 AUTHOR
PROFILE: Carolynn Carey
Author's Name: Carolynn Carey
Website: www.carolynncarey.com
Carolynn Carey is an award-winning author who writes contemporary
romance. Her debut novel is now available from Avalon Books.
New Release:
A Summer Sentence
Avalon Books
August, 2005
A SUMMER SENTENCE is the story of Megan, a city girl who’s
on her way to Chicago to pursue her dream of becoming an inner
city teacher when she has a run-in with an overzealous Tennessee
deputy and ends up in front of a conniving judge who hands down
a summer sentence of community service. Fortunately, the man who’s
ordered to monitor her service is the handsome county sheriff,
Daniel, who has his own dreams that revolve around life in the
country. An immediate attraction between the two leads to deeper
feelings, but how can Megan and Daniel reconcile their love for
each other when their dreams keep pushing them apart?
On Becoming a Writer
I don’t think I had a choice. I always wanted to write and
I worked at it off and on for many years, but life kept getting
in the way. Still, I never quit for good, even when I doubted
my own abilities. Perseverance is certainly one of the secrets
to success in this business.
If you could start again, would you do things the same way?
Probably I would, yes. I think all of us do the best we can at
any given time. Sometimes I wish I’d written more often or
taken better advantage of opportunities that slipped out of my
grasp, but, again, I think I did the best I could at the time.
You've gotten some great responses to your first published novel,
A Summer Sentence. How did that make you feel?
I am thrilled and touched to hear from readers who have read
and enjoyed my book. It’s a fantastic feeling to know you’ve
brought pleasure to someone through your writing.
Do you have a day job?
Yes, I’ve worked as an editor at the University of Tennessee
for my entire adult life.
Do you find that your experience as an editor has helped your
career?
Not really. In fact, sometimes I think my work as an academic
editor is actually detrimental to my efforts to write fiction.
My writing sometimes tends to become stilted and I have to make
a concerted effort to be less formal.
On Writing Schedules
I wish I had a writing schedule. As it is, I merely eke out a
few minutes of writing time as often as I can. Some days I don’t
write at all, but I rarely go through a day without at least giving
some thought to my WIP, either writing dialogue in my head or
plotting or whatever.
On Self-Promotion
Since I’m so newly published, self-promotion is an area
I’m just beginning to explore. I’m trying to take advantage
of opportunities to get my name out, but I think in the long run,
good writing is the best self-promotion we can do.
On Contests
Go for it. Just be aware that judging is subjective and your
scores may range from very high to very low on the same entry.
That doesn’t mean your high-scoring judge is brilliant and
your low-scoring judge is mean and wrong. Read comments from both
and pay special attention to the “mean” judge. It feels
good to have praise heaped upon your entry but suggestions for
improvements are more helpful. I’ve learned a great deal
from judges who took the time to point out areas that needed improvement
and I doubt I would be published today if I hadn’t paid attention
to what they told me.
On Rejection Letters
Getting rejected is never fun, but I try not to take it personally.
Rejection doesn’t necessarily reflect negatively on your
writing or on your story. It simply means that your story wasn’t
right for that editor on that particular day. As an editor myself,
I’ve had to reject articles for reasons that had nothing
to do with the quality of the work. Sometimes you’re simply
overstocked or have recently published a very similar article.
So when I receive a rejection letter, I file it and move on.
Works in Progress
I have another book with my editor at Avalon, but I don’t have
a contract on that one yet. Like most other newly published authors,
I’m dealing with “second book syndrome” right now,
but I’m still writing and hope to be able to announce my second
sale in the next few months.
What's been your biggest challenge as a writer?
Quite simply, the task of writing. Even after becoming published,
there’s always the thought that what we’re writing may
never be read and appreciated by anyone outside our critique group,
and that can be daunting. Perseverance is certainly one of the
secrets of the successful author.
What do you know now that you wish you had known five years
ago? Twenty-five years ago?
I wish I’d made it a point to learn more about the industry
from the very beginning of my career.
What's one thing you wish every new writer would do?
Reach out to other writers and ask for help (enter contests,
join critique groups, take an active role in your local chapter).
When I first started writing, I didn’t seek out others and
I’m convinced my journey to publication would have been much
shorter if I’d done so sooner.
Visit Carolynn online at http://www.CarolynnCarey.com
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