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THE WRITER'S LIFE
BLOG -- October 2005
Interview with Dorothy
Thompson
When did your passion for writing begin?
I've always been writing funny letters to my
friends and family, but it wasn't until I was
38 that I took a real shot at writing humor
as a profession. I have always loved Erma Bombeck's
books and thought that since I was now a wife
and mother, maybe I would try writing about
my own domestic tales.
Can you tell us what your typical “writing”
day is like?
Well, my writing life really revolves around
my children's schedules. When they're at school,
that's when I get most of my writing done. But,
if I have a looming deadline, I work nights
and weekends as well.
Do you write full time?
No, I really can't right now, but I hope to
in the future.
Can you tell us a little about Cracked
at Birth?
Cracked at Birth is a compilation of about 60
of my best "Sunny Side Up" humor columns.
I came up with the name "Cracked at Birth"
when initially developing my Web site. Although
my column name came about because I wanted people
to look at the "sunny side" of life,
I realized it was also a popular way to cook
eggs. So, I started brainstorming along the
whole egg theme and eventually came up with
"Cracked at Birth." I thought it not
only sounded funny, but it also fit my "cracked"
view of how I look at life. Strange, but true.
Who published your book and how has
your experience with them been?
My book was published by the Mom-Writers Cooperative,
a subsidiary of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing,
Inc. out of Deadwood, Oregon. Nancy Cleary is
the publisher and she developed the coop to
help mom's like myself have their voice heard.
She has been awesome to work with and has taught
me a lot about the publishing business. What's
also been great is that the women in the coop
share their experiences every step along the
publishing process so we all learn from each
other and get better as individual writers.
Can you tell us the inspiration behind
Cracked at Birth?
I started writing humor to "blow off steam"
and as a release from being a stay-at-home mom.
It's been very therapeutic and a great way to
document my family's antics. It keeps me sane...well,
if you can call me sane.
Can you tell us ways you are promoting
your book? Have they been successful?
So far I have been promoting my book locally
and slowly branching out. I think that my book
appeals to primarily women ages 25 - 55 all
around the world. Many women have told me how
they can definitely "relate" to my
stories. So, I've been targeting women's magazines
and Web sites. I still feel I have a long way
to go, but I'm just trying to take it one day
at a time. One of the women in the coop, Christine
Hohlbaum, said it best.."You need to think
of it as a marathon, not a sprint."
Who are your favorite authors and why
do they inspire you?
Like I mentioned, Erma Bombeck is who I idolize
most. She was just so good at what she did.
I could only hope to reach the same success
that she did.
Do you have a mentor?
Not really, but I belong to an online humor
writing group, which is made up attendees of
the Erma Bombeck Writing Conference that takes
place every two years in Dayton, Ohio. I have
learned a lot from many of the humor writers
in the group. Some of them have been writing
a lot longer than I have and have a lot of experience
to share.
What future projects do you have in
the works?
Right now, I'm just trying to sell, sell, sell
my book. I will also continue to write my column,
and we'll see what else comes my way. The way
I look at it...the sky's the limit.
What do you feel are the pros and cons
of the publishing industry today?
I never realized how much work and money were
involved in not only getting your book published,
but in promoting the book. I learned that writing
is the easy part. I've spent 100's of hours
trying to build a "buzz" around the
book, but you never really know what channels
will pay off the most, so you just have to saturate
the market and see what sticks. It's been an
interesting journey.
Can you give aspiring authors words
of advice towards getting published?
If you really want to get published, than keep
writing and never give up. It may take months
or years before you get published, but I truly
believe, "where there's a will, there's
a way." You can also self-publish. There
are pros and cons to self-publishing, but if
you really want to be able to hold your very
own book in your own little hands, then why
not self-publish.
What’s one thing about your life
that you think is important, but nobody asks?
Hmmmm. That's a good question. I can't think
of something more important than being a mom,
but everyone knows that. I think the thing that
is most ironic is that I'm really a shy person.
People expect humor writers to be funny all
the time and a little off the wall. Believe
me, some are, but it's not me. I guess I'm a
closet humor writer.
Can you tell us where we can go to buy
Cracked at Birth?
You can purchase Cracked at Birth on
my Web site,
on Amazon.com,
and BarnesandNoble.com.
It will also be in select area bookstores starting
in November.
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