This morning, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tamikio L. Dooley for ILA Magazine and readers. I came to know Tamiko as an editor who reached out to me for my photography which she published in two of her special edition magazines. In her, I see not only a talented writer but also an editor who selflessly gives of herself to others.
Carl Scharwath: Good morning Tamikio and thank you for your time with us, today. To begin our interview, please tell us a little about you through your bio.
Tamikio L. Dooley is a multi-award winning author. She is the author of 80 titles and 68 published books. The author writes fiction and nonfiction of crime, thriller, mystery, fantasy, historical, western, romance, zombie apocalypse, and paranormal. In her spare time, she writes short stories, poetry, articles, essays, health books, children books, diaries, journals and inspiring books.
Tamikio is featured in Ukiyoto Publishing Litteratura, Litteratura in Paris, Itinerantur, CreatiVIngenuitiy Magazine, Kidliomag, ILAMagazine, and Connections E-Magazine.
She has received awards and certificates for her short stories, articles, essays and poetry published in Ukiyoto Publishing Anthologies, Bard's Day Key Anthology and Multinational Pen Soldiers Poetry Anthology.
Tamikio received an honorable recognition as the best crime author in September 2016, recognition award as an outstanding consultant for Ukiyoto Publishing, the winner of the World Literature Awards 2022, awarded the Woman Leader in Transcendence Award, and won her first crystal trophy award in the crime category.
Tamikio L. Dooley is the owner and entrepreneur of Tamikio Dooley Writers Coach. She assists writers with editing, publishing and drafting their first manuscript. She edits full books, poetry, articles, essays, short stories, memoirs and other publications. Tamiko is also the co-editor and publishing consultant for Ukiyoto Publishing. She assists with project managing, and consulting writers with publishing options.
CARL: Can you please tell us about your writing process? TAMIKIO: Yes, I've always carried a particular writing process working for me. I have a certain number of chapters, pages and hours I spend on writing each book. I try not to bore readers with unnecessary wording, long chapters, and long books, still enjoying a great story.
CARL: How do you stay inspired and motivated to write? TAMIKIO: I stay inspired and motivated by networking with other authors and poets, every day. I adore watching them post their literary works on my social media timeline, in publications, blogs, and other written resources.
CARL: Can you talk about a specific piece of writing that you are particularly proud of and why?
TAMIKIO: Yes, I particularly love historical writings such as Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, amongst other history writers. In terms of my writings, I love every single piece I've written. I'm amazed at how these works center around modern influences, meaning most writers and readers cherish history works more than what's newly composed today.
CARL: What advice can you give as both a writer and editor to aspiring writers just starting out?
TAMIKIO: The advice I'd give to a writer and editor, a writer's initial step creating their first draft involves brainstorming and researching. Conjure ideas first, and then research the topic of ideas. The first draft should be imperfect, meaning the composer should focus on thoughts and ideas, creating their story. Advice to a budding editor, is to learn Basic English grammar first if they haven't already. This process shed light on how to edit work. That's how I learned to edit was through relearning Basic English structure. I find writing books in the past-tense and third person is more comfortable for me.
CARL: As an editor, what do you believe are the most important qualities to possess?
TAMIKIO: As both an editor and a writer, the most important qualities to have is to possess a keen eye for detail, to give constructive feedback when needed, to be a passionate reader, after all, with the submissions received, a great editor must pour over all content submitted, thoroughly. Editors are crucial thinkers, as well as being there to guide the writer or reader. Not only do editors offer good constructive criticism, they should always have the prowess to deal with criticism as well. Editors should be adaptable to language and also have full knowledge of English grammar as this process sheds light on how to edit work. As an Editor, I learned to edit through relearning the Basic English structure and found writing books in the past-tense and third person, a more comfortable environment.
CARL: How do you see your writing evolving in the future, and what goals do you have for your writing career? TAMIKIO: I hope my writings in the future will be remembered and adored the same as Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and J. K. Rowling, just to name a few popular authors. They started writing early on in life. Today, their works made a famous mark on the reading society. CARL: Thank you, Tamikio, for your time today. I hope the writers and artists of ILA Magazine will also submit some of their work to you. I want to thank Annette for the amazing job she does with the Magazine and Facebook Group, so my final question is: What do you like best about ILA Magazine and the ILA family? TAMIKIO: I think ILA Magazine family is terrific! They treat authors and poets the same with respect, giving them the opportunity to display their works to the public. They perform all tasks such as editing, posting, and publishing accordingly. I would recommend them to any author and poet. I hope to continue working with them throughout the year.
Carl Scharwath is from the sunshine state of Florida. he is the Art Editor of Minute Magazine, a Contributing Editor/Interviewer at ILA Magazine and contributing Editor/Interviewer of CreatiVIngenuitiy Magazine. His work appears globally, with 150+ journals selecting his poetry, short stories, interviews, essays, art/photography and most recently, plays. Carl is the author of seven (3 literary and 4 photography) books.