{"id":2327,"date":"2019-05-31T10:45:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T14:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/?p=2327"},"modified":"2022-12-28T20:41:58","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T01:41:58","slug":"meet-the-irregulars-deanna-rice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/meet-the-irregulars-deanna-rice\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Irregulars: Deanna Rice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Thirteen Questions with DEANNA RICE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2328\" src=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/deanna-weeping-angel.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Does writing energize or exhaust you?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I find that it usually energizes me, especially when the words come easily and quickly; when my characters take over and start making their own decisions and I try to keep up with narrating it all. Occasionally, usually toward the end of NaNoWriMo, when I\u2019ve fallen behind on my writing goals and I\u2019m struggling to catch up while also meeting all of my work, home and social responsibilities, I will write late into the evening. Those late, stressful nights are the only times when writing exhausts me.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What is your writing Kryptonite?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I like stories and Netflix has so many to choose from&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Absolutely! Romance novels sell like hot cakes, as they say, and I\u2019ve considered writing a couple to at least get my name out into the publishing world. The only problem with this plan is that I\u2019m not sure I want anyone I know to read dirty the dirty bits and start looking at me differently. Just imagine if my mom read it!!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The book I\u2019ve nearly completed is currently a stand-on-its-own work, however there is the potential for subsequent novels in the same universe. The second novel, which I started last NaNo, was just going to be its own work but it\u2019s now definitely going to be part of a series. I\u2019m already planning plots for the next installments.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep going. Maybe you don\u2019t think your stories are that great but keep writing and you\u2019ll continue to grow. There are people out there who are waiting for your words.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two years ago I went to my first writing convention\/conference, Readercon. A friend and fellow writer invited me to join her and I\u2019m so glad I said yes. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many people who were working toward the same goals. By the time I was getting into the car to head back to Maine, I had several new novel ideas swirling around in my head and I couldn\u2019t wait to get back home so I could start writing!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There\u2019s this awesome picture of a very young me (maybe 4?), sitting on the floor in our house. I\u2019m beaming up at the camera while I pose beside the crayons I had arranged on the floor to spell out my name. One of the n\u2019s is backwards but my parents were so thrilled and proud of me. I think the memory of their joy stayed with me through the years and influenced my love of words, books and writing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ooh, that\u2019s a good question. I have one that is very near completion, I just need to finish my second round of editing, then get it out to a couple of beta readers for some initial feedback. I have another that\u2019s roughly \u00be written but will need plenty of editing. I have a third which was several chapters in\u2026then I somehow managed to lose two chapters&#8230; I was so distraught I just walked away from it. I hope to return to it at some point but the pain is still too fresh. If we count the stories I wrote as a kid, I\u2019m probably at\u2026..5 or 6 unfinished works?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How do you select the names of your characters?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I write a lot of fantasy so I\u2019ll often think about the time period in which I\u2019m setting my story. Most recently I started a novel set in Victorian London, so I did a bit of research into what names were popular in that region in the 1800\u2019s. I browse through names until I find a few that I like, then gradually narrow them down until I settle on one. Sometimes this process takes a bit longer than others, haha!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Does your family support your career as a writer?<a href=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2329\" src=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/lumberjack-glam.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They do, absolutely! My mother also writes so she\u2019s always encouraged me to be creative and work on my stories. My dad doesn\u2019t really get the writing thing but he knows how much I want to make it happen and is supportive of my efforts. My husband is probably my biggest cheerleader and supporter. He will periodically ask me what progress I\u2019ve made in writing\/or editing and give me a good, swift (metaphorically speaking) kick in the pants when I need it!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How long on average does it take you to write a book?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Well, the book I\u2019ve nearly finished has taken me several years. I stopped and started many times, including starting over a couple of times, even changing the time setting. Once I found the right time period and setting, it took roughly a year to get the story out and start editing. The story for my second novel is nearly out, aside from some editing and a few scenes I want to add in during that process. The shorter time period means I\u2019m getting better at this thing, right?! XD<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Do you believe in writer\u2019s block?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I think I believe in it, yeah. There have been times when I\u2019ve just felt stuck in a scene; where nothing seems to be going the way I want it to and I just can\u2019t find the words I want. In the past I would just step away from the novel for a while. Unfortunately, this would lead to me not doing any writing for an extended period of time. Nowadays, I tend to just write through the blocked scene. Even if the words are awful when I write them, even if it\u2019s a painstaking task to get them out, eventually I will find my way out of the scene and move on to something that gets my creative juices flowing! I\u2019ll fix that bad section during editing!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I\u2019m friends with Melissa Burkhart and you, Richard! I\u2019ve also met a few others through NaNo who, though I don\u2019t know their names, are an important part of my daily social media routine. All of these people (including you, Richard), are such a huge inspiration for me. Everyday I see updates about what they\u2019re all doing, how much progress they\u2019ve made and how excited they are about their work. They make me want to work harder and do great things! Good luck to all of you! You\u2019re amazing! &lt;3<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Bio<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2192\" src=\"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DeannaRice.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><strong>Deanna<\/strong> lives in central Maine with her husband, Matt. She just completed her Master\u2019s Degree in English this past December, and has been working on her writing since then! She\u2019s nearly completed editing of her first novel, has completed roughly half of a second and has a second short story in progress. When not writing, she can be found knitting, reading or watching the latest Marvel movie or Game of Thrones episode.<\/p>\n<p>Websites:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/deannariceauthor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/deannariceauthor\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/deannanjrice.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deannanjrice.wordpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Twitter: @t3hdoublehelix<\/p>\n<p>Instagram:\u00a0deannanjrice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thirteen Questions with DEANNA RICE Does writing energize or exhaust you? I find that it usually energizes me, especially when the words come easily and quickly; when my characters take [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-2327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meettheirregulars","tag-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2327"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2330,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2327\/revisions\/2330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}