CAROL HENRY
Notes:
· I took an early retirement (I was 54 ½), with the express plans to travel and write full time.
· I already had an office at home, so I was still getting up between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m., making coffee and going to my office to write.
· Now, as well as my computer set up in my office, I have a laptop I can take out on the deck or in the gazebo and write. Sometimes in the winter I set it up in the living room where there is plenty of light and no distractions from my cluttered office – organized, but cluttered.
· I go on mini-retreats in the winter to write (usually North Myrtle Beach), but sometimes my critique partners and I get together and have a writing weekend at my place – a sleepover. And my laptop goes with me when we travel locally. I no longer take it with me when we travel internationally. HOW MUCH AND WHAT KIND OG WRITING WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU RETIRED? I had already joined the national organization – Romance Writers of America, and had written (badly) a couple novels that will never see the light of day. I also joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and belonged to the Cornell Editor’s Group. After retiring, I started a local chapter of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators in Vestal and the turn out was phenomenal. I joined the Southern Tier Authors of Romance, a local chapter of Romance Writers of America and in 2003 became President. I also joined one of the local book clubs here in Candor. And, I was very active in several other organizations in the Candor community, and am still the historian, with several other history books that I wrote for the Candor Historical Society. In 2008 I published Images of America: Candor through Arcadia Publishing, and my romantic suspense adventure Amazon Connection was released in May 2009 through The Wild Rose Press. Reviews have been great (check my website). Having to edit two books at the same time was very time consuming, a bit stressful, but very rewarding. Of course life doesn’t stand still at my house while I’m writing, editing, attending conferences, or meetings. I have three married children and grandchildren that live close by who keep me and my husband busy. Setting a writing schedule flies out the window on more than one occasion. But I spend a lot of time plotting and thinking through scenes before I sit down to write. HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY WRITING WORKSHOPS? IF SO, IN WHAT CONTEXT? I took a couple of correspondence writing course through the Institute of Children’s Literature early on while I was still working. A great confidence builder. I took a class through Cornell Adult University and two additional classes in writing at Cornell while I worked there. They were great confidence builders. I attended conferences, workshops, and even taught adult education classes, workshops for elementary children, and was funded by Poets and Writers to teach a series of workshops on ‘Beyond the Basics’ of novel writing. Workshops and conferences are a mainstay of any writer -- beginner or otherwise. Romance Writers of America holds annual conferences filled with hundreds of workshops, sessions where you meet other authors, editors, agents, and learn about the business of writing. Since retiring, I’ve attended their annual conferences in NYC, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and plan to attend this year’s conference in Nashville, TN. I’ve taken on-line writing workshops, some of which are offered through the Southern Tier Authors of Romance chapter (which I coordinate). These conference and workshops offer anything from the craft of writing, the business of writing, publishing, research, career, writer’s life, and the writer’s muse. Attending conferences provides the opportunity to meet face to face with editors and agents where you can pitch your novel to them, meet other writers just starting out, as well as major authors that have reached the best seller lists and beyond. It can be overwhelming for a beginner, but the inspiration and knowledge you walk away with is amazing. I wish I could say there was one, or even two authors who inspired me. From an early age we always had books at our house. Always. My mother had each one of us (5) enrolled in a book club, and it was nothing to go to the library and scan the shelves for Nancy Drew, The Dana Girls, Trixie Belden, and others. When I first started working at Cornell it was at Olin Library and I frequented the crime club selection shelf weekly. I read a lot of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. Later, I was introduced to romance novels and pardon the pun, ‘fell in love’ with them, too. Their happily ever afters. There were several authors that I enjoyed, one of my all time favorites is Debbie Macomber, although she didn’t write romantic suspense. And I have to say that my romance novel Amazon Connection didn’t start out to be a suspense adventure. But looking back, I’m not surprised that my love of a cozy mystery turned my writing around. And with much success. Amazon Connection, is a lighter version of the mysteries I used to read, although considered more of a suspense, I focus more on the adventure. Right now I’m working on China Connection, another light romantic suspense adventure. Travel Writing. My husband and I lived in Germany for three years while he was the service when we were first married. We traveled extensively throughout Europe. Got the travel bug. When we came home it took awhile building our house, and raising our family, being involved in community service. But the travel bug was strong and we started traveling across the states and to then other countries. Did a few cruises. I wanted to share my experiences with others, so I started small with travelogues for local papers, then branched out to bigger papers, and magazines. I now write for several cruise ships such as Princess Cruises, Holland America, Radisson 7-Seas Style, Windstar Sophisticate, P&O Wave, and Seabourn Club Herald, all deluxe in-cabin books/magazines found in all the staterooms on board. I’ve reported on locations in China, the Amazon, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Estonia, to name a few. This year we are off to Egypt. To backtrack, having the small travel articles to submit to other journals as ‘tear’ sheets, helped land the bigger commissions. Of course, the topic and ‘writing’ helps. When I first started writing travel features (smaller ones), I was docked for every grammar error they had to correct (which, thankfully weren’t many), but I soon made sure I edited my work before submitting it. One word of advice for any writer, especially the young still in school – pay attention in English class. Although that wasn’t a big problem for me, in editing and judging contests and manuscripts I’ve found the ‘technical’ aspect of writing doesn’t come so easily for many. Romance Writing wasn’t so easy. I’ve always finished reading a book no matter how badly written. I have this thing about ‘finishing’ what I start. But one day I just couldn’t bring myself to get through chapter three in a romance novel and literally threw it against the wall. In my mind I started writing words – bits and pieces of a novel, and decided I could do better. After high school I had begun to write character sketches, but I threw them away, not yet being serious about writing or even thinking about becoming a writer. Of course, my first two novels that I thought I could do better at were great examples of how not to write. I knew they weren’t written well, but I didn’t know how to fix them, that’s when I started going to workshops, conferences. After retiring and joined Southern Tier Authors of Romance, I found myself a couple of great critique partners. Yes, to all of the above. Submitting to journals was easier then submitting to agents or editors. It’s still hard, especially with today’s market and economy. Everyone is downsizing, and it’s harder for new authors to break in. E-publishers have become a writer’s dream, especially if they also do books in print. Attending conferences where you have the opportunity to sit down and talk to an editor or agents increases your chances of getting your work looked at instead of it sitting in a slush pile somewhere. Contests are a different kettle of fish. Depending on the contest and why you’re entering it, they can be invaluable. If you’re looking for feedback, then it’s easier to take the criticism. I’ve been on the other end of the spectrum and have judged many contests – and have learned a lot. The best contests are those who do provided constructive feedback. I always try to be positive and encouraging when I judge someone’s work, even if it leave a lot to be desired. I think about my two manuscripts buried somewhere deep within my office. We all have to start somewhere. Wring for Journals is usually a shorter turnaround time. Give me a deadline, and I’m there. I’ve always worked better under deadline. But I do stress about the results, and am constantly reading and rereading and reworking my travel features. As well as my novels. My novels are more difficult because you need a bigger block of time to read through 200 – 300 pages in one sitting because you’re editing as you go. No matter how much you like your story and want to share it with the world, it’s hard to let it go when the deadline arrives. And always humbling when you get changes back from your editor! But the upside is when you get great reviews. Or when people you know love your work and can’t wait for more. I’ve been called an ‘image wizard’, placing readers smack dab in the middle of the rainforest as if they were trekking along with my characters. How great is that?
Before I retired from the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University, I was also writing Human Interest and/or historical articles for several weekly newspapers. I was the Secretary for the Tioga County Bicentennial Celebration in 1990 - 91 and wrote a chapter for the history book Seasons of Change. From there I continued to write local history features, and I had already begun writing travel features for Travel News International, and Porthole Cruise Magazine. I became historian for the Town and Village of Candor about five years before I retired in December 2000, and wrote and published a book on The Village of Candor—Yesterday and Today, for Candor’s Centennial Celebration in 2000.
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF A WRITING GROUP BEFORE YOU RETIRED?
After the Tioga County’s Bicentennial, the Editor for the Owego Pennysaver Press and I started a writers group, which I run to this day. Instead of meeting in Owego, we now meet in Candor, the first Wednesday of the Month at the Candor Free Library. It’s a multi-genre group of about 12 where writers come from several counties including Tompkins, Tioga, Broome, and Chemung. It’s open to all writers over the age of 18, from beginners to accomplished writing skills.
WAS THERE AN AUTHOR (OR AUTHORS) WHOM YOU READ WHO LED YOU TO SAY, "I WANT TO WRITE."?
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED ON TRAVEL WRITING? ON ROMANCE WRITING?
DID YOU SUBMIT WORK TO JOURNALS? TO AGENTS? TO CONTESTS?
WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT WRITING? ABOUT WRITING FOR PUBLICATION?
I’d have to say finding the blocks of time needed to concentrate without interruption is my most difficult thing about writing. I’m lucky in as much as I use my experiences travelling to lean on when writing fiction, which makes it easier in some sense. For example, in Amazon Connection, the beginning scene with my hero and heroine is an alligator hunt at night scene, which pushes the heroine’s comfort level. I experienced that exact scene when we were in the Amazon. Of course as a travel writer I do a bit of research while writing my features, as well as having been to the location to have that research on hand when I wrote Amazon Connection, made it fun to write. Finding a current event that is taking place in the location you’re writing about (such as a pipeline going through the rainforest) gives the plot something concrete to work around. I guess I combine my craft of writing history and with creating fiction.