Donita K. Paul

May 30, 2008

Hosted by Jason McDonald

Dancing Word Assistant Editor

*This chat has been edited for clarity

Jason McDonald: Let's open with prayer, I'll go over protocol, and then introduce our guest.

Dear Lord, thank you for this time together. Thank you for the people that were able to make it, and bless those that cannot be with us tonight. Bless our chat guest and all those here tonight. Let us learn more about writing and about You. Thank you Lord. Amen

Protocol: Type "?" for questions, "!" for comments, and "ga" when you're finished

and wait to be called upon in turn.

Tonight, I am very excited and pleased to introduce Donita K. Paul, author of several romances, and the acclaimed DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series. Ms. Paul, welcome.

* Annie leads the applause

Donita K. Paul: Thank you, Jason. I am pleased to be here.

Donita K. Paul: instead of making our way through an outline of what the standard fantasy blends together, we will make up our own, rather silly, fantasy. First we need an ordinary person. Remember Opie from the Andy Griffith show? Our ordinary person will go by the name of Opie. OP=ordinary person. Now we need an everyday life for Opie, so I am going to call on you to decide his fate. What is his occupation in his mundane world?

Donita K. Paul: what is Opie's occupation? one line answers,

KC: postman

Noelle: policeman?

Jason McDonald: swordsmith?

Donita K. Paul: more?

Bek: farmer

RebeccaLuElla: computer tech

Jason McDonald: ummmm, cartwright?

Noelle: teacher

RebeccaLuElla: horse trainer

KC: nurse

Donita K. Paul: okay, I being the arbitratary, impartial editor will choose…farmer

Bek: yay

Donita K. Paul: Now we have to decide what his ordinary world is like, industrial? modern? caveman times? etc.? One line answers, please.

KC: alien

Noelle: horse and carriage

Donita K. Paul: um? what time period do you want, guys?

Jason McDonald: medieval

KC: (oops, not sci-fi, huh?)

Bek: definitely medieval

KC: future!

RebeccaLuElla: prehistoric

Donita K. Paul: okay so we had two medieval. So now we need to know how old he is

KC: 22

Bek: 16

Anne McDonald: 12

RebeccaLuElla: 35

Jason McDonald: 18

Bek: 15!

Donita K. Paul: throwing out the oldest and youngest, we pick 18

Bek: lol

Donita K. Paul: now we have Opie living his normal existence in a pre-industrial age as a farmer. So the first thing we would do as the author is to establish his typical day. A short scene that is a backdrop for one niggling detail that has him puttering over. Let's say he has been left this farm by his uncle, but he was also left with shoddy tools and old animals…his normal problem is that his old horse is lame.