Welcome Marla!  From Orangevale, California, USA, Marla is an art director/illustrator/designer, writing ad copy and marketing material, as well as an accomplished writer - Marla has six novels up her sleeve! Girl in the Woods is in the works, an epic fantasy romance adventure, to be released soon! Marla likes to write alongside her cat 'Oscar'. She is an avid photographer as well, and loves to take photos of her lovely daughter, Charlotte.  Marla and I are in the Wolfpack Writing Group, a daily symposium of phenomenal writers. We share accomplishments, challenges, artistic endeavors, and more! So happy you are here, Marla....a howl for the pack! Tell me about yourself.... I draw. I paint. I cut intricate things out of paper. It is what I do and who I am. I tell jokes and it doesn’t take much to make me laugh. I live for art and keeping life creative. I write stories of adventure. I read about 5 books a month (mostly fiction). I figure out the history and stories of historical artifacts. I love anything to do with costume, and history and art and adventure and good wine. I love to walks by the river, road trips, visits to the frog pond and watching the stars. I collect old photographs from the 1840’s – 80’s. I also collect old friends and new, because like the antique artifacts, they all have wonderful stories and bring beauty and joy.
What is your inspiration for writing?  It’s a lot cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun. When I write I keep a sense of my own personal self. I've always worked for others doing design work or writing, but my own writing, my
fiction and essays are my own. I don’t share any of my own art or writing with
anyone in my “professional” life as an art director/designer. It is my secret
life.What keeps me writing is that it is entertainment for
myself, then for others. It is fun. My dad always told us stories he’d just make up off the top
of his head. He was always a great science fiction and fantasy reader as well.
We’d spend a lot of time discussing books and speculating on time travel and
sharing stories. Story telling was part of my life from the start. I started out years ago writing plays, poetry and essays. I
had several essays published, plays produced and read one of my bits on NPR.
Now I’m writing novels and short stories. Writing about relationships and
characters and dialog is great. Start with a great cast of characters and then
the plot will evolve around them. Until about 8 years ago I’d more or less stopped writing
seriously. There were too many emotional roadblocks. Everything I wrote was
serious and not even fun for me. I became one of those brooding gloomy writers.
I appreciate good gloom, but I’m just not good at it. Writing started again when I wrote a story sort of as a joke
for a friend. Eight years later that turned into 700 pages and a sequel. A lot
of old ideas came to the surface as well as new stories and books. I started to
have fun again. I brought the humor and light back into my writing. A big inspiration is the people in my life. My husband Steve
Kings and daughter Charlotte, my mom, my friends – especially Becky Miller who
has pushed and pushed me over the years, both of my Kims, and of course my dear
dear amazing creative writer friends in the Wolfpack [a writer's symposium] who have been such an
inspiration and kept me going on those dark and stormy nights. I’ve never
had so many people cheer me on and encourage me. And this time there is no
negativity or pushing. This is my time as a writer – there are no limits this
time. Another inspiration is photography and art. I collect 19th century
photography. I’m always looking for faces of my characters in old images, or
photos with a story behind them. I’ll do the same with art – my own or the art
of others. How do you collect ideas? Collect is a great term for ideas! I have no idea how I
collect ideas. I’ve found that anything and everything can spark the idea for a
story. I’ll drive down the road and see a roadside memorial at an accident
scene then think it would make a great story about some kids who put up fake
memorials, then that thought moves on to something else and by the time I’m
done I might be writing a science fiction story from the Civil War. I also get ideas from my own life, the stories of others and
history. I don’t write historic fiction but I’m inspired by it. Do you have a favorite place for writing? I write in my head on walks. I used to listen to audio books
but now I play my own stories and work out characters, dialogue and plots. Then
I key it in. My computer is by a fish tank so I hear the sound of the
water, sort of like a calming fountain. Or I like to take the laptop outside
when the weather is nice. Any suggestions for novice writers? Have
the proper tools ready and available at all times (a computer that works,
perfect fountain pen, a notebook in your car or purse for ideas, sharpened
pencils). Write
all the time – in the computer, on paper, in your head. Don’t
worry about what others think right now – just write. Hone
your craft. Learn to use the words, like you’d learn about cooking or fine
wine. Savor it. Don’t
be too into yourself – look at others and the world around you for inspiration.
It will open up your eyes. READ
– the more I read the more I write. Be it a National Geographic magazine, a
historic novel, science fiction, murder mystery, and styles and genera I would
NEVER write, it doesn't matter – the more you read the more you’ll write. It is
yoga for your brain. 
What are you currently writing?Six novels and several short stories. Family Tree (working title): A novel about a girl named Liz,
who runs from an abusive husband into the arms of a serial killer, then escapes
to find a new face, a lot of money, a new life and a group of eccentric friends
who have secrets of their own. In the meantime her ex-husband becomes more
famous by the day building a career on her disappearance. Misplaced Souls: A ghost story/novel. Sort of a New Wave
Ghost and Mrs. Muir murder mystery romance. I have several others in the work as well including a book
based on camping trips I used to take once a month with girlfriends when I was
in my 20’s (rain or shine). A few short romantic stories are also in the works. What are your future plans as an artist and a writer? To keep writing. I have pages and books of funny graphic
novel sort of things I used to play around with. I’d like to complete one. Who is your favorite author? Why? I love to read. I go nuts if I don’t have a book or two going. A few of my favorites are, of course Mark Twain, John Sanford (Prey series) is at the top of the list. Nelson De Mille, Matthew Pearl, Martha Grimes, Tana French, Douglas Adams, to name a few. I also have a few guilty pleasures – writers that I won’t admit reading to most people. There are so many good authors writing now. The authors I like the most are those with great characters I can relate to or at least find interesting, good dialogue and a bit of humor and/or romance thrown in. My feeling is a good writer can put a character in any
situation and run with it. Do you have a favorite quote that sums up who you are as an
artist and a writer? “Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting
cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they
use.” Mark Twain A Tramp Abroad “I may not have gone where I intended to go but I think I
have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams  Girl in the Woods- Prologue  Alexander Byron a Prince of the Northwestern Kingdom is told that he must marry a Real Princess. Having been engaged three times already to Real Princesses he is ready to give up when Princess Candi shows up. But Candi isn't all she seems to be. On an attempt to get away from the pressures of it all Alex goes on a diplomatic mission where he meets Olivia Snowhawk, a child of war and wizardry, and the President of the powerful mulit-national corporation Universal Technologies International. She is anything BUT a perfect princess. Olivia is a woman of frightening mysteries and secrets unlike anything he could ever imagine. In a world where technology and wizardry are both common facts of everyday life the pair figure out what it really means to love heart and soul. Excerpt from Night at the Crest by Marla Todd Chapter 1 ..... He loved the drive through the rolling oak forested hills. He spent every weekend he could with his cousin Ruth. But this weekend might be rough. He was going to ask his family about his latest job offer. This was his dream job. He’d all but signed the contract. Everyone would be there to give him their own jaded opinions. Most wouldn’t be too thrilled. He looked over at beautiful golden Lorna dozing in the seat next to him. She was his older sister, his mentor, the one who kept him grounded. He imagined her with a halo and beautiful wings spread out in shining glory. Then he wondered if she was sleeping with her new best friend, a plastic surgeon named, Dennis O’Brian. Denny, as she called the man was nice enough, but suddenly Jonathan felt like he wanted to beat the crap out of the guy if he ever touched Lorna. Then he’d torture him and flay off his skin leaving him a quivering mass of, well, whatever. He had to stop being so protective of his sisters. Jonathan’s mind skipped back Dallas Andrews. He felt sick to his stomach. It had been unpleasant business, but somebody had to do it. After all it wasn’t easy being angel.  |
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CategoriesActressAnimal Communicator Artist Author Editor Equestrian Graphic Designer Historian Horse Breeder Horse Trainer Illustrator Jockey Journalist Jouster Lyricist Musician Photographer Playwright Poet Professor Rancher Stunt Rider Writer
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