About Carolyn Watson Dubisch:
I am a children’s book author and illustrator originally from New York. I also write and illustrate comic books for young people (generally YA). One of my comic book series has won several awards, it’s called “The People That Melt in The Rain” and will soon be re-released by a San Francisco Publisher called Oddness. I have two very recent books, one is called "Dragon Stones" which at its core is a mystery book for kids as they try to understand why the stones they are skipping out onto the lake come skipping back. The other book is called "The Dragon in The Closet, Dragon's Journey" and is the third installment of my comic book series for kids.
…And, yes there are Dragons in both books!
Other things I do other than writing include making masks that I sell online, making large sculptures out of paper mache for festivals and events (not so much now that most festivals have been getting canceled) and I paint murals and draw at chalk art festivals (again, lots of cancellations).
I live in Mazatlán, Mexico as an ex-pat with my husband and daughter. I also have an old dog from Arizona and four Mexican street cats we take care of. Another fun fact: I’ve ridden a snowmobile, a motorcycle, an elephant, and a seaplane.
What inspires you to write?
I have stories that bounce around in my head, so I really just need to write and get them out of there and onto paper. The more I write, however, the more stories pop into my head. It's a vicious cycle.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
In no particular order:Ken Follet, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Octavia Butler, Audrey Niffenegger, Barbara Kingsolver, Alexandra Fuller, Sarah Rees Brennan, Stephen King, Audrey Wood, Jane Yolen, and Gillian Flynn
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm a pantser who's trying to be better about outlining. Since I'm an illustrator as well, I wind up creating images of all the characters I write about. In fact, I write very visually and usually know what image I want to create for each scene. It's a little hard to explain, but for me writing a book, especially a children's book is also designing a book. I know how things should look when I sit down to draw the art.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I've heard of this. Authors interview their characters to flesh them out as people. I have never done this with my characters and honestly the one time I tried it felt very ridiculous. I just couldn't stand it.
What advice would you give other writers?
For a picture book, in particular, read your story out loud -if you don't have a child available a dog or a cat can be a good audience.
Don't worry if you sit down to write and only manage two sentences. Try again tomorrow.
Keep writing books.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I have published with others and self-published. It's very confusing when you are ready to submit your book around. I found I like the control and speed of self-publishing as it's gotten much easier in the last ten years.
I would also like to point out that if you are pursuing a traditional publisher because you don't like to promote, you will be disappointed. They expect promoting efforts from ALL their authors.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the future looks bright. There are so many options now when it comes to publishing, from print to digital to audiobooks. As an avid reader, I find it all very exciting.
What genres do you write?: Comic books, childrens books
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Carolyn Watson Dubisch Home Page Link
Link To Carolyn Watson Dubisch Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Lulu
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
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LinkedIn
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YouTube
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
