10 Questions with Writer & Gamer Genese Davis (@GeneseDavis)

This Author Spotlight features talented debut novelist Genese Davis, author of The Holder's Dominion.

Davis has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin, with minors in theatre and Spanish. She also has a Private Pilot's License and is an accomplished equestrienne. Genese (rhymes with Denise) is also very active in the gaming community (as you'll learn from her interview below). She lives in Irvine, California.

View the trailer for The Holder's Dominion:

1.How did you get into writing?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, but it wasn’t until I was finishing up college with a degree in English that I got the strong bug to write a novel. Since then, writing has become my career! The main inspiration came from one idea in particular that is now my debut novel The Holder’s Dominion coming out March 1st. Like Kaylie, (the protagonist in the book) I came to gaming pretty late in life. I wanted to write for gamers and non-gamers alike about the unpredictable and influential ways that video games change us. I wanted to share with others the amazing experience of collaborative video games and the communities that grow up in and around them.

2. What do you like best (or least) about writing?

I love how writing can challenge and inspire us! Though, my least favorite thing is the loneliness. Surviving all those times when I felt helplessly isolated, chained in solitary confinement, working day after day with the determination to finish . . . phew that was tough! All artists “bleed” for their artwork. We are creating by carving and cutting the very essence of ourselves. And by doing so, each page is authentic and from the heart.

3.What is your writing process? IE do you outline? Do you stick to a daily word or page count, write 7 days a week, etc?

Writing is an organic experience, and so I think it’s important to have a writing schedule that’s flexible. When I started writing The Holder’s Dominion, I wrote seven days a week for spans between four and fourteen hours at a time. And then there were the days I needed a break and had to leave the pages alone. This became part of what helped the development of beneficial writing habits—knowing when to schedule long blocks of writing time and when to back off.

If I ever got stuck or lost in the minutia of writing, my creative producer would schedule production one on ones and creative one on ones. These are meetings where the artist and producer can brainstorm, also known as “blue sky sessions,” and where they can schedule out small tangible goals using project management tools like Scrum.

4. Who are some other writers you read and admire, regardless of whether they are commercially “successful?”

From the classics I’d have to say, Oscar Wilde and Emily Bronte. And from more modern writers, I’d have to say Jean M. Auel, Juliet Marillier, and China Mieville are very inspiring.

5. Should the question mark in the above question be inside or outside the quotes?

I’d ask my editor on that one just to double check!

6. What’s your stance on the Oxford Comma?

I’d have to go with whatever the reader wants. ;)

7. What is your book The Holder’s Dominion about and how did it come to fruition?

The Holder’s Dominion is a speculative thriller with a fantasy twist. It’s a story about a young woman who discovers gaming while facing some serious problems online and off. This book is a message of hope and support for anyone going through grief or who has been separated from their family. The inspiration behind writing it came from wanting to create a basis for family and friends of gamers to understand them and their world. I imagine we all have relatives who wonder, “Are video games a waste of time?” “Why does my spouse play video games into the night?” A parent might ask, “Why does my child want to play a video game instead of go outside and play?” The Holder’s Dominion reveals online gaming in an easy-to-follow and riveting setting that marries pre-video game generations to current video game enthusiasts.

8. What’s your current writing project?

An array of exciting projects have opened for me: The live-action teaser trailer for The Holder’s Dominion, screenplays for a webseries, new media for www.TheGamerInYou.com and my second novel.

9. What book(s) are you currently reading?

Having books on my nightstand is a must! Currently, I have China Mieville’s The City and The City.

10. Who or what inspires your writing?

The first thing is the vast opportunity to connect people, and the second is a great idea. If I know I’m writing something that has the possibility to connect readers together I can’t stop. Also, if a great idea hits me, I love seeing how it evolves through the writing process. Both of these inspired me to write The Holder’s Dominion.

I didn’t discover the world of PC and console gaming until my adult life. So, I know how it feels to wonder why our friends, family, and loved ones seem “glued” to their electronics. And that’s part of the reason I’m so passionate to share all that I’ve discovered in the video game industry. It is not simply a set of pixels your children, spouses, or friends are staring at when they play games. It’s actually a whole spectrum of invention, discovery, and ingenuity. Players are discovering artwork, storylines, history, skill sets, challenges, and collaboration of individuals on a planetary scale. As I continued to write The Holder’s Dominion, I realized how the plot has the potential for readers to understand why people, young and old, want to play video games. That was very inspiring and pushed me to write, write, write!

In addition, this book’s overarching concept and details within the story were composed to relate to the experience of a large and well-defined gaming community. The Holder’s Dominion is an epic journey that will bring validation to gamers while intriguing them with speculative technology and a new world to adventure. That was a huge motivator for the novel as well. I’m honored to pay homage to the brilliant, freethinking individuals who work in and enjoy this industry.

Finally, is there anything you’d care to add? Please also include where people can read your published stories, buy your book, etc.

The Holder’s Dominion launches March 1st, 2013! It will be available in paperback or e-book at www.BeaversPondBooks.com, and also through distributors like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore. Check out the novel at www.TheHoldersDominion.com.

It’d also be my pleasure to connect with you guys! Find me at www.GeneseDavis.com and we can connect on Facebook and Twitter, too! www.Facebook.com/AuthorGeneseDavis, www.Twitter.com/GeneseDavis.

I'm also very excited to be hosting for Pixel Vision. Check out this great new video and check out the site below it:

And my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AuthorGeneseDavis

I’d love to hear about what everyone is up to. After all, we’re only a message away. ;) Talk soon!

Thank you so much for having me, Ryan, and have a great 2013!

Thank YOU, Genese, for sharing your exciting debut novel. See you online in a campaign!