Meet Dee Owen,
A dedicated daughter-in-law who has spent
long hours transcribing her mum's writing, getting it
published and sharing it with readers.
V: What got you interested in writing?
D: I would love to be a
published writer but cannot claim that title. My husband’s
mother passed away at the great age of 93. We found a box
full of hand written stories and books. No one knew of
these. She had never attempted to have any published.
I decided to transcribe some of the short stories
first. I thought that if I could get a few of them
published successfully, I would then move on to the books
and be able to say that Mum was published. I had two
stories published with on-line magazines, so began to read
the first notepad/book, which was “Ladies of Class”. I
scanned the three other books and saw that there were two
Richard Hayward stories. LOC was the first.
V: How long have you been writing?
D:
I began the transcribing early 2006. I have about half of
the 50 plus stories completed and two books.
V: What advice would you give a new writer
starting out?
D: My advice would be to stay faithful to their ideas and
write from the heart.
V: What, in your opinion, are the most
important elements of good writing?
D:
A great theme to start that can be developed. Research.
Organization. Development in the story. Keep the reader’s
attention. Not be repetitive. Good editing.
V: What is your work schedule like when you
are writing?
D: I really don’t have any schedule when transcribing and
editing Mum’s writings. When I first began it was an all
day process on the weekends and some evenings, as I was
working. Now, it’s when the mood takes me.
V: What books or authors have most
influenced your writing?
D: Mum was never without a book. She read many Murder
Mystery Detective stories. Probably some Romance and
Thrillers.
V: What inspired you to you to write
your first book?
D: I’m not sure what inspired Mum to write all that she
did. And to keep it all to herself.
V: Are you a morning person or a night
person?
D: I prefer to work later than earlier.
V: What was one of the most surprising
things you learned in creating your books?
D: In the work I’ve done on Mum’s writings, it has
surprised me first that I was able to follow through and
get published. And that I’m still working on her writings
and enjoying the process.
V: Tell us about your latest book.
D: I’m hoping that I can have the sequel to Ladies of
Class published. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hayward
returns to solve murders.
V: What is the one question you wish an
interviewer would ask you?
D: To share some marketing ideas.
