Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Donna Cooner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Donna, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I was so naïve when I first started writing for children. I thought because I was a teacher and spent so much time reading children’s books, it would be easy to write one. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Picture book writing is much like poetry. Every single word must be carefully chosen to have the greatest impact and the pacing has to be perfectly matched to the age group reading the story. Later, when I wrote young adult books, there was an even bigger learning curve. I enrolled in classes, went to conferences, and asked for critiques from multiple sources. After a lot of rejection, I learned to write a story that made teens turn the pages in anticipation of what was going to happen to the main character. One of the most important learning was to read, read, read the books that were selling in the age group I wanted to write for–learning from others who were successful in this competitive world was critical. And it wasn’t just about perfecting the craft of writing. It was also critical to learn about the business of writing, and that was a totally different world for me at first. Going to major conferences and making many wonderful author friends helped me learn to navigate the business side of publishing–agents, editors, advance, royalties and more. It’s still tough and constantly changing, but persistence is key. It definitely doesn’t happen overnight.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a former teacher and school administrator, who is currently a professor of education at Colorado State University. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado, with my husband and chocolate labs.

I am the author of over twenty picture books and have also written children’s television shows for PBS. I have also published eight novels for young adults. My debut novel, SKINNY, was named an ALA’s Best Young Adult Fiction Award, BEA’s Young Adult Buzz Book, and a Bankstreet College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year. My book, CAN’T LOOK AWAY, was a Teen Choice Nominee and an ALA Top Pick for Reluctant Readers. SKINNY, SCREENSHOT, and FAKE are Colorado Book Award finalists. My books have been translated into Norwegian, Basque, Swedish, Russian, French, Spanish, and Finnish.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I believe there are stories everywhere, you just have to look and listen. Sometimes it’s hard for me to turn off that side of my brain that is always on the lookout for a great story idea. I can hear a snippet of conversation at the coffee shop, or see a person on the street, and immediately begin to create a backstory in my mind. When I first started dating my husband who is in the medical field, it was hard for him to understand how my brain worked. I remember him saying on an early date, “You’re having a conversation in your head again., aren’t you?” We laugh about it now, but it was the first time I realized not everyone does this. I create in total isolation at my computer–writing down a world filled with people that didn’t exist a few minutes before–but I also have to interact with the world outside my head to help me find the stories and characters I need. It’s a different work arena than most people are familiar with and requires a unique skillset. There is also a down side to this. What I write comes from my brain, so I have to make sure my mind is in a good space to create. If I’m ill, or anxious, or tired–I can’t write my best. Keeping my mind healthy and happy is critical to my writing work world.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a university administrator and now teacher of teachers, it was my privilege to sit at the podium and preside over graduation ceremonies every semester. But as I was sitting there listening to the graduation speaker that winter, my chair broke and I ended up in a heap of regalia on the stage floor. There was a collective gasp from the crowd of over a thousand. I was completely mortified. Later I sat trembling on the new chair, blinking away embarrassed tears, and thinking of every “feeling fat” moment in my whole life. There were a lot of them. Even more powerful at that moment was the “voice” I heard in my ear. I realized in that moment, my status as a professor and college administrator didn’t matter. Or how much money I made. Or how successful I was. All that matter was that self-critical voice in my head making me feel once again like a fat fifteen year old girl that everyone was laughing at

When I eventually told friends and family about the incident (after all it is a great story), they were horrified for me. Eventually I laughed. And they laughed, too. A lot. (Because bringing a sense of humor to the tough times of life is also important to me). When we finally stopped laughing, they said, “You have to write this down in one of your books some day.”

And I did. It became the inciting incident in SKINNY, my first young adult novel, and an important lesson for my young adult novels to come because the best thing I can give my fiction is the truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.donnacooner.com
• Instagram: @dcooner
• Facebook: Donna Cooner’s Books
• Twitter: @dcooner

Image Credits
not applicable