Cantastic Guest Author: Danika Dinsmore

Rounding out middle grade week is Danika Dinsmore, author of Brigitta of the White Forest, which has one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen.   The next book in her Faerie Tales from the White Forest series comes out March 2012.

LEC:  Please describe your typical working day.

DD: This is the perfect question for me because I'm constantly reworking my personal schedule to keep myself focused!

I try to write every day. I like the momentum and staying inside of Brigitta's world. If more than 2 days go by and I haven't written, not only do I get anxious, it's harder for me to get back inside the story.

Let's see . . . I wake up, drink coffee, do some journaling and a little "personal growth" reading. I've just started doing yoga so I try to get some in before I head off to my "cottage" (an ex-garage that I turned into an office). I generally write for a few hours or until it just feels good. I'm editing my 2nd book right now, so I try to edit 10-12 pages per day. When I'm working on a first draft I write about 5 new pages per day.

When I don't have teaching commitments, I organize the rest of my day on index cards. Every task goes on a card related to that project. I do this b/c if I get an idea in the middle of doing something else I don't want to get distracted. So I throw the task on the right card and get refocused.

I go through the cards and prioritize projects. (I recommend anyone working from home listen to David Allen's seminar "Getting Things Done Fast" - that seminar changed my life in terms of being able to organize my personal time.) Then I go through as many cards as I can per day. Project cards include: social media campaigns, marketing/branding, planning for upcoming events, curriculum development, grant writing, blog posts, work for my boutique film production company, etc.

(Then I find out when my husband is leaving work so I can clean up, figure out dinner, and get out of my pajamas by the time he gets home. lol.)

LEC: The last time you visited was before Brigitta of the White Forest had been released.  How has the book been received, and what can we expect from the sequel?

DD: The book has been very well received by parents, teachers, and children alike and I am grateful for every new fan I get. I work very hard at making myself as public as possible. All writers know how challenging it is to market themselves. I have found that meeting my audience in person is the best way to keep them excited and interested.

The 2nd book, The Ruins of Noe, picks up just after Brigitta's apprenticeship has begun. The White Forest is in danger again as the Elders have lost touch with the Ancients. Brigitta and High Priestess Ondelle travel to the old faerie ruins together in search of answers. No elemental faeries have been to the ruins since they were moved to the White Forest almost 1,000 years before. Without giving TOO much away, they discover that there are faeries that were left behind (!) and get caught in the middle of two warring faerie tribes.

The Ruins of Noe is slightly darker and a bit more mature. I found this organically occurring as Brigitta and I grow up together (she as a character and me as a writer).

LEC: You have a great deal of experience in the screenwriting/film industry, which is probably why your live action book trailer looks so much like a real movie!  Tell us a little bit about creating the trailer.  What was it like to see real live kids dressed up as your characters?

DD: Thanks! We had very little money and had to be creative. I'm lucky that I know so many people in the industry, because they all pitched in for the love of the project.

To make the trailer I did think in terms of a movie trailer. I picked out "scenes" from the book and created a story board, then spoke to a prop person to make sure it could all be done within our budget. Then I imagined the music I wanted and a dear and talented friend scored it for me. She did a superb job.

An actor friend really wanted to play Hrathgar, so that was already set, but we held auditions for the two faerie sisters. During the auditions, we knew immediately that these two girls were who we wanted. I sent the girls copies of the book so they would understand their characters. What was the most fun for me was simply seeing how much fun THEY were having playing Brigitta and Himalette.

We shot it all without sound (except for Hrathgar's line) and added sound FX and voice over afterward. This cut down on the costs and made the shoot go faster. The setting was perfect because I live in BC and the trees are magnificent. We shot everything very close-up so we could "cheat" shots and use small spaces (like my editor's livingroom!) and minimal lighting. We had the wings made by a costumer and the eyeball puppets by an amazing prop designer we were completely lucky to have on our team. He also made the stone sprite. 

LEC: You've recently completed a month long book tour - 26 events in 27 days!   You've already posted about some of your experiences on your personal blog.  What other stories can you share?

DD: The entire thing was a great learning experience. Some of it humbling. There were a few sparsely attended readings and I learned just how difficult it is to get strangers out to hear an unknown novelist read! The school visits were by far the highlights of the tour. I have a background as a spokenword artist and an educator, so I'm not shy about getting up in front of 200 kids.

I also taught Imaginary Worlds workshops for smaller groups of kids and those were really well-received. They were a lot of fun for me, too, as children never cease to amaze and surprise me with their creativity.

One of my favourite stops on my tour was my old elementary school in Concord, CA. I hadn't been on that campus for about 30 years. Needless to say, there were no staff or teachers who had been around when I went to school there. They had me do two assemblies so that the entire school could meet me, and then teach an Imaginary Worlds workshop to some of the brightest 6th graders I have ever met.

I was so happy to see how the school had grown and what a positive atmosphere it had. It's nice to know that my old school is in good hands.

LEC: Tell us about your best moment as a children's book creator - a memory or experience that keeps you going on days you feel like giving it all up.

DD: One of my favourite moments was after one of my workshops. Lunchtime was next, so after the kids had gotten their books signed, they tore out of the room as kids usually do. I stuck around to chat with the teacher. When I left the classroom, however, a dozen kids were sitting up against the wall outside the building reading Brigitta. To see so many kids with their noses buried in my book on a perfect sunny day just tickled my heart.

The teacher later said she'd never seen that happen before and took a photo of it. I must get my hands on it. I think it definitely would keep me going on those days where I feel like an untalented hack in a sea of geniuses.

LEC: How well I know that feeling!  What question have you always wanted to be asked about your work, but no one ever has?  What is the answer?

DD: Um...

Question: Can we option your book as a movie?
Answer: Yes!

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For more about Danika and her books, visit her website.