DEBRA CLOPTON
February 2007
 WG: Welcome
Debra. Thanks for stepping into my spotlight this month. To start
off, please tell us about yourself.
DC: Hi, thank you for inviting me to your website, Winnie. To start
with, I’m a widowed mother of 2 wonderful sons. I’ll not say more
now because my life story is intermingled below in all the other
questions. I can warn everyone that I write fiction, and am horrible
at written interviews so hopefully this works. :)
WG: Let’s talk
a little bit about your own personal road to publication:
Is there some individual, group or event that you can point to as
the catalyst/impetus that set you on the road to becoming a writer?
Explain.
DC: My 12th grade English teacher encouraged me to
become a writer, but it wasn’t until my sons were entering
pre-school that I decided to give it a try.
WG: Tell us about your journey.
DC: It took me 10 years, with a 3 year pause when my sons were in
high school. So it was a 13 year journey that began in 1991. Six of
those years I was involved with editors doing revisions on three
different manuscripts, two years at a time. So during the last six
years of my journey I was almost published. I can honestly
say that rejection gets worse the closer you are to the carrot. When
I received the last rejection, I had been working with one of the
best editors in the country for 2 years (you know how long the turn
around time can be. I waited 9 months to hear from the editor then
revised and waited 7 months, revised again, and waited another 6
months to finally get the rejection. But the rejection came with an
invitation to send something new in and also the editor wanted me to
call and discuss any new ideas with her because she didn’t want to
reject me on something because it resembled a project she already
had going. On the one hand I was feeling pretty good because this
editor really saw potential in me, but on the other hand I was
crushed.) That’s when the Lord opened my eyes and helped me see that
I could be almost published for the rest of my life but that my
son’s were going to be graduating within 4 years and I needed to
enjoy their last years at home without the heavy cloud of stress
getting published had put over me. So instead of sending out
anything else I stopped writing completely and focused on my family.
It was the best decision I ever made.
WG: How many books did you complete before you sold your first?
Have all/any of them sold since?
 DC: I had completed 7 books before I sold, all targeted toward
traditional romance at Harlequin and Silhouette. The 7th book sold, the one that I been rejected on last. But it was a
completely revamped version, I went in and added an inspirational
theme. It became a Golden Heart finalist and sold immediately to
Love Inspired. I haven’t tried to sell any of my other books. I’m
too busy writing more books in the series the first book THE TROUBLE
WITH LACY BROWN started. It’s my Mule Hollow series at Love Inspired
and I’m about to start book 8.
WG: What changed most about your life as a direct result of selling
that first book?
DC: I sold my salon. I had been a working hair salon owner and
stylist for 25 years. And while I was working on book 3 in the
series I was so worn out I just decided it was time. God had allowed
me to finally find my market and I thought after all those years I
needed to give writing my best shot. Plus, I had lost my husband
seven months before I sold so I was under a tremendous amount of
emotional and physical stress. Writing changed my life, because it
gave me something new and challenging to focus on when I needed it
the most.
WG: Let’s talk
about your writing process:
Do you maintain a set schedule? Is there such a thing as a typical
day for you?
DC: Because it’s basically just me at home, and I have writing
goals that I’m shooting for, I write off and on all day. I’m
usually working on 2 or 3 books at various editing stages at all
times. I love it that way. I hate down time.
WG: So, what sort of goals do you set for yourself?
DC: I work by daily word goals (a minimum of 2000 useable words a
day) and I impose strict deadlines on myself for when the book will
be finished.
WG: Do you have a ‘mood setter’, something (music, ritual,
environment, etc) you use to get you going when you sit down to
write?
DC: No. I love the silence. Although, music and movies inspire me.
Just not when I’m creating.
WG: Do you do a lot of up front plotting before you start or do you
just dive in?
DC: No. I choose characters who will have plenty of conflict to
keep them apart and then I go with it. I’m very seat of the pants.
WG: Do you normally start with storyline or with character or with
some combination of the two?
 DC:
I usually start with a character. Sometimes it’s the heroine.
Sometimes it’s the hero. In my series I have all kinds of women
coming to Mule Hollow who are now waiting on the sidelines for a
story of their own. But I have to wait until just the right cowboy
comes along before I can see their story. When that happens I’m good
to go. Because of this my readers are having to wait for their
favorite heroine to get her own book. The book I’m about to start will be
the story of Ashby Templeton. She showed up in book 1 and I’ve been
waiting and waiting for the right cowboy. In book 7 Daddy Next Door,
Dan Dawson showed up as a secondary character and instantly I knew
he was the one for Ashby. My mind started doing the what if game and
I finally started trying to figure out what exactly was Ashby’s
story. Until that starts I’m not interested in forcing a book.
WG: Do you find
certain themes or character archetypes making recurring appearances
in your stories?
DC: Because I’ve witnessed God’s timing in my own life so
beautifully ( I could write a book on the way He has worked in my
life looking back over the years and how perfect His timing was)
that seems to be a recurring theme in my books. Also overcoming
fear. Because I feel like everyone has something they are hiding
from. Something they are fighting against that motivates them for
good or for bad. And as for characters, I love sexy heroes who are
put out of their element because of the heroine. And I love spunky
heroines with a bit of fire in them and lots of flaws.
WG: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about your
process?
DC: Write a little every day, set goals for yourself and never stop
learning. But along the way don’t forget to enjoy your family. They
are what is important and your time with them is precious. If you
need to pause, do it. It might be the best decision you ever made.
If I had sold to the editor of the Love and Laughter line I would
have spent the last 3 years with my husband focused on selling more
books. As it happened, God gave me a wake up call and because I
listened to him and halted my march toward publication I have no
regrets about the last 3 beautiful years I had with my husband and
sons as a family. It will always be remembered as a precious gift.
So maintain your priorities and if its God’s will that you sell, His
timing will be perfect.
WG: Do you have a favorite sub-genre?
DC: I read romance. I’ve always loved happy endings and the journey
of falling in love.
WG: Is there a genre you haven't been published in yet that you'd
like to try your hand at someday?
DC: Bigger books but always romance….maybe some women’s fiction
with romance.
WG: Do you have any advice to offer writers still striving toward
publication?
 DC: Work hard and learn from your rejection letters. And learn the
art of scene and sequel and characterization. Also, study blurbs
and first paragraphs. When I get the plot in my head it’s basically
just a blurb that I bring to life. When I send an idea to my editor
it has enough wackiness and conflict that I think they can create a
reader snagging back blurb out of it. And then I give them a first
paragraph that will draw the reader in. I think that’s been my
greatest asset. And that was a learned ability from standing for
hours in bookstores reading back blurbs and first paragraphs to find
out what worked and what didn’t.
WG: Is there some piece of advice you received or bit of
‘conventional wisdom’ that you wish you had ignored?
DC: Not really. I learned from everything.
WG: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about being a
writer? What do you struggle with the most?
DC: I love the editing process. I write alone. No one but my
mother--she edits it for typos--sees the book before I send it to my
editor, Krista Stroever, who is the senior editor for Love Inspired. I
always look forward to her feedback and then I dive back into the
book and the magic happens. I think editing is a wonderful thing I
love the challenge of it.
On the other hand, I never did well with critique partners or with
brainstorming, although before I sold I had two wonderful friends
who I worked with. But that came apart when they both moved. I
remained on my own after that. I’m a control freak, I want it to all
come from my own weird brain…what can I say.
WG: When you’re not writing, what do you do for fun?
DC: I love road trips, short or long. I love romantic comedy movies
and I love redoing or working on houses. Just yesterday I was
crawling around on top of one of my rental properties fixing loose
shingles….this sort of thing turns up in my books often.
WG: I love to collect quotes, all kinds of quotes - inspirational,
quirky, motivational, profound, etc. Do you have a personal
favorite you'd like to share?.
DC: I don’t know who said it but this is what I live by.
”Plant your seat in the chair and write.”
WG: Please tell us about your current project.
 DC: My 4th Mule Hollow book hits the shelves this month
(February) Dream A Little Dream. It is a fun story that I had
a blast writing. It’s about Molly Popp, newspaper reporter, who has
been writing articles about the tiny town that advertised for
want-to-be-wives for all its lonesome cowboys. Molly gets poor Bob
Jacob’s into a lot of hot water and it’s just fun watching the poor
cowboy try to figure out how to keep his head above water.
WG: Tell us about plans for future books.
DC: After Dream a Little Dream, comes Meeting Her Match (June 07) then Operation: Married by Christmas (Oct 07) and
then Daddy Next Door (Jan 08)
I’m currently working on book 8 in the series and because of the
wonderful fan acceptance of the series, the end isn’t in sight yet.
God is good!
WG: And before we close, tell us how your fans can get in touch
with you.
DC: I can be reached through my website debraclopton.com or PO Box
1125 Madisonville Texas 77864
WG: Thanks so much for stepping into
the spotlight this month. And I’m looking forward to reading more
stories in that wonderful Mule Hollow series.
DC: Thank you Winnie for the opportunity - it was fun!
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