Continuing with the Take Ten interviews, next up is Coffee and Critique co-founder, Donna Volkenannt.
Donna is a writer, an editor, and a creative writing teacher whose stories, essays, reviews, and interviews have been published in hundreds of print and online publications.
Her work has been recognized with more than 100 awards. She recently received notice that her true story "Remembering Miss Tobin" was a top ten finalist in the 2014 Erma Bombeck Global Human Interest writing competition category. In 2012, her true story "Honey, Can I Borrow Your Garter Belt?" won first place in the Erma Bombeck Global Humor writing competition category.
Here are her take-ten questions and answers, which also appear in the recently published Coffee and Critique anthology:
1. What (or who) inspired you to become a writer?
My parents and the nuns who taught me
in school.
I grew up the middle child of seven,
surrounded by storytellers. Mom’s family were Baptists, originally from
the Little Dixie area in and around Hannibal, Missouri. When we got together
with her “relations,” the women swapped gossip, shared recipes for things like
calves’ brains, and talked about their superstitions, especially when one of
them had a dream of muddy water – a sure sign someone was about to get sick or
die. Dad grew up in North St. Louis, in a large Irish-Catholic family. He
served in the Army infantry during World War II. When we got together with his
brothers, they drank a lot of beer, told stories about their wild childhood,
argued about who saw the most time in combat, and whose first name was the most
Irish. Those family memories have been fodder for my stories and essays. As a
child I loved to read, and the nuns who taught me encouraged me to write.
2. What is your
writing specialty?
Good question. I write where my ideas
take me and like to experiment with different genres.
3. How would you describe your writing
process?
I jot down ideas, snatches of conversations, titles, outlines, and
such in a notebook or on scraps of paper. I believe there is a connection
between the physical act of using a pen and writing on paper. When I begin to
write a first draft I consult my notes as I type on my laptop, but the words
seem to flow because I’ve already connected physically with my story or essay.
Usually, I write several drafts then let my manuscript sit for some time before
bringing it in for critique.
4. What is the best
part of being a writer? What is the worst part of being a writer?
The best part is when I’m in the
“zone.” It’s an almost spiritual experience when the words flow from somewhere
deep inside. It’s magical when I write something then wonder, “Where did that
come from?”
The worst part is not having time to
write and losing focus.
5. What is the best writing advice you’ve
received?
Two memorable pieces of advice given to
me from other writers come to mind.
The first occurred several years ago
during one of my first work-in-progress readings. When I finished, I apologized
for my work not being well written. Afterwards, an older gentleman said that he liked my
story and encouraged me to keep writing. He told me, “Don’t hide your lamp
under a basket.”
The second came from the late Nick
Nixon during a critique group session. After I read a personal essay, Nick told
me to put more emotion into my work and to not hold back. He wrote on top of my
essay, “Take your gloves off.” When I got home I misread what he had written as
“Take your clothes off.” His advice was inspiring and turned out to be humorous
as well.
The worst?
“You need to change – ” which messes with my writing voice. Equally
harmful is when someone else tries to impose his or her sensibilities on my
work. I’ve learned to ignore remarks suggesting I “need to change” parts of my
stories or essays because they are too religious or too Catholic. Just like a writer’s unique voice, a writer’s
personal beliefs should be respected and left alone.
6.
Which books on writing can you recommend for other writers?
My shelves overflow with books on the
craft of writing. The fundamentals are: Elements
of Style by Strunk and White, On
Writing Well by William Kinser, On Writing
by Stephen King, and Good Prose by
Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd. I also have a large stack of college-level
literature textbooks which contain short stories and essays from esteemed
writers. Finally, I recommend reading books in the genre in which one wishes to
write.
7. How has belonging to Coffee and
Critique affected you as a writer?
Meeting once a week keeps me focused
and energized. There’s no feeling like being around other writers to spark my
creativity. I also have made several writer friends whose wisdom and
encouragement are golden. No matter how much I revise and polish my manuscript,
it is always made better after bringing it in for critique. The writers in Coffee
and Critique are worth their weight in gold -- and ink!
8. If you’ve been published or have won
awards, which are the most special to you?
The most special are two true stories
about my late children. “Julie’s Gift” in A
Cup of Comfort for Women is about the lesson of selfless giving I learned
from my late daughter Julie while we were living in Germany. The second, “Santa
Wore Cowboy Boots” in A Cup of Comfort
for Christmas, is a true story about a lesson my late son Erik taught me
about the real meaning of Christmas when we were living in Arizona.
9. What three words best describe you?
Never stopped believing.
10. What is your writing dream?
To finish the projects I’ve already started and
continue coming up with ideas for more.
Bonus question: If you could interview one or two famous writers or historic
figures living or deceased, who would they be and what would you ask them?
I’d interview Missouri writers
Mark Twain and Kate Chopin.
I’d ask Mark Twain what it was like to live in
Missouri at the time of the Civil War. I’d also ask if he knew any of my
maternal great-grandparents, who lived in Hannibal the same time he did.
I’d
ask Kate Chopin how writing helped her overcome her grief after the loss of
loved ones, and what it was like living in St. Louis during the 1904 World’s
Fair.
