Hello and welcome Dallas! Start us off by telling us about you.
Hmm, where to begin? I am a 27 year old gay male. I have an older brother, two younger brothers and a younger sister. My parents separated when I was 5 (in Kindergarten). I am extremely close to my siblings, especially my younger - older (the older of the two younger brothers!) brother Patrick. He is also a writer. We were close because we always had similar interests. I am a huge tennis buff, playing and watching. I am engaged and am planning to be married next year! Very exciting. I have a cat named Jorge (pronounced HORE-HEY), it's Spanish. He's 7 and I adore him. I work for TD Bank; in Canada (where I live) most people would know the name TD Canada Trust, in the US I believe it's called TD Bank (we have just sort of moved into the US market the last couple of years).
What is your story, "One Day a a Time," about?
My story is on-going, so it's about many things. One Day at a Time is a classic soap opera; in reality you would watch serials like All My Children, Bold & Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, One Life to Live & Young & Restless, or the recently cancelled Passions, Guiding Light or As the World Turns; ODaaT is one of these serials, only I write it. I release episodes every 10 days, and it's just like another part of the on-going continuing drama.
I guess if I were to make an over all theme to the series, it would be about family drama and love stories unfolding.
How did this story come to you?
The daytime community has always been in my life. After my parents separated, I lived with my Mom and visited my Dad weekends and summer vacations. My mother watched Another World, Days of our Lives and Young and the Restless. I mostly remember being hooked on Days and Y&R. My brother Patrick and I were huge fans. Patrick, actually, started his own "show" called Green Meadows. This was in 1995, so I would have been 12 and Patrick would have been 9. Immediately, I wanted in on the action, so I created One Day at a Time. I wrote my stories (in very rough - paragraph format) on lined paper. Each piece of paper represented a week's worth of "shows". I still have those "episodes" to date in my binder, and it's what I go by when I write ODaaT today.
What compelled you to write it?
When I was 12, obviously it was because I had the daytime dramas in front of me all the time ... I knew that I had it in me to create dramatic story lines as well. I was inspired. Taking it to the web, was another situation completely. This was years later when I was out of post-secondary (and hadn't been writing ODaaT on the paper/computer for some time), and Patrick had discovered the EpiGuide. He told me he was writing a series and that I should bring a series to the web. Naturally, my first decision was to bring ODaaT to the web because I love this series and the characters I have created. My first venture to the web, however, I must admit my writing was still extremely novice. This was back in 2002. I wrote, and it did get better, for 2 years. In 2004, I came out of the closet and really had to rediscover myself and who I was, so I stopped producing ODaaT. In 2009 (episode 53), I brought ODaaT back and this is when my writing was really good, at least in my opinion. So if you check out ODaaT, and you read episode 1 ... it is bad, I know! I think the beauty is that you can see my growth as a writer, but also an individual.
Who is your favorite character?
Oh gosh, only one? I guess write now my favorite characters to write are Trenyce and Dave. Trenyce is just so misunderstood; she comes across as a complete and utter selfish bitch, but in reality she's just an insecure girl that is looking for love. That's a wicked combination to work with because she can do crazy and bold things but it's all within the character motivation.
I love Dave because he's your over the top villain that cares about nothing but getting his own way. The scenes he shares with his brother Brett are some of my favorite to write because there's just no holding back in the scenes, there are no rules. The Dave storyline is sort of coming to a conclusion in the up coming months, so it'll be sad not to have him there anymore, but the story must go on.
What was your favorite scene to write?
There have been a few scenes that I have loved, but I think my all-time favorite scene was in episode 73 called "Midnight", it's the last scene in the episode with Daisy. Daisy has always been a strong character, but at the time she had recently learned that her husband Chris had not only slept with her sister Danielle, but also her niece Trenyce. Feeling weak and alone, Daisy was in the shower and thought about killing herself. She didn't, but I thought the scene was strong and powerful. It's still one of my favorite moments from the series.
How long did it take you to write the story?
Hmm, well the story is on-going, so I this question may not apply to me. There are some story lines on the series that can last for a long time, for example the Cory/Shane/Natasha/Robin storyline lasted for what seemed like forever; other story lines are wrapped up more quickly. I guess because you have an on-going drama, you have to continue to write the story lines that are working and are within the character motivation.
Is it available anywhere else?
It is only available on the ODaaT website; on the website there is an Episodes page for previous episodes (and recaps!) and on the main page there is a link to the current episode, which also has a printable version.
http://odaatseries.bravehost.com/index.htm This is the only place you can find it!!
Have you ever thought of getting your stories published?
I've never attempted to sell my stories to anyone. I do not have a degree or anything, writing has always just been a hobby of mine. I think I have a knack for creating good soap-opera type story lines, especially the ones that take awhile to be wrapped up. I suppose I could share my work with daytime dramas and see if they were interested, but it's a rough market to get into I am sure.
Where we can we find you online, include your website, facebook, twitter or anywhere else you reside online.
http://odaatseries.bravehost.com/index.htm
Facebook: Dallas Walsh
odaat_webseries@twitter.com
I post on the EpiGuide under the user name Dallas as well.
"If you have a passion to write, just do it! Don't let anyone stop you; always learn, always grow." - Dallas Walsh
Thank you Dallas for sharing your series, "One Day at a Time" with us!
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