Author’s Bio: Award-winning novelist John DeDakis is a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series. In his most recent novel, Enemies Domestic, Lark is a White House press secretary forced to make her extremely personal abort-or-not-to-abort decision in a highly toxic and polarized political fishbowl—all while dealing with an attack on the presidency itself.
DeDakis, a former White House correspondent,
is a writing coach, manuscript editor, and regularly teaches novel writing at
literary centers and writers’ conferences around the country. He is also the
host of the live video podcast “One-to-One with John DeDakis” on Facebook,
LinkedIn, and YouTube. Website: www.johndedakis.com
Deliah
Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book?
John
DeDakis: I was
intending to go in an entirely different direction with the book until the
Supreme Court voted in 2022 to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision
that legalized abortion. My protagonist, Lark Chadwick, had just learned that
she was pregnant, the father was dead, and she was ambivalent about becoming a
single mother.
NOTE:
One obstacle I faced while writing this book is that I kept doubting myself and my
ability to pull it off.
DL:
How do you overcome the challenges of writer’s block?
JD: I just write. But first I
procrastinate because ruminating is also writing. Fear is at the root of
writer’s block—fear of failure, fear of making a mistake, fear of not being
perfect. So, once I’ve given myself permission to fall short in all those ways,
I just write because it’s only the first draft. I can clean up my mess later. Once
I get my characters talking with each other, words magically show up. It’s
spooky.
DL:
What is your writing process?
JD: Before I write the first draft, I do my best to think things through as thoroughly as possible. I do interviews with my characters to get to know them better. At this point, I’m not writing to be fancy or “literary,” I’m simply transcribing the voices that show up in my head when I ask questions. It’s a way of discovering what’s lurking in my subconscious. I do my best to identify about six pivotal scenes that are plot twists. Once I have at least a hazy sense of the big picture, I write the first draft straight through, resisting the temptation to loop back to shore up weak spots.
When I revise, I read the first draft to see how it
feels, go back and make it better, and then send it to a few trusted beta
readers. Their feedback is priceless. When it’s as good as I can make it, I
send it to my agent. For Enemies Domestic, however, the process was
different: I wrote by the seat of my pants, then ran each chapter past my wife
Cindy, who often had many constructive suggestions for making it better. I also
hired former acquisitions editor Laura Cifelli for a developmental edit to make
sure the story was strong.
DL:
What elements do you think make a compelling story?
JD: A.) Believable/relatable
characters who grow and change during the story. B.) High stakes. Jobs,
relationships, and lives are at risk. C.) Snappy dialogue because it makes the
characters come alive. D.) Unexpected twists and turns to accelerate the pacing
and keep the story fresh. E.) A strong hook to get the story started
immediately, and an ending that’s “satisfying.”
DL:
Is there a specific author or book that influenced you in any way either
growing up or as an adult?
JD:
The Grapes
of Wrath by
John Steinbeck. I read it for a class in college. It showed me how fiction can
make history come alive.
DL:
What strategies do you use to successfully market your book(s)?
JD:
I’m not so
sure I’m that “successful” at marketing, but here’s how I approach it: I cringe
at the idea of hype and obnoxious self-promotion. Instead, I try to build
genuine personal relationships and connections. To me, marketing is not selling,
it’s telling—simply letting people know you’ve written a book. A website,
business cards/bookmarks, and a social media platform are all must-haves. So is
an ever-expanding address book of email contacts.
DL:
What tips would you give to aspiring writers?
DL:
Resist the
temptation to negatively compare your writing with someone else’s. There will
always be someone who writes better than you. Instead of becoming demoralized,
try to figure out what they’re doing that you admire, then do your best to
emulate them. Go to writers’ conferences, too. They are great places to perfect
your craft, meet other wannabe (and established) authors, and it might be where
you meet your future agent. (It’s where I met mine 20 years ago). Take writing
classes. And, above all: DON’T GIVE UP (because that guarantees that you’ll
never get published.
DL:
Would you please share an excerpt from Enemies Domestic?
JD: Sure, here you go:
[The
scene is the White House press briefing room. Presidential Press Secretary Lark
Chadwick is holding her first news conference on live television.]:
Even
though the tradition is to begin with the front row, I have a soft spot
in my heart for backbenchers, so I pointed blindly to a guy standing in the
rear next to the wall on the Rose Garden side.
Big
mistake.
“Lark,” the guy began. He was in his forties, lanky,
had a luxurious mane of black hair, and a red bow tie.
As
soon as I realized who I’d called on, I saw my grave error. He represented a
news organization I consider to be part of “The Rabid Right.”
“Ever
since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” he said, “states have been
passing their own laws about abortion. It’s legal in some states, severely
limited in others, and illegal in more than a dozen. This comes at a time when
you have just publicly revealed that you’re pregnant with the child of a man
who died three months ago of a heroin overdose.”
My
knees nearly buckled.
A
few reporters—most of them women—groaned loudly.
“My
question,” the guy continued, powering his way through the grousing, “are you,
or are you not, planning to abort your unborn child?”
I
gripped the podium so tightly my knuckles turned white. Taking a deep breath, I
began to speak.
DL:
What new projects are you currently working on?
JD:
I’m about to
begin writing the sixth draft of my memoir (Working title: What Alfred
Hitchcock Told Me (and More): Plot Twists on the Path to Find Personal
Integrity) – Yeah. The title probably needs some work.
DL:
Where can readers learn more about you and purchase your book(s)?
JD: Readers can get more
information here:
- Website: www.Johndedakis.com
- Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/John-DeDakis/author/B002BM6WM0?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakis/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dedakis-4b09a34/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohn/
DL: Thanks so much for being here
with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and your work.
JD: Thanks, Dee. It was fun.
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