Interview with author Dima Dupéré

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Dima Dupéré. I live in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). I am a social worker and teach therapeutic writing (journal writing with a deeper purpose).  I also write, draw, and am constantly creating something.  

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Watching from the Shore’’?  And how long did it take you to write it?

I started writing this story in 2010.  I wrote 11 chapters and then went to Grad school to complete a Masters in Social Work. In 2016, I picked up the story again while at a Novel Writing Marathon.  I rewrote it from the perspective of a different character, in an epistolary style.  I spent a lot of time trying to think about how I wanted to present it so that people would have the feeling of reading actual letters.  I hand wrote  letters thinking I could create a picture book. Then, in 2021, I had a heart attack and that slowed me down quite a bit.  I was able to proofread, make some changes and recently decided the best way to present this story is in an e-book because I can use different fonts for the different characters.  I love this story, especially since it had such a complicated ‘birth’.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I love simple story lines written with emotion.  One of my favourite authors is Carol Shields who had a way of connecting deeply with me through her words.  I also love the poems of Mary Oliver.  Generally I tend to read a lot of memoirs.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

I love Newfoundland (Canada) in particular the small town of Woody Point. They have a spectacular Writers Festival each year that combines authors, musicians and nature.  It’s located in the middle of Gros Morne National Park, on Bonne Bay.  Being by the ocean is very healing to me, and the festival very inspiring.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?

I tend to sit with a story and think about it for a long time before actually writing. I will do some research if necessary to make sure my facts are accurate.  Once I have a sense of exactly where I will go then I start writing.  But often as I start writing the characters tell me where they want to go.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your book?

My book is available on the book’s website (watchingfromtheshore dot com) and also at Kobo books. It can be found on OverDrive Library Network – which means you can request it at your library if it offers e-books.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Watching from the Shore’?

The title and the book cover have a direct connection with something that happens in the story.  Without saying too much, the last time Melanie and her brother were together as children they were watching their parents canoeing from the shore.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

This story though relatively short has a lot of twists and turns.  The format of letters makes it fast paced and different from a regular book.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Part three will take the readers in an unexpected place.  I have to keep some secrets.