About Carly M. Duncan:
Carly M. Duncan is a television producer and writer. Working in television, she has prolifically created visual narratives for more than a decade for networks including TLC, Discovery Health, MTV, NatGeo, Travel Channel, FYI and more.
Her writing career officially began when one of her short stories, First Place, was published when she was a high school student in California. Her first two novels, Marcie and Behind You, are mysteries that touch on family bonds and the events that can strengthen or destroy them.
Her third novel, The Last Dinner Party, introduces a pair of female detectives who will return in future stories. In addition, she is a mentor and editor to other writers as well as an avid reader. Her favorite authors include Agatha Christie and Stephen King.
Carly lives in New York with her husband and two daughters.
What inspires you to write?
I get inspired to write by observing every day events. I like to study people and if I see a glimpse of something I think is interesting I try to build out a scenario from there. I always know my ending first before I truly dive in.
Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process is truly that. A PROCESS. I do many drafts. First, I outline very roughly the beats I want to hit in the story. I approach chapters in the same basic way, and then I go back through adding detail and fixing the things that must be adjusted as the story changed itself along the way. I set a schedule of due dates for myself, and I hold myself to them. Since I’m competitive, this works for me. I don’t want to let myself down. So if I owe myself two chapters by the end of the week, you better believe I’m gonna make it happen. Sometimes it doesn’t, and I try to be flexible with myself, but mostly I try to stick to my deadlines and keep the journey goal oriented.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
When I’m writing my characters I think about what I want them to do next and I try to be certain that that’s actually something they might do. My biggest changes when I go through different drafts of my writing are adjusting dialogue because I don’t believe the words I’ve made my characters say. It’s important to pay attention to their motivation at all times and try to do them justice.
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advice I can offer for other writers is to just do it. Writing can require a lot of courage even to merely begin a project and it’s so important to start. Just start. I would also add that the writing process is sometimes difficult, but it’s like anything else. If you work at it, if you flex those muscles, than it will come. Your stories will flourish, but you have to give writing the attention and commitment that helps your stories advance.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, so by the natural progression of things I decided to publish. It was either that or to have a bunch of manuscripts laying around and I didn’t want that. I wanted a chance to share my stories and characters with readers who might enjoy them. (Sharing is scary though.)
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Is this something I should have a serious opinion about? I think people will always have stories and that one way or another we’ll figure out a way to publish our work to the world. There better be a future, anyway, because I’m an avid reader and I need company on my commute to work.
What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Fiction, Mystery
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Carly M. Duncan Home Page Link
Link To Carly M. Duncan Page On Amazon
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.
