Welcome to the Weekend With.... Betty Dravis

A few months back I reviewed a delightful book called Dream Reachers. Click here to read that review. Since then I've gotten to know a little bit more about the fascinating lady behind  the book. Her name is Betty Dravis and like her book, she is a dream. It is a pleasure to have her as my guest to start off our weekend.

C. CARTER(CC): Betty, Thank you for joining us today.

BETTY DRAVIS (BD): Thanks for interviewing me on your popular Chronicles, Carter. It’s an honor to be here and there’s nothing I like better than sharing information about my ideas, my dreams and my dear family and friends.

CC: First, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? (Where you’re from, grew up, that sort of thing)

BD: I’m originally from Hamilton, Ohio, but left there after graduation to visit my older sister in Sunny California. I liked it so well, I stayed on and fifty years later, I’m still here. I now live in the Central Valley but spent forty years in Silicon Valley. Since most of my children live there, my heart is still there. Fortunately, it’s less than two hours away, so I get to see them often.


I’ve written four books since I retired, but before retirement I was a journalist. I started that career doing weekly columns for local newspapers, went on to interview various people, including some movie icons and famous politicians, and eventually founded my own newspaper that was based in San Jose.

Along the way, I edited several California city and regional papers, hosted a Cable TV talk show and did a variety of interesting things. I did all that as a single parent raising six children…and please don’t ask me where I got the strength… Through the Grace of God… sigh…

Here is a slide show of some of the people Betty has met:

CC: I know you have interviewed so many people. Is this something you always wanted to do or did you have different goals when you started out?

BD: I always wanted to be a writer and started writing a few poems when I was about eleven. My school didn’t have creative writing, so I took journalism. Fortunately, the teacher was an individualist and introduced her students to creative writing too. I was stunned when she chose each of my assignments as “best in class.” Writing came so easy for me; I must have had a God-given talent, for which I am grateful. Needless to say, that teacher’s positive input encouraged me and planted the seeds of my writing career. Hamilton had a great school system and my family was very supportive of all seven of us children in our individual ambitions.

Since I married and had six children, I had little time for writing novels, but I did manage to get hired as a free-lancer by many small city papers. In that capacity I found myself interviewing prominent local citizens, but often a movie star “fell” my way.

But to answer your question, NO, I never ever thought about being an interviewer; it evolved as a natural part of my newspaper work.

CC: How do you choose whom you are going to interview?

BD: In my newspaper days, I chose a person who was either currently in the news or who fit a particular upcoming holiday. Usually, one interview led to another. For example, I interviewed a local San Jose woman who put on such a fabulous Halloween presentation at her home that I knew she would make a great feature for our Halloween edition. That story was for the East San Jose Sun.

Her name was June Cheim and she enjoyed her story so much that when the popular movie star of the day, Clint Eastwood, visited her she arranged for me to interview him. I won’t say more about that because I think you will ask about him later. Everyone does…LOL…

CC: Do you have a process you use when you are conducting an interview? Is it different for an online interview as opposed to an in person?

BD: During my journalism career, computers weren’t in common usage, so I always met the interviewee in person, but now you are speaking of my more recent interviews, so I’ll switch to recent writings.

To answer your question, an in-person interview is much more fun and exciting because it’s always great to meet people. I am a people person! However, I’m so used to computers now that I feel like I “know” a person even though we never meet “live.”

My process for doing computer interviews is different from “live” ones in some ways, but not entirely. You line up your subject and prepare your questions ahead of time for both interview styles, but there the similarity ends. While interviewing a live person, you refer to your notes, take additional notes by hand, while recording the answers, also. You often have to arrange for a newspaper photographer to meet you at your destination too. At the end of this kind of interview you generally get a photo op with the person and a nice hug or handshake, depending on the personalities and the occasion.

My process for reviews I plan to use for various Internet blogs is the same one you use, Carter. I type my questions and send them to the interview subject via email and/or a Words document, often both so they can choose which they prefer. When they finish answering the questions they return them to me along with some photos of themselves. I then edit it into proper format and post it to one of my Internet sites.

CC: You may cover this in your process... do you research your subject before you interview them or do you just let the interview flow?

BD: I always research my subject because the information helps formulate the questions; fortunately, almost everyone has a website now, so research is easy. However, if when the person returns the answers to me and something catches my eye on which I’d like to elaborate, I shoot an email to them with another question. That’s about the only flow you can really expect from this type of “high-tech” interview.

CC: I loved your story about meeting and interviewing Clint Eastwood. Do you have a favorite interview or a fun story that relates to an interview?

BD: Carter, I knew you were going to get around to everyone’s favorite living legend, the multi-talented Clint Eastwood. LOL… Well, even though I interviewed Senator Ted Kennedy, Jane Russell and Tanya Tucker––all great––I must say that Clint is my all-time favorite “live” interview.

As for fun things that happened during an interview, I have a lot of those stories, but I had such a “Bad Hair Day” on the day I met Clint that I couldn’t resist writing a humorous anecdote about it in my latest book Dream Reachers. Your readers can get a free sample of chapter one of Dream Reachers, which is the story about Eastwood, by going to this link on my website: http://www.bettydravis.com/excerpt-dr/

CC: What inspired you to write Dream Reachers?

BD: Like most good things, the idea occurred in a natural way. Author and Celebrity Interviewer Chase Von interviewed me for his blog on Student Operated Press (SOP) and while we were chatting, I suggested that his interviews with talented new entertainers, authors and other artists would make a very inspiring book. He thought about it and told me he would do it if I went in it with him. He wanted my stories of Clint Eastwood and five others to be in the book. One thing led to another and Dream Reachers (Vol. One) was born.

Creating it was hard work but a fun project, also, because during the course of editing the book, I met many of the subjects of his interviews and formed some new, lasting relationships. Now, in addition to working on another fiction book, I am inspired to interview some up-and-coming entertainers myself. I publish them on Dames of Dialogue, which is a group of five women authors who promote our books and blog together. The site’s founder, author Christy Tillery French, appointed me as their official celebrity interviewer; the other Dames interview authors, publishers, agents…all book-related people.

CC: I know you have also written a mystery (Millennium Babe: The Prophecy); a romantic family thriller (1106 Grand Boulevard); and a fantasy adventure (The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley). And from your bio, I know that you are working on a horror, a serial-killer thriller and children's books. That's quite diverse. How do you transition or switch from one genre to another? What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

BD: Even though I’m at an advanced age (think Eastwood’s age), I’m just a big kid at heart, so writing children’s fiction is my favorite. I had more fun writing my The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley than any other. I find that my imagination soars where it wants to go when writing for kids; they have such vivid imaginations and are so open-minded…

Now this may be hard to comprehend, knowing my first choice, but writing horror is my second love. As much as I enjoy delving into the innocent realm of children’s fantasy, I also enjoy the dark side of writing. I think this is because I read so much of John Saul, Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

As for switching from one genre to another, I don’t think too much about it, I just do it. I’ve always been adaptable, so that probably helps. Also, I have read many, many books in all genres, so that stimulates my imagination.

CC: How do you organize the sparks of creativity and plot faeries running around in your mind into a provocative tale?

BD: When I get an idea for a new book or even a short story, I go to my computer and type whatever comes into my mind. This becomes the basis for my story. If I’m busy on another project, I may leave the notes and come back to them at another time. When later I decide the idea is powerful enough for me to develop, I sit down and start typing, formulating the plot as I go along.

I never make a complete outline, preferring to work off the top of my head, but I do make notes as scenes tend to pop into my head at the oddest times; often in bed at night, but sometimes while reading a newspaper where a particular word will trigger a scene for my new story.

I’m fortunate to have a good memory, so I have easy recall of what I’ve written so far in a work in progress (WIP). I visualize my books in my mind like a movie and manage to keep it all sorted out in my head without need for extensive notes. I think my many years of journalism helped develop a mind that can see the beginning, middle and end of any story with easy recall.

I haven’t had a big problem with extensive note taking because most of my books have been contemporary, written in familiar settings. The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is a fantasy adventure with the main action being in Silicon Valley, an area I know well. The cartoon characters live inside a boy’s computer, but since they are in Silicon Valley 95% of the time, Computer Cartoon Land is only described briefly. It was easy imagining what it was like because I gave my imagination free reign, and then described it from a Toonie’s viewpoint. If ever I have a complex location or locations, I would definitely make charts or detailed notes to keep me on track.

Betty Talking Toonies With Kids At A Local Bookstore

Carter, my dark Muse is the one who gives me my thriller and horror material. She’s on the wild side, and comes screeching through my mind, riding a bright pink Harley. She shouts ideas at me and as she streaks by, she has sentences and words written on banners streaming from her long, golden hair. I haven’t named her yet, and may have a contest, letting my readers name her.

I actually have two muses––one for both styles of my writing. Ideas for my more innocent sweet stories (usually comedies) are given to me by a man who comes riding on a big white horse, wearing a white cowboy hat. I call him Billy Wayne because he’s strong and manly like John Wayne but honest and caring like the late Reverend Billy Graham. That may sound odd to you, but who has more fun?

CC: I love what you have on your website and it has become one of my favorite quotes: "Writing a book is like sliding down a rainbow; marketing it is like trudging through a field of 'chewed' bubblegum on a hot, sticky day."

BD: Thanks, Carter… I’m glad you like that, since I wrote it myself. A lot of people like it and I’m pleased that they post it on some of their own websites. Feel free to use it on your site, if you wish. I would consider that the highest compliment.

CC: How much marketing do you do before your books come out? What is your process and what advice would you offer to new writers?

BD: Sadly, I don’t have time do any marketing before a new book is released. Whenever I’m writing a book, I devote all my time to that; otherwise it would never get written. I’m sure you, as a writer yourself, know that.

But after the book is out, my publishers send out press releases to various newspapers. Since I have used small, independent publishers who don’t have the monetary resources of the large New York houses, that’s about all the publisher does for the book. As for me, during the course of three previous books I’ve built up a network of newspapers, bookstores and websites that have featured my books in the past. So I email the book description and all the stats to them, hoping for continued press. I also inform all my friends, family, and my entire network of bloggers, book reviewers and website owners.

I had an advantage in Silicon Valley since I was already known there for my newspaper work and public service. Due to close proximity I was able to arrange book signings and other public appearances. I admit, it’s been much harder with Dream Reachers because my current city is much smaller and there aren’t many bookstores in the area. Making up the difference, though, is the fact that many of the subjects in this book have their own fan bases and all are helping promote it. Actress and pop star Darcy Donavan, who’s on the front cover of D R, is offering an autographed copy on eBay and has the cover on her website. Dream Reachers also has two fan clubs started by a fantastic admirer Jessica Gilbert.

For more publicity, I take advantage of Amazon’s author assists, namely Author Central, Amazon Associates program, Guides and Listmanias, listing my books along with other recommendations.

With Dream Reachers, I did something I had wanted to do for ages: my co-author and I commissioned a trailer/video (made for YouTube). We’re very pleased with it and it’s getting a lot of views, so I am considering that for my other books. In case your readers would like to see it, the link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYqmZU1b29s It was designed by Kelly Komm and I think she’s a graphic genius.

For new writers, my advice is to learn all you can about your craft, study hard, write hard and never give up. It took me eight years to get my first novel published, so perseverance is the name of the game. The publishing industry is a tough business. It’s not for sissies! But if a person has a burning desire to write, nothing will stop him or her. Dream Big and remember our Dream Reachers’ slogan: Only those who stretch to reach their dreams find themselves living them.

CC: I've read that you come from a large family. How much do you feel that has helped or hindered you as an interviewer and writer?

BD: Yes, I had six siblings and I’m all for large families! It’s actually great preparation for getting out into the world; one learns a lot from interaction with siblings. How the parents keep a handle on running the home and keeping peace with a lot of children is almost like a mini-world. In a large family, you learn to give and take, to know when to push and when to cave in and many other valuable life lessons. If you are shy, you tend to get lost in the shuffle, so I think it all helped me in all phases of my life.

But even more than the size of my family, I credit the moral fiber of our parents for the success of all of us. They taught us good Christian values that have served us well––while raising our own children and in the workforce.

CC: How often do traits from people you know in real life find their way into your fictional characters?

BD: I think everything an author has ever seen, read, done, heard––or even sensed––finds its way into their writing, whether consciously or subconsciously. A character I write about, for instance, might have traits or features from more than one person I’ve seen or known.

CC: You have so many talents: newspaper publisher, journalist, reviewer, writer, mother… What is your favorite and least favorite part of these many roles you have filled?

BD: My least favorite part of being a mother while my kids were growing up was the constant struggle to make ends meet and settling the arguments between them in a fair manner. My favorite part was watching them grow into responsible, caring, honest adults with fine husbands and children of their own.

I’ll lump the writing, journalism, reviewing and publishing into one since it was all part of my career. The least favorite aspect of all that was the pressure of deadlines; like being on a constant merry-go-round... My favorite part was that I loved writing and meeting a wide range of people, so I felt blessed and happy working in a field I truly loved. I can imagine nothing worse than being stuck doing something one disliked. That would be a living hell…

CC: If they were making a movie of your life, what would it be called? What type of movie would it be (live action, animated, drama, comedy, etc.)? And who would you want to direct it?

BD: OMG, Carter, that is a very hard question to answer. Like a true journalist, you saved the hardest for last. LOL… People got a glimpse of my life when I wrote my sister’s story in 1106 Grand Boulevard, and many asked me to write my life story. That’s something I don’t feel objective enough, or emotionally equipped to do, so someone else would have to do that. But IF my life ever became a movie it would have to be a dramatic comedy, if there is such a genre. The title… hmmmm … All My Children?… Nope, that’s already been taken… How about Betty’s Dreams or Through Betty Dravis Eyes? … Oh, I don’t know…

As for director, I would like either Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, but who doesn’t want them? Oh, I know!!! I want an up-and-coming new director that I met through actress Jenny McShane; his name is Jonathan Brayley and I hear he’s starting to make his mark in Hollywood. A movie about my life would be fun and my crowning glory, I suppose, but I’m not certain I wish to divulge all my secrets to the entire world (or even to my children, for that matter…).

CC: Thank you so much for agreeing to do an interview. I think my readers will find you fascinating.

BD: Thanks for the compliment, Carter, and for inviting me. It’s an honor to meet your readers on CC Chronicles. If they want to learn more about me, they can visit my website at http://www.bettydravis.com/

For more Betty, check out her links:

BETTY DRAVIS

Author/Reviewer/Journalist/Editor/Columnist/Newspaper Publisher/Talk Show Hostess

MAIN WEBSITE:

http://www.bettydravis.com/

DREAM REACHERS VIDEO/TRAILER:

http://www.youtube.com/user/bettydravis

DREAM REACHERS FAN CLUB:

http://tinyurl.com/DreamRFanClub

AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE RADIO INTERVIEW:

http://thesop.org/art/2009/08/22/judyth-piazza-chats-with-betty-dravis-co-author-of-dream-reachers