An Interview with Homecoming Chaos Author D.W. Brooks
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I’m excited to interview D.W. Brooks today as part of the WOW! Women on Writing blog tour!
Congratulations, D.W., on your new release Homecoming Chaos. Thank you for joining me today!
Michelle: Can you walk us through your writing process for Homecoming Chaos? How did you go from initial idea to finished manuscript?
DW: The idea for my main character came to me over 10 years ago. Here's a little background: I am an ophthalmologist with an MBA. By the end of my training and education, I planned to work in health care administration instead of going into medical practice long-term. The supposedly sudden change in career goals caused some concern and discussion among some of my family and friends. Most of it was confusion because "I had worked so hard to become a doctor and how could I leave it behind?" That train of thought led to my lead character: someone who had become a physician but decided not to practice. I wanted to explore the reactions of both her and her family to that decision.
I didn't really start writing this book until I developed chronic kidney disease in the mid-2010s. I spent a lot of time resting in bed. Not wanting to waste time, I used the character that I had envisioned in a story. But by then, I didn't want to write a story about leaving practice; I wanted that to be a part of the character and not the story. She was still based on me (height included), but I had to add more drama, or it would have been a boring story!
It took me several years to write the first draft of the manuscript, but I had finished the first draft before my transplant. However, distinct events kept me from moving forward with my manuscript. In December 2017, I received a kidney transplant, and in July 2018, my mother passed away. My father moved in with our family until he passed away in May 2020. While he lived with us, I helped care for him and managed my recovery from the transplant. After his death, I finally picked the manuscript up again to see what I could do with it. I hired a developmental editor, a copy editor, a formatter, and a cover designer. This process was slow as well because my daughter started high school during the pandemic and, as a young woman with special needs, I helped her with school every day. Not much time for working on the changes from the editors. So that took another year.
In 2022, I signed up for a self-publishing course, during which I wrote a prequel novella for Homecoming Chaos. At that point, I planned to publish at the end of 2022, but my publish date kept moving back. I finally picked a hard deadline for November 2023. No matter what, the book was getting pushed out the door. I am glad I did that!
Michelle: How did you decide which route to go when it came to self-publishing or traditional publishing?
DW: I don't think it even crossed my mind to try traditional publishing with this book. There are two reasons for this:
• I have a general understanding of how traditional publications works. The need for an agent, sending off queries, hoping for a publishing house to take you on. It wasn't something I wanted to deal with. Now that there are many self-publishing options, I feel fortunate that I can make the decision to publish my stories. I don't have to rely on someone else to allow me to publish.
• My husband has self-published two books of his own. He published his first book 15 years ago. The landscape was vastly different then, but the basic idea was the same. He wrote his story, paid a company to edit and print it, and listed it on Amazon for sale. It was a great feeling for him to get his story out there for people to read. While selling the book was important, there was a lot of personal pride involved, too.
I am also coming to this at an older age. If I want to publish, I don't want to wait for other people to approve my book for publishing.
Michelle: What tools or software do you find most useful in your writing and editing process?
DW: I find Microsoft Word, Google, and Fiverr to be the most helpful.
I purchased Scrivner and found it helpful for organizational purposes. But I think it tried to make me too organized. I use Microsoft Word, and I have ProWritingAid integrated into Word to help me with spelling and grammar issues. I am taking part in NaNoWriMo this year and tried the ButterDocs app that they advertised. However, I have found that I still like using Word.
Google is my friend. I can get ideas or clarity on an idea for my stories by using Google. I can look up history to make sure I am not going off on a tangent or writing about something that couldn't have happened.
I have a developmental editor that we have been using for years. However, I have found copyeditors, press release writers, formatters, blurb writers, and ebook formatters on Fiverr. I have a cover designer that I found elsewhere, but I see many cover designers on Fiverr as well. You can find someone to help you in all stages of your writing journey, and there are reviews and ratings that help you select someone who is competent.
Michelle: What were some challenges you encountered while writing Homecoming Chaos, and how did you overcome them?
DW: Most of my challenges while writing Homecoming Chaos involved my life and didn't come from writing the book itself. The first problem was procrastination. I came up with my main character Jamie several years before I ever started writing the story. Other things in life, like family, children, and work, got in the way at first. Then, I started getting sick, which is when I started writing, albeit slowly. So, illness was another challenge I dealt with. Undergoing my kidney transplant in December 2017 was an enormous obstacle. Although I had finished the first draft, I had a lot of doctors' appointments and blood draws, so I really didn't have the time or energy to focus on the manuscript.
My mother passed away six months after my transplant in July 2018, which left my father needing help. We moved him back to Texas to live with us. My father had multiple medical problems and many doctors' appointments. We hired a nursing aide, but caregiving is a never-ending task. After my father passed away, I wondered about what I was going to do moving forward. The manuscript seemed like a good place to start. It took me another two and a half years to get the book published, but that was because of procrastination again. I set multiple launch dates which fell by the wayside over those two years. Finally, I put all fear aside and set a drop-dead date for launch. I am not sure what the consequences would have been if I missed this deadline, but I am glad I did not have to find out!
Michelle: That’s a lot, and good for you for setting (and meeting) that drop-dead deadline! Can you offer any advice on the business aspect of being a published author, such as working with cover designers, editors, or marketing your work?
DW: Try to get personal recommendations for your editors if possible. If not, using popular publishing websites like Reedsy, BookBaby, or Kindleprenuer can give you somewhere to start. The marketplace Fiverr offers other options with ratings. Or you can just Google "book editors" and book editing services appear. It's important that you talk about what you want and don't want when working with your editors. And if you don't know, ask questions. Your editor should be willing to explain why they made specific choices. Also, understand how many revisions you get with your editing order, no matter how you find your editor. It's very rare that the first revision will be perfect; some editors will charge for a revision past a certain number. Fortunately, my husband had a developmental editor that I was familiar with and could work with. As long as she is available, I will use the same editor for each of my novels and novellas. He also had a copyeditor/formatter that he had worked with on his latest publication in 2021, who he found on Fiverr. I plan to use this person for each of my books as well. Using the same editor can maintain consistency between your novels.
A friend recommended my cover designer service to me. We worked together very well, and they created covers I love. You can locate a cover designer in the same manner that you find editors. One of the important factors in working with your cover designer is knowing what you want your cover to look like. Look at other books in your genre and think about the mood of your book when working with your designer.
Finishing and publishing your novel is not the end of your work with a particular book. Even if you go the traditional publishing route, you will have marketing tasks to do to help sell your book. I will have a 12+ month marketing plan for Homecoming Chaos with a goal of continuing to get news of my book out to readers. Book tours, social media blitzes, book reviews, book festivals, interviews, podcasts, book signings, and book clubs are all ways you can market your book. I plan to use most of these over the next 12 months. It can be a lot, and you have to remember that it is a process.
Michelle: How do you handle writer's block or creative slumps, especially when working on a deadline?
DW: I didn't have a deadline while writing this book, so I didn't have to deal with fighting through writer's block. Also, writer's block is not something I deal with often. I typically write whatever comes to mind and edit the results a lot.
Unless I get an agent or move to traditional publishing, I expect I won't have to deal with deadlines very often. My future books will be a part of the Chaos series based on my lead character. I plan to crank out one novel per year.
Thanks so much for answering my questions! All the best to you with Homecoming Chaos!
About Homecoming Chaos
A dead body in the parking lot of her family’s business, a killer on the loose, and a handsome detective asking a lot of questions…
Jamie Scott’s life fell apart four years ago when she broke off her engagement, turned down a dream job, and went overseas to run away from her life. Now she’s back, but the reunion is not without problems. She arrives home just in time to attend the soiree her mother planned, but she’s not prepared for what she finds—a dead employee in the parking lot.
Detective Nick Marshall is assigned to the murder case at the forensics lab owned by Jamie’s family. He meets the headstrong Jamie, but he has a job to do. And his attraction to her… well, he’s a professional.
Jamie knows the stakes are high. She has to face the past and save her parents’ business while dealing with her family drama and an uncertain future. She also has to deal with Nick, who wants her out of the way of his investigation. But fate keeps throwing them in one another’s paths… and into chaos that they both want to avoid, but neither can seem to escape.
Publisher: Life: The Reboot, LLC
ISBN-13: 979-8218150501
Print length: 449 pages
Purchase a copy of Homecoming Chaos by visiting Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo. Make sure you also add Homecoming Chaos to your Goodreads reading list.
About D.W. Brooks
D.W. Brooks lives in Texas with her husband and children. She enjoys trying to stay in shape, sporadically cooking, reading (still), writing, and working on her blog. She is eternally grateful to the woman who donated a kidney to her over 5 years ago and continues to advocate for organ donation as much as she can.
Learn more at www.authordwbrooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordwbrooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordwbrooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifethereboot
Follow the Blog Tour
November 20th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate author D.W. Brooks and interview her about Homecoming Chaos. You'll also have the chance to win a copy for yourself.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
November 22nd @ Author Michelle Cornish
Visit Michelle's blog to read her review of Homecoming Chaos.
https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog/book-reviews
November 25th @ The Faerie Review
Stop by to check out Lily's spotlight of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
November 27th @ Michelle Cornish
Join Michelle to read an interview with D.W. Brooks.
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog
November 29th @ Pages & Paws
Join Kristine as she shares a guest post by D.W. Brooks about switching careers from medicine to writing.
November 29th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog
Join Lisa for an interview with D.W. Brooks.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
November 30th @ Life According to Jamie
Stop by Jamie's blog to read her review of Homecoming Chaos.
https://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com
December 3rd @ Author Michelle Cornish
Visit Michelle's blog to read a guest post by D.W. Brooks writing as Jamison Scott about the wedding that wasn't.
https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog/bookis-bits
December 5th @ Reading Beyond the Book Cover
Join Jaleesa as she shares her review of Homecoming Chaos.
https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/
December 6th @ A Storybook World
Stop by Deirdra's blog to read her spotlight of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
December 7th @ Nikki's Book Reviews
Check out Nikki's review of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
December 9th @ Helen Hollick Author
Visit Helen's blog to read a guest post from author D.W. Brooks.
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
December 12th @ Bring On Lemons
Join Crystal as she shares her review of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
December 14th @ The Knotty Needle
Stop by to read Judy's review of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
December 15th @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Stop by Sue’s blog to read a guest post by D.W. Brooks about literary beginnings.
December 17th @ World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole's blog to read her review of Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks.
https://worldofmyimagination.com
