Bonnie K.T. Dillabough currently lives in Richland, Washington.
What are some names of the books or other media you have created?
I wrote the Dimensional Alliance series, including The House on Infinity Loop, Infinity on Fire, and Mirrors of Infinity with the 4th book in the series coming out in November 2021: Ripples of Infinity. The eventual scope of the series will be about 15 books. My books are science-fiction that read like fantasy. Dragons and dwarves and fantastical creatures…high-tech, dimensional travel, and alien encounters—all of this and more.
What inspired you to become a creator of media?
I’ve been writing since my early years and spent 15 years in broadcast television, but I always wanted to write novels. An active life as a veteran, mother of 6 (now grandmother of 17 and counting), and life happened. Then one day, I had the joy of interviewing Mercedes Lackey. When I timidly remarked I had considered writing a novel, she said, “So put your butt in the chair and write!”
I did. Two weeks before my 64th birthday, The House on Infinity Loop was published in 2018.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Probably the opportunity to interact with fans and potential fans of the books has been the highlight. I have one science fiction/fantasy convention under my belt (before Covid) and some author talks. One of the most fun highlights was being accosted in a local bookstore because someone recognized me. They were there to purchase my books and asked for me to sign them in the aisle of the store. I don’t think it had occurred to me that I would ever be recognized like that.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey?
Definitely to write and to associate with other writers, starting with NaNoWriMo just after getting the emphatic advice from Mercedes Lackey. Through groups such as The Alliance of Independent Authors and Aspiring Authors, I’ve had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
These connections and the continuing education I have received have led me to realize that no author is an island. We do some of our best work as we help one another.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
Write. Seriously, I know that sounds over-simplistic, but unfortunately, it is too easy to get wrapped up in details that have nothing to do with telling your story. Get the story out of you before you worry about editing or anything else. Then get educated. There are so many traps laid for aspiring authors and most of them involve taking shortcuts. Do your due diligence. Join writing groups. Don’t fall for the wiles of those who only want your money. Get advice from people who are actually selling books and have a following. And don’t compromise your principles.
What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work?
Reading good writing for one thing. I’ve been re-reading favorite books in my genre to learn from those who have mastered the craft. People like Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, J.K. Rowling, and Brandon Mull. Their styles are all different, and yet, as I read their books, not as a fan but as a writer, I realize there are certain things they all have in common. I try to emulate the things that fit my style and avoid the things that don’t fit.
What would you like others to know about you or your creative process?
I am what is known in the writing arena as a “pantser,” meaning I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t do outlines. But I still know where I’m going. I write the last chapter or scene in my book in the beginning. This gives me something to shoot for. Admittedly, by the time I get there, I often have to do some re-writing, but that’s ok. Knowing the end from the beginning has a lot to be said for it. Also, my writing is character-centric. I know my characters very well.
In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits?
The focus of my books is about how working together accomplishes so much more than working alone. Some of the values I try to teach as I entertain are the value of kindness, why judgmentalism is counter-productive, that there is a “creator of all things,” that science and belief are not opposites, the importance of family, the concept of redemption, and the idea that creation is much bigger than we can imagine.
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