Writerly Wednesday ~~ Author Interview with Ronlyn Domingue

RONLYN DOMINGUE is the author of The Mercy of Thin Air (Atria Books). The debut novel was a 2005 Borders Original Voices Award Finalist and was acquired in 11 other countries. Her writing has appeared in New England Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Delta Review, and The Independent (UK). She earned an MFA degree in creative writing from Louisiana State University. In the past, Ronlyn worked as a grassroots organizer, project manager, teacher, and grant writer. Novel #2 is in progress, completion date heretofore unknown. Visit her at her site or Facebook.

1.) What do you like about contributing to The Nervous Breakdown?


I enjoy the magazine’s positive community spirit. When I started to write for TNB last summer, I noticed that comments on the pieces tended to be thoughtful and encouraging. Snarkiness rarely rears up. (And several writers have become friends, both online and in person.) There’s so much content diversity, too, from funny to serious, politics to personal stories, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. I always find something wonderful to read. I think I’ve grown as a writer by having this outlet, a chance to share stories and ideas through nonfiction.

2.) If you had to name one thing that makes good fiction, what is it?

The ring of truth. To read a book for entertainment is pleasurable, serves the moment. To read a book that makes you feel—which connects you to the human experience in a way that speaks to you—feeds the soul.

3.) At a recent writers conference, you spoke on the difficulty of POV. Any advice on getting it right?
Trust the story to tell you what it wants. I once wrote a short story in third person limited because I thought it was a more literary approach. That’s what I was supposed to do. But after I finished the draft, I realized the protagonist had to tell the story in his own voice. It was a leap because the main character was a nine-year-old African-American boy. I often recommend the novel Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman because the story is told from several points of view. The perspective from which the writer writes shapes how the reader will perceive the work as a whole, as well as specific characters and situations. My opinion is that Perlman’s novel would not have been so profound if he’d chosen a more simplistic way of telling the story.


4.) I'm reading (and am captivated/inspired by) your The Mercy of Thin Air. The non-linear plot is fascinating but unusual. Did you have problems convincing your agent or publisher to let you do it that way?


First, thank you for the compliment. Second, to answer your question, no, not at all. No one ever suggested I change that aspect of it. I believe each book has its own inherent structure. A wise writer will pay attention to what the book reveals. The Mercy of Thin Air wanted to be told with the interweaving plot lines with time fractured as it was. Sure, I could have crafted the novel with a straightforward chronology, but that would have undermined its suspense and power.


5.) Do you have a handy-dandy list of three things emerging writers can do to improve their chances of publication?


(1) As often as possible, avoid words that end with –ing and avoid passive voice. You’ll be surprised how much your prose improves.


(2) Write what you want to write. Audiences don’t know what they want to read until they read it. Publishers can’t predict trends or what will break out as “the” hot books of a season. If you make it as a writer, that has as much to do with your own talent as it does with luck and timing. The former is under your control. The latter two are not.


(3) Be perseverant. You will have to work, not piddle, at your writing. You will face rejection—which feels terrible but it is part of the experience. You will have to work for what you want. For example, The Mercy of Thin Air took four years to complete. Then within 15 months, I researched and queried 60 agents—and was rejected by 59 of them. If I gave up at any part of this process, you wouldn’t be reading this now.


6.) When you read the Kirkus Review's thoughts on your book -- "Debut novelist Domingue weaves a tapestry of lost spirits and misplaced lovers...” -- did you get goose bumps? How much stock do you place in reviews?


Goosebumps, no. The experience was so surreal that it almost felt as if that and other reviews were about someone else’s book. As for what stock I put in them, enough to know they matter but don’t have the power to make or break a novel. Reviews serve a publicity function to get the title and author’s name out there. Good or bad, they also serve as a way to track a writer’s work in a cultural context. Ultimately, it’s the unpredictable force of word-of-mouth that changes a book’s life.


7.) Book two -- what is it, where are you in the process, and how is it different from your first?


Novel #2 will not let me speak about it specifically. At this point, the entire story is plotted, and I have sense of most of the significant connections among characters and events. It’s different from my first in its scope and depth. This is an epic story, although that doesn’t mean it will have an epic length. There’s a dark, brutal, archetypal quality to this novel that was not present in the first. However, like The Mercy of Thin Air, it ends in light.


8.) What draws you to the supernatural and psychological elements while crafting a story?


The stories pick me. I don’t choose them. Whatever interest I have in the paranormal and psychology gives me the ability to understand the evolving work intellectually. I’m able to separate the experience—then merge it back together. How do I explain this….I receive rather than imagine. Stories come in fragments of image, dialogue, “knowings.” I’m tasked with making sense of all of this, piecing it together in a meaningful and understandable way. For example, there are images within Novel #2 that I appreciate more fully because I’ve read a good bit of C.G. Jung. Those images would work just fine on their own, but with my knowledge, I’ll be able to add a layer of depth that may not have been present before.


9.) Best advice you give your students? Your "For Writers" section of your website is really nice.


I can’t generalize here. If a student or friend asks for my guidance, I pay attention to where that person is in his/her growth as a writer and what s/he wants to achieve. There’s no one-size-fits-all. My “For Writers” page keeps that in mind. Some people simply want to start writing. Others are ready to look for agents. A few others might be in the process of getting published and want to know what to expect. Every writer’s journey is different, and I strive to respect that. And I know I don’t have all the answers.


10.) Give us a look at a typical day in your life.


The other day, I made a comment to my sister that I live as a secular contemplative. I spend most of my daylight hours alone with my cat. The amount of time I spend reflecting on what I’ll write far exceeds the actual moments spent writing. I tend our vegetable and flower gardens either morning or evening. At night, my partner Todd and I usually watch a movie. This might sound horribly boring to many people, but for me, I need this silent, solitary space to produce the next novel. And I’m very grateful to be able to bring it into the world in this way.

Thank you for taking time away from your busy schedule to do the interview, Ronlyn.

PS for the POETS: We've got a really informative interview with our State Poet Laureate Dr. Darrell Bourque posted at the Rose & Thorn blog (oddly enough, called Roses & Thorns...hehe). If you love poetry, you'll love his perspective!