Here's another installment of Inside the Writer's Mind with Carol Moreira, author of Charged and Membrane. Along with this interview, Carol has graciously offered an ebook copy of her book, Membrane to one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this blog post telling me what the main character's name in Membrane who comes from a parallel universe. The giveaway will run from August 14th to August 15th. I will let the winner know on August 16th. Good luck!
Well, enough chit chat. I know you're dying to read the interview and get your answer for the giveaway.
Welcome, Carol, to
Inside the Writer's Mind. I'll be asking you some questions, sort of
picking your brain a little bit to get to know you as an author. Thank you for
joining me. Ready?
Same DiNamics: Writing
can be a daunting prospect, what made you decide to share your story with the
world?
Carol Moreira: I think
most writers write because they feel a strong need to – writers love writing
(well, most of the time) and it’s how they make sense of the world. That’s
probably my main motivation, but in the case of Membrane I
believed the story was interesting and relevant to teens and stuck with it
until it worked.
SD: Who has influenced
you as an author?
CM: Many, many
writers, from dead greats like E.M. Forster and Jane Austen, to modern
novelists like Alan Bradley, Yann Martel and non-fiction writer Susan Casey. I
also gain a lot of influence and ideas from other art forms, nature and life in
general.
SD: What is your
writing method? Do you outline first or do you purge your brain on paper until
your story is told?
CM: I purge my brain on
paper! But I’m finding that method is as messy and time-consuming as it sounds,
so I’m trying to plan a little more. It can be hard to get the balance between
letting your mind be free and deciding what you’re trying to do with a
particular story. I get my best ideas while walking my dog, Nikki then rush
back to my computer to get things down. I think freeing the mind with other
activities or a change of scene boosts creativity. I don’t believe in sweating
it out at the screen all the time.
SD: How long does it
take you to write your story, from getting it down on paper to publishing?
SD: Can you tell me a
little bit about Charged and Membrane without giving away too much? Why should I read them?
CM: Charged is a short novel set in Nova Scotia, Canada,
and it’s basically about a romance that develops between two long-term guy/girl
friends who are both having hard times at home. Membrane is
about TOT, a girl from Nova Scotia, who passes through the membrane that
separates our world from a parallel world where she meets P, her double who is
far more confident, accomplished and attractive than TOT Is. TOT’s been bullied
and suffers anxiety and she’s pretty intimidated by her double. The story is primarily
about becoming happy in your own skin, but it’s also a fantasy with a
fast-paced plot in which the girls, who become friends, have to resist threats
from beings from several universes. I like to think the characters are engaging
and the plot unusual.
SD: How much of
yourself is in your character(s)?
CM: I think when I
start to write there’s quite a bit of me in many of my characters – at least in
the early scenes when the kernel of the character is developing, but that
diminishes as the characters and stories develop.
SD: What advice would
you give to an aspiring author?
CM: Read and write as
much and as widely as possible. Also, join a writers’ organization – these can
be great sources of support and knowledge – and find a group of writing buddies
so you can get in the habit of receiving and giving constructive
criticism.
SD: Is there anything
else that you'd like to share?
CM: I began writing Membrane after
reading The Universe Next Door by Marcus Chown in which he
writes that some physicists believe there may be an infinite number of parallel
universes in which there are an infinite number of versions of each of us
living out parallel lives. I found that a fascinating and slightly creepy idea.
It’s interesting how real life, real news, real science, inspire us… Thanks for
the chance to share my work!
~End Interview~
I enjoy reading books that have messages in them and leave us thinking afterwards about life and the wonderful mysteries of this amazing universe we live in. Stories like this tend to strike everyone differently and makes us think about things in different yet similar ways.
*Don't forget to leave a comment telling me the main character's name in Membrane who comes from a parallel universe to enter the giveaway to win an ebook copy of Membrane.*
Thank you for joining us in Inside the Writer's Mind.
About Carol:
Carol Moreira is an award-winning journalist based in St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia. Her debut novel, the young adult book Charged, was published by James Lorimer in 2008. She is currently editor of the business news site www.entrevestor.com, run by her husband, as well as editor of Celtic Life International magazine.
You can find her on: Facebook; Twitter; and Goodreads.
About Carol:
Carol Moreira is an award-winning journalist based in St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia. Her debut novel, the young adult book Charged, was published by James Lorimer in 2008. She is currently editor of the business news site www.entrevestor.com, run by her husband, as well as editor of Celtic Life International magazine.
You can find her on: Facebook; Twitter; and Goodreads.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :-)