Questions & Answers with Carole
How long did it take you to write Second Story Woman?
I have been writing Second Story Woman for the past ten years. After my initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, I began collecting bits and pieces of information and my reactions to having this disease. Unlike my previous books on parenting, Raising Siblings…Raising Brothers and Sisters Without Raising the Roof and One Terrific Year…Supporting Your Kids Through the Ups and Downs of Their Year, this memoir did not have a clear outline in its beginning stages. It grew organically. Plus, I had to live with the disease and resulting lifestyle changes needed before I could write it whole.
Why did you write this memoir?
I started writing this memoir tentatively titled, Bicycle Girl, because I could only find books on living with type 2 diabetes that were didactic and filled with too many medical facts. I decided I would write the book I was looking for as an overwhelmed, newly diagnosed diabetic. As I lived with this disease, I gradually realized that diabetes was my metaphor to add a different kind of sweetness to my life, thus enlarging the theme for what became Second Story Woman.
Where was the photo on the cover taken?
The late fall photo on the cover was taken on an Artist Way cluster retreat held in Lakeside, Ohio. I saw the staircase and was drawn to it and other images. Click. Click. I captured image memories of a group of us on a photo safari having fun together. Five years later, sorting through my image file looking for a cover photo, I came across the stairs. It was waiting for me. I often find that images I’m attracted to later reveal themselves in new ways. In Second Story Woman, I did want to bloom like the flowers on those stairs. And, I like the idea that it was taken on an Artist Way friendship weekend.
Are you a full-time writer?
When my first book came out, my agent advised me to not quit my day job. But, I often don’t do what I told. I set up a private counseling/writing practice and enjoyed the experience of being published. Parent groups from all over the USA and Canada booked workshops on family harmony and the repetitive themes of childhood. It was fun! But my life changed and I took on a full-time, agency position. Then it changed again, and I free-lanced as a writer and speaker. And then, it changed again. Currently, I’m the Director of Senior Services for the City of Rocky River and just love my job. However, despite or during all these changes, I always saw myself as a writer. Whether it is full-time or not, I do write every day. So what’s your definition of a full-time writer?
Do you write for yourself or for publication?
Both. I can’t not write. But I don’t measure success by being published. I measure success by writing at least a paragraph plus per day.
Do you write at the computer or with pen and paper?
Both, but I prefer pen and paper. I like the flow of ink and words on paper. Anne Frank opened her diary saying: Paper is more patient than man. I agree and like the idling process of pen and paper. And, I must confess that I always relish going into an office/stationery store. It’s the best boutique in the world and I get high on trying out the pens and buying blank books to fill.