Interview with Setafni Deoul

I'm delighted to be joined by the lovely Stefani Deoul on the blog today for an interview! Here's a little about Stefani:

Stefani Deoul is the author of newly released YA Mystery ON A LARP the first book in the Sid Rubin Silicon Alley Adventures. Book Two is currently in the works. Stefani has written for numerous publications, including, Curve magazine, Outdoor Delaware and Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, penned both short stories and film and television treatments. As a television producer her resume includes TV series such as Haven for the SyFy Network, The Dead Zone and Brave New Girl, Dresden Files and Missing. Along with producing five seasons of Haven, based on the Stephen King story The Colorado Kid, Stefani finally succumbed to the allure of acting, “starring” as the off camera, and uncredited, radio dispatcher, Laverne.

And onto the interview!


How long have I been writing.
More or less, forever. I would say certainly since I could read. I remember making up stories in my head; honing in on my favorite (or favourite since this is appearing on the “other side of the pond”) characters to join some new adventure I was dreaming up. 

Do I write in the genre I love to read.
This is a yes and a no. I love to read, so I read everything that captures my attention, which includes a lot of non-fiction. But having said that, right now, I think YA is experiencing a vibrant, compelling heyday in genres all across the board. The Sid Rubin Silicon Alley Adventures, of which ON A LARP is the first book, is inspired by the joy I had growing up reading Nancy Drew (and watching Scooby Doo :)) and all those mystery series with groups of friends, and to now have the opportunity to not only contemporize, but diversify, into this expanding young adult market is exhilarating.

What is my idea of a perfect writing day.
One where the “people are chatting” and the words come so fast, my fingers can’t keep up, and I wind up scribbling side notes so I can get back to those later.

Do I like editing or is it something I loathe.
I actually kind of love editing. I think the lovely part of writing is only I have an opinion, which is great fun. But I think it’s also the achilles heel. And regardless of how brilliant I think something is, when other people flag it, it requires me to see it anew, and think through my reasoning or logic to determine where the merit of the note lies. It makes me better. And also, after the bubble of writing, it’s great fun to talk about the book in that one on one way, with someone whose sole job is to make my creation better. If you think about it - how great is that!

Do I do character profiles?
No. At least not formal ones. As I create characters, I have a definite sense of who they are on a certain level, but not beyond that. Part of the process for me is meeting them, and learning about them often in the way you would a friend, wow, I didn’t know you knew that… It’s a careful walk because people can’t willy nilly have a skill such as  speaking a foreign language because it’s suddenly helpful for plot, but it is fun to discover nuances of who they are as I move along. (And yes, I have gone back to the beginning to weave something in because I didn’t know they would know that until nine chapters in :))

What’s my favorite social media and why?
That’s tough. They all have aspects I like. But if I’m picking just one, I think I am going with Twitter. Because I can pick who I follow, it can keep me up to date with those people/topics and it forces me to condense my thinking, and not write a novel, when I want to respond :) And I am better able to get on and off quickly. FB for example is much more challenging for me once I’m on it. It’s the “black hole of my personal time management.” But without FB, there’s so many people I never would have gotten to know - you being one of them :) And Instagram let’s me just sit back, smile and enjoy. Argh!!! So mostly, ultimately, I think I am just grateful for their differences.

Ebooks or Paperbacks
Paperbacks. Although I have an e-reader and I use it … a lot. But there’s something about being able to “pet the cover” of a book, smell the pages, take it to the beach that I love. But having an e-reader also means I am always with a book, and that’s a different kind of really sweet too!

You can follow Stefani on her website, Twitter or Facebook. And you can find her on Amazon here.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here