Q&A with Caroline
For Q&A about a specific novel click on the link:
|
The Creative Process
One of my graduated students asked to interview me for her university assignment on The Creative Process. (I hope you got an A+, Angelica!)
It's long… but here's the interview in case you have similar questions.
How would you define creativity and/ or a person who is creative?
Creativity is soul language. For some, that is expressed in words, for others it's music or sculpture, food, fashion, construction, or home decor. Anything, really. So long as it resonates with that inner part of ourselves. We are all creative, but some people are better at expressing that soul language than others. People who think they aren't creative, simply haven't found their form and voice yet.
What inspired you to start writing?
I always loved writing as a way of expressing my inner thoughts. I kept a diary since I was a little kid. I wrote letters every month to my grandparents in Ireland. I found that writing gave me the chance to express what I really meant... and at times to even discover it through the process of putting it on paper.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I am inspired by great books. Ones that grab me and draw me in. Usually, they tend to be ones with strong characters and authentic voices. If a character evokes empathy in me, I feel their story and experiences with them. It also happens with in real life. I love people watching. I like to analyze what makes other people tick. What makes them say and do the things they do? What's their story?
Do you have any unfinished work or do you always feel the need to finish a story?
I have several novels in progress. They're all at different stages of completion, but I will finish them. Having said that, I never feel quite finished with a story, even after it's been published. I keep coming up with things I could've done to make it even better.
What's the hardest thing for you to write about and what is the easiest?
The easiest things for me to write about are my own personal experiences, fears, and thoughts. The hardest thing to write about are those very same things IF I am worrying about what people will think when they read them. I care too much about what my friends and family think of me and I'd hate to write scenarios that betrayed their privacy. Their personalities inspire me... but not everyone wants it printed in a novel, right?
How many, if any, of your books/stories are based on real life events?
All of my books are based on historical research and first hand accounts of people living through those circumstances. Egghead and Greener Grass would be the two so far that are initially inspired by my experiences. I saw a friend from elementary school being bullied and I did nothing to stop it. That mix of emotions fuelled Katie's character in Egghead, but the story is complete fiction based on bullying research. I also emigrated from Ireland and had that clash of cultures and longing for home. My mother, especially, never settled in Canada and always felt ripped away from her home in Ireland. Kit personal journey during her losses are rooted in my own -- our "losses" are very different, but our questions and doubts are the same: where is God when bad things happen? What did I do to deserve this? Where does hope come from? Those emotions fuelled Kit's character in Greener Grass, but Kit's famine experiences all come from actual events that happened to thousands of Irish during that time.
Is your writing more abstract or do you prefer to follow structure?
Do you keep a creative journal with you?
I start with research. A specific time or event. I read as much as I can about it and start to put people into the mix. What would it have been like to be there? I've compared it to making a stew -- throwing in all these different facts and historical details and letting it simmer in my right brain for several months. Lots of wild ideas come to the surface and I scribble them in my journal, where I don't mind writing stuff that is messy or ridiculous. I write questions. I doodle. I write snippets of conversation or describe a scene that might be powerful. During this time, I keep my journal with me. I get the craziest stuff pop up at the strangest moments, and if I don't write it down, it's gone.
The structure comes once I've figured out when and who I want to write about. Then I worry about "making sense." I start to logically think through the plot in terms of chronological order (i.e. the planting/harvest timelines in Greener Grass, or school year in Egghead), the character motivation, the possible links to the powerful scenes I'd imagined. I think about how the character needs to change and what would make that happen. It's like putting a big puzzle together and some pieces only emerge as I am writing.
What brainstorm ideas work best for you?
The process above is the one that works best for me so far. I've used it for Greener Grass, Wild Geese, Timber Wolf and the two books I'm working on now. It works best because they are historical fiction and require a lot of research. So by the time I've done the research, lots of story ideas have simmered away and I basically transcribe it onto the page. The writing of the novel itself doesn't take long -- maybe 6 months -- because of all the thinking I'd done while researching. If I go back to writing straight fiction (rather than historical fiction) I will have to find another way to fill the pot and let it simmer, I guess.
How long have you been writing and what has changed in your writing from when you first started?
I've been writing in diaries and letters since I was in grade 4. I think my writing has improved.... God, I hope it has! :)
I try to use some strategy or unique structure with each novel as a way of improving and challenging myself. I'm always reading about creative writing and analyzing the novels I read. They give me ideas of different ways to tell the story. For example, Egghead had multiple points of view because I read Flipped and it had freeverse because of those freeverse novels I'd been reading at the time. Greener Grass and Wild Geese follows a lot of the insights I learned about character flaws and drives from Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. What 3 things are most important to your m/c? Now take each one away. While writing Timber Wolf, I was trying to go one step deeper than the adventure novels like Hatchet and Never Cry Wolf and have an inner journey that paralleled Jack's outer journey from isolation in the wild to belonging in the community. Into the Wild was a great inspiration for that. I also played around with flashback a lot in that novel and for the first time wrote a story that wasn't linear. Now I'm trying to write based on the hero's journey and use the archetypes I love so much in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Who knew I was such a nerd? (ok, ya, probably anyone that knows me!)
Did you always know you had a creative side?
How did you know you were a creative writer and not a creative artist or composer?
My father is an artist and musician and always affirmed my creativity... even when it was crappy macaroni art. I still do artistic things, especially for a month or two between big projects as a way to refresh myself. I love poetry, drawing, painting, and photography. I love dancing and listening to music. I can play guitar, but I don't really enjoy it -- and I'm not that good at it. I think in images more than melodies.
What environment do you prefer to work in?
Silence. Lots of it. For extended periods. It's a bit challenging with a family, especially at the beginning when I wrote Egghead while running a daycare and raising my own babies. But now my family will give me the day to be in the zone. Probably because I take them on trips with my book advances. ;)
Is there a pattern you follow when writing?
I kind of mentioned it above -- I start with research. I jot down scenes that pop into my head. And once I have the voice of the main character, I let him or her just start talking. Most of the time that is the opening lines to the book. I hear them and think... ooooh, that's the start! I almost had a car accident one time because I had to pull over and write it down right away!
Do you ever get inspiration from within the writing class you teach?
Yes. All the time. Not so much inspiration in terms of topics, but more initiative and enthusiasm. Young people are full of potential and possibility, especially grade 12. It's a beginning and an ending all at the same time. Their passion for writing and for life inspires me.
Do you work well with a deadline? Why or why not?
Deadlines stress the hell out of me. I have a book due May 31st and I haven't even started the writing yet. I'm still researching and simmering. But I think without a deadline I would simmer forever. Deadlines make me choose to sit down and get'er done rather than the 101 things I could procrastinate with.
How do you deal with writer's block?
More research -- maybe I don't know enough about the time or place yet. More simmering, perhaps?
More time getting to know my character -- if I know him/her really well, I will know what they'd do in any situation.
I got six chapters in to Timber Wolf when Mahingan the Algonquin boy shows up and I hit a wall. I had no idea how he dressed, how he spoke, what his backstory was... I had to leave the novel for a few months and research Algonquin culture in great depth. I read novels written by First Nation authors to get the voice, visited the museum, and I found an expert on Algonquin traditions to approve/proof what I eventually did write to make sure I'd done it accurately. With all that in my tool kit, I had no problem writing him when I sat down to do it later on.
Do you write based on memories, feelings or events that might not have anything to do with you?
Yes, in the sense that they are not "me" but I'd say every character has something to do with me. They are all seen through my empathy and imagination. What I choose to notice or show about them, tells a lot about my own personal views, sometimes in deep ways that even I don't realize. If a psychologist analyzed my work, he or she could probably identify themes or issues that I dwell upon.
Have there been any major events in your life that has helped with your creativity?
I don't think I am more creative than I was back before I was published, but I am more confident in my creativity and more willing to take creative risks.
Teaching writing has helped me to stay focussed on what's most important about writing... actually writing. Because writing is also a "business" and my novels are "products" to be sold there is a chance that I'd sacrifice creativity for what sells. But teaching Writer's Craft keeps me grounded in the love of writing and the meat and potatoes of it. It also pays my bills so I don't feel as much pressure to treat my art like a product.
All the events, both positive and negative, in my life feed my creativity. Some take longer for me to process -- like my miscarriage. But eventually, they show in my work in some small way. I also think my creativity feeds my life events. Writing a poem about that loss... a poem no one else has ever read... was a huge step in the healing for me.
Life and creativity feed each other. It's a healthy dynamic -- which is why I feel that we are all called to be creative in some way.
It's long… but here's the interview in case you have similar questions.
How would you define creativity and/ or a person who is creative?
Creativity is soul language. For some, that is expressed in words, for others it's music or sculpture, food, fashion, construction, or home decor. Anything, really. So long as it resonates with that inner part of ourselves. We are all creative, but some people are better at expressing that soul language than others. People who think they aren't creative, simply haven't found their form and voice yet.
What inspired you to start writing?
I always loved writing as a way of expressing my inner thoughts. I kept a diary since I was a little kid. I wrote letters every month to my grandparents in Ireland. I found that writing gave me the chance to express what I really meant... and at times to even discover it through the process of putting it on paper.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I am inspired by great books. Ones that grab me and draw me in. Usually, they tend to be ones with strong characters and authentic voices. If a character evokes empathy in me, I feel their story and experiences with them. It also happens with in real life. I love people watching. I like to analyze what makes other people tick. What makes them say and do the things they do? What's their story?
Do you have any unfinished work or do you always feel the need to finish a story?
I have several novels in progress. They're all at different stages of completion, but I will finish them. Having said that, I never feel quite finished with a story, even after it's been published. I keep coming up with things I could've done to make it even better.
What's the hardest thing for you to write about and what is the easiest?
The easiest things for me to write about are my own personal experiences, fears, and thoughts. The hardest thing to write about are those very same things IF I am worrying about what people will think when they read them. I care too much about what my friends and family think of me and I'd hate to write scenarios that betrayed their privacy. Their personalities inspire me... but not everyone wants it printed in a novel, right?
How many, if any, of your books/stories are based on real life events?
All of my books are based on historical research and first hand accounts of people living through those circumstances. Egghead and Greener Grass would be the two so far that are initially inspired by my experiences. I saw a friend from elementary school being bullied and I did nothing to stop it. That mix of emotions fuelled Katie's character in Egghead, but the story is complete fiction based on bullying research. I also emigrated from Ireland and had that clash of cultures and longing for home. My mother, especially, never settled in Canada and always felt ripped away from her home in Ireland. Kit personal journey during her losses are rooted in my own -- our "losses" are very different, but our questions and doubts are the same: where is God when bad things happen? What did I do to deserve this? Where does hope come from? Those emotions fuelled Kit's character in Greener Grass, but Kit's famine experiences all come from actual events that happened to thousands of Irish during that time.
Is your writing more abstract or do you prefer to follow structure?
Do you keep a creative journal with you?
I start with research. A specific time or event. I read as much as I can about it and start to put people into the mix. What would it have been like to be there? I've compared it to making a stew -- throwing in all these different facts and historical details and letting it simmer in my right brain for several months. Lots of wild ideas come to the surface and I scribble them in my journal, where I don't mind writing stuff that is messy or ridiculous. I write questions. I doodle. I write snippets of conversation or describe a scene that might be powerful. During this time, I keep my journal with me. I get the craziest stuff pop up at the strangest moments, and if I don't write it down, it's gone.
The structure comes once I've figured out when and who I want to write about. Then I worry about "making sense." I start to logically think through the plot in terms of chronological order (i.e. the planting/harvest timelines in Greener Grass, or school year in Egghead), the character motivation, the possible links to the powerful scenes I'd imagined. I think about how the character needs to change and what would make that happen. It's like putting a big puzzle together and some pieces only emerge as I am writing.
What brainstorm ideas work best for you?
The process above is the one that works best for me so far. I've used it for Greener Grass, Wild Geese, Timber Wolf and the two books I'm working on now. It works best because they are historical fiction and require a lot of research. So by the time I've done the research, lots of story ideas have simmered away and I basically transcribe it onto the page. The writing of the novel itself doesn't take long -- maybe 6 months -- because of all the thinking I'd done while researching. If I go back to writing straight fiction (rather than historical fiction) I will have to find another way to fill the pot and let it simmer, I guess.
How long have you been writing and what has changed in your writing from when you first started?
I've been writing in diaries and letters since I was in grade 4. I think my writing has improved.... God, I hope it has! :)
I try to use some strategy or unique structure with each novel as a way of improving and challenging myself. I'm always reading about creative writing and analyzing the novels I read. They give me ideas of different ways to tell the story. For example, Egghead had multiple points of view because I read Flipped and it had freeverse because of those freeverse novels I'd been reading at the time. Greener Grass and Wild Geese follows a lot of the insights I learned about character flaws and drives from Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. What 3 things are most important to your m/c? Now take each one away. While writing Timber Wolf, I was trying to go one step deeper than the adventure novels like Hatchet and Never Cry Wolf and have an inner journey that paralleled Jack's outer journey from isolation in the wild to belonging in the community. Into the Wild was a great inspiration for that. I also played around with flashback a lot in that novel and for the first time wrote a story that wasn't linear. Now I'm trying to write based on the hero's journey and use the archetypes I love so much in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Who knew I was such a nerd? (ok, ya, probably anyone that knows me!)
Did you always know you had a creative side?
How did you know you were a creative writer and not a creative artist or composer?
My father is an artist and musician and always affirmed my creativity... even when it was crappy macaroni art. I still do artistic things, especially for a month or two between big projects as a way to refresh myself. I love poetry, drawing, painting, and photography. I love dancing and listening to music. I can play guitar, but I don't really enjoy it -- and I'm not that good at it. I think in images more than melodies.
What environment do you prefer to work in?
Silence. Lots of it. For extended periods. It's a bit challenging with a family, especially at the beginning when I wrote Egghead while running a daycare and raising my own babies. But now my family will give me the day to be in the zone. Probably because I take them on trips with my book advances. ;)
Is there a pattern you follow when writing?
I kind of mentioned it above -- I start with research. I jot down scenes that pop into my head. And once I have the voice of the main character, I let him or her just start talking. Most of the time that is the opening lines to the book. I hear them and think... ooooh, that's the start! I almost had a car accident one time because I had to pull over and write it down right away!
Do you ever get inspiration from within the writing class you teach?
Yes. All the time. Not so much inspiration in terms of topics, but more initiative and enthusiasm. Young people are full of potential and possibility, especially grade 12. It's a beginning and an ending all at the same time. Their passion for writing and for life inspires me.
Do you work well with a deadline? Why or why not?
Deadlines stress the hell out of me. I have a book due May 31st and I haven't even started the writing yet. I'm still researching and simmering. But I think without a deadline I would simmer forever. Deadlines make me choose to sit down and get'er done rather than the 101 things I could procrastinate with.
How do you deal with writer's block?
More research -- maybe I don't know enough about the time or place yet. More simmering, perhaps?
More time getting to know my character -- if I know him/her really well, I will know what they'd do in any situation.
I got six chapters in to Timber Wolf when Mahingan the Algonquin boy shows up and I hit a wall. I had no idea how he dressed, how he spoke, what his backstory was... I had to leave the novel for a few months and research Algonquin culture in great depth. I read novels written by First Nation authors to get the voice, visited the museum, and I found an expert on Algonquin traditions to approve/proof what I eventually did write to make sure I'd done it accurately. With all that in my tool kit, I had no problem writing him when I sat down to do it later on.
Do you write based on memories, feelings or events that might not have anything to do with you?
Yes, in the sense that they are not "me" but I'd say every character has something to do with me. They are all seen through my empathy and imagination. What I choose to notice or show about them, tells a lot about my own personal views, sometimes in deep ways that even I don't realize. If a psychologist analyzed my work, he or she could probably identify themes or issues that I dwell upon.
Have there been any major events in your life that has helped with your creativity?
I don't think I am more creative than I was back before I was published, but I am more confident in my creativity and more willing to take creative risks.
Teaching writing has helped me to stay focussed on what's most important about writing... actually writing. Because writing is also a "business" and my novels are "products" to be sold there is a chance that I'd sacrifice creativity for what sells. But teaching Writer's Craft keeps me grounded in the love of writing and the meat and potatoes of it. It also pays my bills so I don't feel as much pressure to treat my art like a product.
All the events, both positive and negative, in my life feed my creativity. Some take longer for me to process -- like my miscarriage. But eventually, they show in my work in some small way. I also think my creativity feeds my life events. Writing a poem about that loss... a poem no one else has ever read... was a huge step in the healing for me.
Life and creativity feed each other. It's a healthy dynamic -- which is why I feel that we are all called to be creative in some way.