Hi Everyone! I’m so excited to have a friend and Desert Rose Member, Robin Kramme, visit us here at Plot Mamas. Robin is a fellow writer and awesome –sometimes- critique partner. Please welcome her.
Hi Robin, welcome to Plot Mamas.
Donna, thank you for that nice intro and thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of Plot Mamas today.
How long have you been writing?
Like so many writers, I’ve been at it in some ways ever since I could hold a crayon. But, I’ve been actively involved with creative writing as a serious hobby and in some ways a next career for 5 years. After I retired from a 30-year paycheck career in the hotel industry, it was almost like my brain reconfigured itself. I stopped traveling every week for my job and opened myself up to my own ideas instead of battling work’s daily demands and “emergencies”.
I hope that I’m right when I say that you write different kinds of novels, novellas and short stories. What is your favorite genre?
I am primarily drawn to contemporary fiction with strong romantic elements, but I also like paranormal as well as suspense.
Even though you’re officially retired from the hotel industry, do you think that experience helped you with your writing?
Definitely and in a variety of ways. Hotels are fascinating places and are filled with lots of people. I can draw on all kinds of interactions for character and plot ideas. Later in my career, I had far ranging regional responsibilities and often had to self-direct my time and efforts (I was a home office employee for many years with my co-workers, bosses and the corporate office hundreds of miles away). I think that experience helps me organize my time and prepared me to work independently. I was also responsible for goal setting for myself and others which is a good skill for a writer. Finally, in business writing, grammar and punctuation do count; so, I’m a pretty good proof reader!
Robin, in addition to writing fiction, you also have recently become a playwright – how did that come about?
I love that question because so many things aligned for this to happen. I successfully pitched at the 2010 Desert Dreams Writers’ Conference. Months and months later, I received a rejection from the editor who requested my manuscript. The rejection was mostly a form letter but she did add that she didn’t care for my dialogue. (My critique group really liked my dialogue!) A few months later, I attended an afternoon of short plays with another writer pal of mine. She had entered a playwriting contest and one of her plays was featured. Honestly, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a 10-minute play, but there is. Late last year, my husband and I went on a transatlantic cruise. After a few days at sea I noticed some people wearing the same gift shop track suits all-day, every day. Their luggage never made it on board the ship. When I got home, I sat down and wrote a short play about lost luggage told from the luggage’s point of view and sent it in to the contest my friend had entered. This year both my writing pal and I have 10-minute plays that are being produced!
Can you tell me how writing a play differs from writing a novel?
It is almost completely dialogue driven which is part of the reason I decided to tackle it, to practice writing dialogue. In this case, it is also very short, like writing an essay or flash fiction. Though I am now working on a slightly longer one-act play (20 – 40 minutes). I also had to do some on-line research as the format is unique.
I find that, especially when I write a sex scene, I feel more like a movie director than a writer. All the movements, the “props,” the lighting…everything in the scene has to make sense. You have to account for the pair of jeans on the floor or the arm that somehow ended up on the small of the heroine’s back. How has writing plays helped you to write better scenes in you novels?
It sounds like we are both very visual writers. I think the exercise has made me more dialogue sensitive. I worked hard to make sure each of my four characters in my play had distinct voices. Now that I’ve heard them “talk”, I know it worked. Play writing also helped me write more tightly. You have to be clear but economical with your words.
Do you find that writing plays has helped you get more emotion out of your characters?
I think it has definitely made me dig deeper into how they express their emotions. Of course now the director and actors get to add layers onto what I’ve written and make their own interpretations. I think a live performance is a terrific reminder of how words, actions, facial expressions and body language all work together to express character emotion.
I’d like to move on to the most exciting part of the interview – your short play, Bad Travel, is going to be presented at The Pandora Festival on May 18th - will you tell the readers a little about the 2012 Festival?
The Arizona Women’s Theatre Company is now in its 6th year of presenting plays by women playwrights. You just have to live in Arizona and submit your previously unproduced play by the January 31st deadline to enter their contest. If you are selected, a director is assigned to your play and it becomes part of a weekend long Festival of new works. Short plays, one-act plays and full length plays are the 3 categories for the contest. All plays are read by three judges. This year 16 plays were selected for production (It was really interesting to get the judges comments back and reading their notes.) I got to attend auditions and rehearsals. It has been really interesting.
Tickets for this year’s Pandora Festival being held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Stage Two are on sale now.
( If you’re planning on attending, Tickets to each event are $12. For more information visit www.azwtc.org. )
Robin, it’s been nice riding alongside you during your writing journey. I remember when you told me you submitted your play and I remember when you e-mailed me that Bad Travel had been selected. I’m positive I couldn’t have been as thrilled as you were when you received the news… But I tried. I’m excited for you… I’ll see you on Friday at 7:00 in Scottsdale!
Congratulations and break a leg!
Donna, thank you so much. It is so important to have a community of writers on this journey. I never would have predicted being part of this upcoming event, but I am so happy the long and winding road of my writing has taken this turn. It is part of the magic, joy and insanity of writing that you never know what’s next!! See you at the theater.
Tags: Arizona Women's Theater Company, Author Play Dates, donnamariedelgrosso, Pandora Festival, plot mamas, Robin Kramme
