DONNA M CAMERON “My books come to me in what I call ‘a whoosh.’”
Let me introduce you to Kelly’s Writerly Q&A, April Author. Donna M Cameron is an AWGIE-nominated radio dramatist, award-winning playwright and short film writer. Her first novel, Beneath the Mother Tree, was published in 2018. Today we are celebrating her second novel, The Rewilding, published last month!
‘A genre-bending page-turner from an author of the highest calibre: Cameron’s writing is rich, evocative and comes straight from the heart.’
Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place and The Shadow House
Kelly: Hi Donna, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Congratulations on publishing your second novel, The Rewilding, what’s it about?
Donna: ‘The Rewilding’ is about a corporate whistle-blower, Jagger Eckerman, and a radicalised eco-warrior, Nia Moretti, who are thrown together and end up trapped and on the run, fleeing for their lives as they are pursued by…well I’m not going to give away too many spoilers. It’s a chase thriller (through some of the most beautiful wild landscapes of Australia) and a love story and a prayer for hope in these rapidly changing times.
Kelly: I have to admit, I just started reading it and am hooked, I’m also in love with your prose - so beautiful! How do you come up with your story ideas?
Donna: All four of my books – I’ve almost finished book three and book four has already ‘arrived’ – come to me in what I call ‘a whoosh.’ It feels like the top of my head opens and the characters, the setting, the story, particularly the ending whoosh through me all at once, and I can’t write fast enough…I scribble notes madly in dot form – notes that only make sense to me. Then the idea brews in my subconscious, usually while I’m editing another book, sometimes it brews for years (as it seems to take me a few years to edit/refine a book), and all the while I continue to take weird little notes – character traits, or random lines arrive fully formed. Then when I’m ready, I take my tatty notebooks full of what seem like nonsensical scribblings, sit down at my desk and start typing. The first draft is the fun draft when I’m still surprised and discovering, then it’s all hard work from there – the refining and editing. That’s where the craft comes in.
Kelly: That is the most amazing response I think I’ve ever had to that question. I love it so much! All I can think of is fate. Some writers say that every time they sit down to write a new novel, they forget how it’s done; do you agree with that statement or do you feel more confident than ever?
Donna: Hmmm. It does seem to be different every time. My debut, ‘Beneath the Mother Tree’ was a dream to write because ignorance is bliss. Then I wrote a first draft of ‘Bloomfield’ (now novel 3) while waiting for ‘Beneath the Mother Tree’ to find a publisher…and yes I did find that book harder to write and in the end, I was forced to abandon it to write ‘The Rewilding,’ which was screaming at me to be written. I didn’t want to abandon ‘Bloomfield’ but ‘The Rewilding’ wouldn’t leave me alone, and it felt more urgent as I had to write it for myself to find hope – I was suffering from a bad case of climate grief and anxiety at the time. Strangely, ‘The Rewilding’ was easier to write – the voices kind of came at me loud and clear, so returning to ‘Bloomfield’ years later has been really hard, and it took a long while to sink back into it. As far as confidence goes, I’m not sure if any writer ever rids themselves of insecurities – I know successful bestselling writers who are riddled with anxiety – seems to go with the job…or maybe it’s just female writers who battle the demons of insecurity..?
Kelly: I hope Bloomfield has forgiven you and she shines just as bright when her time comes. What does your typical day of writing look like?
Donna: I’m a morning writer so I like to get into it straight away…often I start by 5 AM. In winter, I pull my laptop into bed, which is bad for my back, but it’s too cold to get out from under the quilt. If I’m on a roll, I usually don’t stop for ‘brunch’ until around 10 AM/11 AM. I usually finish writing by 2/3 PM, when I allow myself half an hour on social media. If I’m not writing and in promotion mode, I seem to be on social media all the time, which is not conducive to writing at all! When I’m in writing mode, I try and be very strict with my social media use – especially not first thing in the morning or last thing at night, when the subconscious needs to be working on the important stuff – my book. On the days I need to teach, if I’m working on a book, I usually touch base with the book in the afternoon or evening, even if it’s only rereading the work from the day before, or taking notes for the next day’s work – just so I can keep the book bubbling along. If I take a break, even for a day, I find the flow is interrupted and it is much harder to sink back into it.
Kelly: I’ve never been one to write in the morning, but as the weather cools, I like the idea of writing in bed. Might have to give it a try. You’ve lived a whole other life as an actress, playwright, and teacher, when/how did you become a novelist?
Donna: I’m still teaching part-time because writing doesn’t pay that well for me yet. I live in hope that one day it will. Fingers crossed. I became a novelist because ‘Beneath the Mother Tree’ came to me as a novel. I knew it wasn’t a play – it was too big. It was during the writing of that book that I realised I had finally found my form – my voice was free. I didn’t need to work only in dialogue. I want to write novels now for the rest of my life.
Kelly: Sounds like a good life to me.
Kelly: You’ve won some amazing awards and fellowships, can you tell me about what the Varuna Fellowship was like?
Donna: Two weeks at Varuna is like a waking dream. For two weeks you can pretend you are living in a country that has a long history of cherishing its creatives, a country that funds, honours and respects its storytellers to the point where they are allowed precious uninterrupted creative time, no housework, no cooking, no mothering. Pure bliss.
Kelly: OMG, that description is everything and more! Let’s talk about getting those all-important yeses, how did you become a published author?
Donna: Let’s just say it was a long and rocky road with huge highs and even larger lows. Solid interest from a major publishing house and one of Australia’s leading literary agents which then petered out into nothing because of my ignorance and mistakes, almost broke my hope-filled unpublished writer’s heart. My episode for ‘Beneath the Mother Tree’ on the ‘So You Want to be a Writer’ podcast goes into all the heartbreak, if your readers are keen to know the full story. WRITER 258: Meet DM Cameron, author of ‘Beneath the Mother Tree’. - So You Want to be a Writer - Omny.fm
Kelly: What an episode! It speaks of passion and excitement and all the pressures writers feel while we are trying so hard to get those all important yeses. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Donna: Work hard and never give up believing in your work even when it feels like no one else believes in it.
Kelly: Great advice. Persistence and confidence go a long way! What are you currently reading and loving?
Donna: Currently reading The Future by Naomi Alderman which is utterly berzerk.
Kelly: I just looked up the blurb and it does sounds wonderfully full of crazy characters in an insane situation - love! So, what can we expect from you next?
Donna: Here’s a working blurb for ‘Bloomfield’ (of course the book isn’t finished yet so things could change):
Set at the edge of the world, on the edge of a city, in a new housing estate where the last of the good farming soil has been curbed and guttered, where six-foot fences demarcate boundaries and hide secrets, and where, for the past three years in the surrounding suburbs, a child has vanished without a trace; ‘Bloomfield’ is a moving and uplifting, character-driven exploration of our vital need for connection and sense of community in a rapidly changing world.
Kelly: I love the sound of Bloomfield! Domestic dramas are my favourite!
It has been an absolute pleasure to speak to you and learn all about how your stories find you so they can be shared with readers. The Rewildng has the most gorgeous cover, I can’t wait to dive back in and enjoy reading your words. Thanks so much for your time.
Donna: Thank you for your interest in my work!
The Rewilding is out now, and I encourage all my readers to check it out, especially if you love a thriller with heart.
Want to know more about Donna? follow her on Instagram
