Today, Donna Figueroa is on tour with her new release, Fall Again; Lost Boy. She's dropped by Foreplay and Fangs to discuss how a one-time short story turned into something much bigger.
But
I Only Wanted to Write a Short Story…
Or
how my little idea became a four part series
by Donna Figueroa
Once upon a time, I had an idea for a short story. I had a clear outline- in my head anyway, and only needed to find the time to sit down and write my story of true love lost, and second chances.
Alas, I am the Princess of Procrastination. Somehow, I
never found the time to write my story. That is, my short story.
Before I go any further, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Donna Figueroa. I’m a writer and actor working in Los Angeles, CA.
As an actor my credits include appearances on stage,
the big and small screens, voiceovers, audiobooks, and many television
commercials.
I’m a producer
and storyteller at Story Salon, Los Angeles’s longest running storytelling
venue. I’ve written and performed several stories and one person shows through
the salon over the past ten years.
My journey as an author began more than a few years
ago with my preferred format being the short story. My work with Story Salon
reminded me that not only did I love the spoken word, but also the written
word. In addition to my writing at the Salon, I was also writing short stories,
primarily for my own enjoyment, never imagining that anyone would want to read
them.
That was until I wrote a short story for an event here
in Los Angeles. The Legend of Evie
Everhart was a ghost story which took place during the golden age of
Hollywood. Evie Everhart was a child star who died during a production, but never
felt the need to leave the studio that had her under contract. Years later she
was still haunting the studio, despite the fact that he studio had tried to
erase her memory.
People enjoyed my story. For a few years it became
part of the RIP Experience during Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween
Horror Nights. The story was published in the literary magazine, Hot Valley Writers. A year later I
turned this story into a one person show which I performed through Story Salon.
At this point I started thinking of myself as a
writer, and began to write on a regular basis, my preferred format being the
short story.
In 2012 I got an idea for a short story which took
place in the world of working actors-a world I knew very well. I knew who the
main characters were, their backstories, and the general sequence of events.
My story, Time for Coffee, was to be about two
working actors who had known each other in New York. A chance meeting outside of a casting studio
on Sunset Boulevard brings them together for the first time in over twenty
years. These two people are very busy, but decide they do have time for coffee.
The rest of the story was to be these two people catching up with each other.
Of course, it’s discovered that these two people were involved romantically. My
two actors would then have a brutally honest conversation on why things didn’t
work between them.
I loved the premise for this story and found myself
thinking about it constantly. Unfortunately
that’s all I time to do-think about it. Time passed. When I finally sat down to
write my story, I no longer knew how to tell this story in a short story format.
The story had been in my head for so long that now my two main characters had
rich backstories, friends and families. I didn’t know where to begin.
But timing is everything.
In mid-October of 2012, I was reminded that the
NaNoWrMo Challenge would begin on November 1. The challenge, to write a 50,000
word novel in thirty days. Maybe Time for
Coffee could become a novel. To be honest, I didn’t know if I had 50,000
words in me. I accepted the challenge.
I began writing on November 1. I completed the challenge
by hitting 50,000 words on November 20. I completed the story at just over
80,000 words on November 30. I was thrilled, and put the manuscript away.
In January 2013, I reread my manuscript. I realized
that I had a mediocre first draft. I also decided I had a pretty good beginning
and end, but I had ignored the bulk of the story. I liked my characters and
story too much to leave them stranded in a weak novel and decided to begin work
on a second draft, and complete the story.
Months later I did one of the most frightening things
I’d ever done. I gave my novel to someone else, a mentor, to read. I asked him
to please give me his honest opinion.
Three weeks we met for his critique. I was nervous as
he put on his glasses and flipped through notes. “So Donna, I don’t think you
have a novel.”
Okay, so maybe I wasn’t a novelist. I had asked him to
be honest and I trusted his opinion. At least I’d tried.
But then he continued. “Actually I think you have at
least three novels here. Have you thought about turning this into a series?”
That was in 2013. I’m very happy to announce that the
second book of my series Fall Again will be published this
November. The Fall Again series is the story of two actors, Marc Guiro and
Lauren Phillips.
In the first book, Beginnings, Marc and Lauren
meet in the optimistic New York of the late 1980’s. While there’s an obvious
attraction, decorum dictates that their relationship remain in the realm of a
platonic friendship. Over time, this becomes increasingly difficult as Marc and
Lauren struggle to maintain the façade of friendship to their closest friends,
and to each other. But then, Lauren leaves New York, permanently
The second book, Fall Again: Lost Boy, is Marc’s
story where Marc finds himself devastated and alone in New York City. He’ll be tested and
makes choices that will take his life in different directions. On occasion fate
intervenes placing Marc at the right places at the right times, providing him
with exciting opportunities. Over time Marc becomes a better artist, son,
brother, friend and above all, a better man. With the support and encouragement
of old and new friends, Marc unknowingly begins a personal odyssey to find
himself; an arduous journey that will eventually lead Marc back to a woman
whose memory refuses to leave him.
The Fall Again series is not only about
Marc and Lauren. The book is also about lifelong friendships as you’ll get to
know Marc and Lauren’s closet friends. Fall Again also gives a realistic
look into the lives of working actors and artists in an industry that is often
misunderstood. Fall Again is about second chances.
The last two books of the series, Fall Again: California Girl
(Lauren’s story) and Fall Again: Reunion will be
published in 2016.
And to think this series started out as a short story
about a chance meeting on Sunset Boulevard. I’d still like to think I’ll write Time for Coffee one day- that is, if I
can ever find the time.
Donna Figueroa is an actor and writer living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She has worked on stage and on the big and small screens. Her credits include appearances on several daytime dramas, voiceovers for animation, commercials and industrial projects, audiobooks and several television commercials.She is a producer and storyteller at The Story Salon, Los Angeles’s longest running storytelling venue where she has written, performed and developed three one person shows.Donna considers herself an athletic shopper always in search of the ultimate bargain.She lives in Hollywood with her husband writer/comedian Tony Figueroa, and their three neurotic cats.
The Fall Again Series
What if you met the right person - at
the wrong time?
In Fall Again: Beginnings,
the first installment of the Fall Again series, actors Marc and Lauren meet in
New York City in the late 1980’s. While there’s an obvious attraction,
circumstances dictate that their relationship remain within the realm of a
platonic friendship. Over time they struggle to maintain the façade of
friendship to their closest friends and to each other. Until one night…
Fall Again; Lost Boy
The Fall Again Romance series continues.
 |
When Marc Guiro learns Lauren Phillips is gone, his life
shatters.
Lost Boy, the second novel in the
Fall Again series, begins as Marc frantically returns
to New York, only to find that the woman he loves has left New York
permanently. Marc is devastated, but struggles to put his life back together,
often making choices that drastically alter the course of his life.
With support and encouragement from old and
new friends, Marc unknowingly begins a personal odyssey to find himself- an
arduous journey that brings Marc personal and professional fulfillment, and
eventually leads him back to the woman whose memory refuses to leave him.
Excerpt
Two
minutes later, when Mel opened the door to the apartment, Marc barged inside. “Where’s
Lauren?” This was a frantic demand as opposed to a question.
If Marc
had looked at Mel, he would have seen she was deeply troubled, but he hardly noticed
her. The only thing that mattered was
seeing Lauren.
Marc was moving toward Lauren’s closed bedroom
door before Mel stopped him by firmly grabbing his arm.
“Marc,
stop-I need to talk to you!”
Marc
tried to shake her off. “And I need to talk to Lauren!”
But Mel
only tightened her grip and angrily raised her voice. “No, I said stop!”
Mel had never intended to sound so cruel, but
at least Marc stopped and looked at her, stunned, as the manic energy that had
come over him dissipated.
Mel
slowly released the grip on Marc’s arm while making every effort to calm
herself down. “Look, I don’t have a lot of patience right now. I’ve had a rough
day!”
Marc
resented her comment. The only thing preventing him from exploding was fatigue.
“That’s funny, Mel, because I’ve had a rough day too! Actually I consider today
a continuation of yesterday, since I didn’t sleep last night knowing that this
morning I would be breaking things off with Miriam. That task was successfully
accomplished before nine this morning. Needless to say she wasn’t too happy
about the breakup, and neither were her parents-or my parents! I made my mother
cry and my father called me a disgrace to the family.”
Mel remained
still as Marc recounted the events of his day. Her day had been smooth and easy
in comparison. “Marc…I’m so sorry.”
He took a
deep breath and continued to recount what had to be the longest day of his
life. “Since I’d already caused enough pain in Montreal, I decided to head back
to New York. Three major airports, a four-hour layover in Boston and one trip
through U.S. Immigration later, I’m here.”
Mel could
see that Marc was under a lot of stress. She took his coat before giving him
what she felt was a much needed hug. Her voice took on a soothing quality. “I just
wasn’t expecting you back until tomorrow.”
Marc was hardly in the mood for small talk.
“That was the plan but I’m back now-and I need to see Lauren.” He broke free of
Mel’s embrace and quickly moved to Lauren’s closed bedroom door. He called to
her while opening the door. “Lauren?”
Marc stood frozen in the doorway of Lauren’s
room, confused. All of her belongings were gone. He turned back to Mel as his
voice caught in his throat. “Where’s Lauren?”
Mel could
see that Marc was worn down, vulnerable and exhausted as she dreaded what was
coming next. “Marc…she’s gone!”
For the
first time since he arrived, he heard the sadness in Mel’s voice, a sadness
that now filled his own. “God, Mel! Where is she?”
As she
spoke, Mel saw tears fill Marc’s eyes. “I don’t know!”
With that Marc brushed past Mel as he headed
to the front door. But instead of opening the door, he struck it hard with his
fist, and then struck it even harder a second time.
Mel was
frightened by Marc’s unexpected and violent display of emotion. “Marc stop.
Please calm down. You’re scaring me!”
Her
emotional outburst stopped him. When he turned to face her, he was barely
audible. “Mel, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Mel
watched Marc shakily sink down against her front door before she heard uncontrolled
sobs. At first, all she could do was stand and watch helplessly before her
instincts kicked in. She sat on the floor next to him while doing her best to
console him.
All this time she had only been worried about
Marc hurting Lauren, never imagining that Lauren would hurt Marc. But as Marc
put his head into her lap, she sadly realized that Marc and Lauren had hurt
each other.
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