries to make me waste time rather than one who believes in helping me be more productive.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Her rules of not reading her genre but reading so much crime and humor amused me.
And hopefully no one is farting over the cat…
DJ Kirkby says
Alex, don’t you worry about the cat who is called Grumplestiltskin – he farts too 🙁
Oh and I read my genre LOADS when I am not actively writing it – sorry for the confusion.
DJ Kirkby says
Argh, apologies for the typo too! *gets coat, leaves room*
Margot Kinberg says
Rebecca – Thanks for introducing us to Denyse.
Denyse – Thanks for sharing your drafting process. I admire the way you juggle different kinds of writing. Like you, I nearly always have more than one project going on at the same time, and I give you credit for managing that too. I wish you success.
DJ Kirkby says
Thanks Margot, I find writing in more than one genre a good way to rest a part of my writing brain. Is it the same for you?
nancyrae4 says
– If I am in a phase of ‘editing’ as I go it is because I am avoiding the actual writing. –
Denyse, you just described what I’m doing now with my novel. Wow. Great interview.
DJ Kirkby says
Hi Nancy, nice to know I am not alone. Now…if you could just give me a swift kick up the butt I could (perhaps) get on with writing more of adult novel number three. I’ll return the favour if you wish? 🙂
Jo Carroll says
I’m impressed – a first draft ready for beta readers! Mine are generally shamefully dreadful – it takes several drafts before I dare show anything to anyone!
DJ Kirkby says
You think it’s ready for beta readers Jo? I think I will change it loads before that point.
Annalisa Crawford says
Fiction/non-fiction/adults/childrens… Now, that’s impressive!
DJ Kirkby says
Thank you….the non-fiction is a bit of a cheat really because it’s about midwifery – knowledge I have shared daily for decades – so not much effort required to write it (compared to fiction).
Jacqui Murray says
Wonderful interview. I was stunned by the NOT reading in your genre. Nice change from the norm. I read constantly in my genre, hoping to drown myself in it, but would love permission to wander out for a book or two.
DJ Kirkby says
Thank you. I avoid reading in the genre I am writing only whilst I am actually writing that genre. This is because I believe that every other writer in the universe is MUCH more talented than me, and if I was to read my genre whilst writing then my writing simply would not happen. Hope that makes sense.
Linda King says
Interesting interview – I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels they write tidier if the desk is tidy!
DJ Kirkby says
I only wish I could keep my desk tidy all the time.
Joanna (Lazuli Portals Trilogy) says
Such an interesting interview, Denyse – thanks for sharing this with us, Rebecca!
I always find it fascinating that writers, as a species, have so many different ways of bringing their words to the keyboard (or notepad, etc). Isn’t it great that we can all be so different, yet all bond through a love of words. 🙂
DJ Kirkby says
Thanks Joanna, when are you going to do a FD post on here? Yours would be so interesting because of the fact that you have a co-author.
Joanna (Lazuli Portals Trilogy) says
Hehe, if that’s an invitation then we gladly accept, Denyse! I can’t be sure of the timescale though (would that be a problem?) as part of the co-author ‘thing’ is fitting in loads of collaborative work in quite limited timeframes. 🙂
DJ Kirkby says
Sorry Joanna, I can’t extend an invitation but my comment was a hint for you to approach Rebecca Bradley (blog owner) to see if see would be interested in doing a first draft interview on you two!
Joanna (Lazuli Portals Trilogy) says
Oops, the perils of trying to reply to blog posts on my mobile while on holiday! I lost track of where I was, sorry to you both!. 😉
Thanks Denyse, I will follow up with Rebecca once my hollibobs are finished 🙂
*slinks away with blush staining her cheeks* 😉