About Carla Trueheart:
Carla Trueheart is a New England-based writer who holds certificates in poetry, romance writing, copyediting, forensic science writing, historical fiction writing, and writing for young adults. She has studied writing at Gotham Writers’ Workshop and The Writers Studio, and is currently working toward completion of her BA in Creative Writing and English through Southern New Hampshire University. She has worked as submissions editor for various online publications, and her poetry and short stories have been featured in such online magazines as The Litchfield Literary Review. Recently she was awarded a Certificate of Distinction in Academic Writing, and she is a proud member of The National Society of Leadership and Success.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by other writers. I’m an avid reader and this helps so much with the writing process in general. Sometimes I’ll be inspired by great poetry as well, but mostly my favorite novelists. Some of my favorites include J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Katherine Howe, Dan Brown, Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a “pantser” as they say. I get a general idea and go with it, but at some point in the writing process, I usually break out a notepad and start putting puzzle pieces together. Research is important as well — I don’t think you can write a great book without incredible research on your subject. I don’t create character sketches because I prefer when characters evolve naturally. Plot is usually a good indicator of what kind of character I’ll be working with, so I go from there. I can be ridiculous about names, though. I’m always on baby-naming websites, which always leads people to the wrong conclusions!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Most of my character writing happens away from the keyboard. My characters are very active in my mind and usually don’t let me fall asleep or do chores. It’s important to me that I get a good character voice, so I pay attention to what my characters do in scenes, especially the ones that have not played out yet. My characters are not based on real people, although many are based on my favorite fictional characters.
What advice would you give other writers?
Read. It seems silly, but the best advice is to read as much as you can. It’s especially helpful to read outside of your genre. I’m not a romance novelist, but because I use romantic elements in my stories, it’s helpful to read a good romance novel here and there. Also, sometimes you’ll find that you like a book outside of your genre.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
After trying for years to land a literary agent, I sent my manuscript to a publishing house on my own. To my surprise, I received an email on Christmas Eve, offering me a publishing contract. Literary agents wanted to change my story and characters, so that wasn’t the best starting point for me. With self-publishing, unfortunately, you don’t get a professional editor or any marketing help. The best decision I made was to try to find a traditional publishing house on my own, so that’s the advice I would give a new writer.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the self-publishing explosion will die off soon and many writers will go back to traditional publishers. I also think e-books will continue to stick around, but the print book will too. At least I hope so. I love the smell of a print book.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Young Adult
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Carla Trueheart Home Page Link
Link To Carla Trueheart Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
