Author Interview With Stacia Carlton

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What exactly  do you write? (Fiction? Genre? Novel? Short story? Series? Technical or nonfiction? Articles? Reviews?)
Fiction, definitely fiction although I seem to be an evolving writer. I started with rom coms… they’re fun and haven’t we all had a little rom com in our lives? I see now that it’s morphing slightly. I think I still lean toward romanticism but perhaps not in the traditional sense of the word. Short stories are fun to write. In fact my current work in progress started as a short story… it simply wouldn’t stop rattling around in my brain and so I relented and am now writing it into a full novel. 

How would you describe yourself in a short third person bio?
Stacia Carlton has been a creative sort from the word go, yet sadly not particularly clever or witty when it comes to talking about herself.  She can most often be found in a slightly caustic mood. She would like to blame this on her teenage children, yet knows that really she was just born that way. She alleviates much of the crankiness with the simple pleasures of photography and gardening but mostly with writing. She also spends an inordinate amount of time at the gym, primarily so that she can eat the food she loves and drink lots and lots of lovely buttery Chardonnay, which coincidentally also helps with the sharp moods. Stacia doesn’t particularly care if she becomes a well known author but would very much like to be viewed as a respected writer.

Do you have a day-job (other than writing)?
I always joke that I run a boutique hotel catering to an exclusive clientele. One day I’ll grow up and admit that I’m a housewife trying to raise two kids into civilized humans.  That seems to be taking an awful lot more time than I had anticipated.  On the plus side, it keeps my sense of humour alive and kicking. 

What made you initially want to write? Has your motivation changed since then?
I think my motivation has remained the same on the WHY… but the HOW has changed dramatically.  I used to want to write to entertain and maybe even to rid myself of a few demons. It has changed in my approach to subject matter. Now I manipulate words more freely than I have in the past. I take much greater pride in HOW I write. It’s most liberating.

What do you think is the most important part of writing?
Doing it well.

Tell us an interesting fact about you.
I can whistle absolutely anything… seriously, any song I hear, I can mimic by whistling. Interesting? Probably not, but almost certainly annoying.

Do you prefer a physical book or an ebook? Why?
I recently ‘inherited’ a Kobo (the Canadian version of the Kindle).  I hate to admit that I doubt I’ll ever look back. The idea that I can have as many books as I could possibly imagine in one little perfectly weighted piece of touch screen technology is just too fabulous to surrender. Although when I really enjoy a book, I’ll buy it in hard copy. I guess I’d like to have a beautiful library to leave to someone one day.

Are you a self-published author/indie author or did you go down the ‘traditional’ publication route? Why? 
After much research I determined that self publishing was the right route for ANSofR. It’s a great place to get your feet wet when you’re new to the business.  I’ve learned so much in the past several months, I know when I am ready to publish my next, more serious piece, traditional publishing will seem a mountain easier to climb. I will have so much more to offer a traditional publishing house at that point.

Tell us a little about your book, A New Set Of Rules. 
A New Set of Rules is a story about a woman who finds life changing around her. She isn’t afraid but recognizes that she’ll have to adapt. It’s a story of love, of loss and of challenge and change. Oh yes, and with a liberal sprinkling of some fairly steamy sex scenes thrown in for good measure.

How long does it take you, on average, to complete a first draft?
I don’t know that a specific time frame can be quoted here.  I co-wrote a book before A NSofR which took about six months to write before I sat down to edit.  ANSofR definitely took less time but Julianne’s story had been churning away in my brain long before I sat down to actually write.  I’m learning a lot with each new piece I tackle and so my work habits are maturing, but honestly I would have to say that unless you’re writing a series which follows a similar theme, time frames for first draft will likely vary dramatically.

Which projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on something rather special right now. It’s a coming of age story. I believe that it could become a great Canadian epic. It’s quite a departure from ANSofR. It’s a piece of work that I’m very proud of and want to give it my full energy. When I need to give myself a break, or I’m at a momentary standstill on it, I amuse myself by drip feeding another novel on my blog at http://staciacarlton.com/news/ .  It’s a story of obsession… again quite a few steamy scenes, but a darker tale this time, a little less hopeful in nature, a bit more dark and sexy. 

How has writing changed your life?
It’s given me a voice.

Have you ever written under a pseudonym?
No, but I might… How does Velvet Baccarat sound? 

Where do you get inspiration for writing from? Do you listen to music whilst writing or have a ‘writing cave’?
I can’t listen to music while I write… it’s the whole whistling thing.  Writing cave? Not really, but I do need the house to be empty or at the very least, quiet.  I don’t have an office or ‘cave’ preferring open spaces. I sit at my dining room table until the weather warms sufficiently to sit on my back deck. My garden is my pride and joy. It’s gorgeous and provides calm inspiration.

Is there a particular form, style or genre that you’d like to have a go at writing? Why?
I’ve been working on my flash fiction skills. I believe that flash trains you to write lean. In the brilliant words of Mark Twain “I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have time.” Paring down to the essentials makes a much more beautiful piece of work.  I lean to the verbose, so it’s a constant struggle, one that I’m quite enjoying.

Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree (in English or another subject) in order to be a writer?
Absolutely not! Don’t even get me started on the relationship between education and creativity. A great photographer once told me “don’t get caught up in the rules” I think that lesson applies to many different forms of art.

Favourite book and/or author(s)?
I’m currently positively mad for Linden MacIntrye, a Canadian author. I am drawn to darker work than I write myself. There is an Irish writer whose work I adore, but he is not yet published.  I’ve had the honour of reading some of his work and I know that once he is published, he will become very well known. His work is brilliant… dark, brooding and oftentimes hilarious in a terrifically macabre sort of way.

What would you say to those who want to become a writer? Any advice?
Focus focus focus
Find Out More about Stacia:

@staciaEcarlton