Nicole Stevenson??™s Weekly Column

Fireside Chat ??“ Featuring ??“ Barbara Carpenter

May 31, 2005

 Writing Is Comfort

By  Nicole M. Stevenson

             Barbara Carpenter does a great job of telling a story, she opens up and it seems the words form a perfect tale of truth and comfortness. she was born in  between the two small towns of Oxly and  Doniphan, MO later moved to  Southern Illinois after World War II.published in Reader's Digest, several newspapers and local periodicals; and her first novel Starlight, Starbright...,was published in 2003

Can you share with us a little about this story below I have displayed a portion of it what was happening in this piece?

???Don??™t. Please, don??™t.  There??™s no point??¦.???  Her words sounded desperate to her own ears.  With one step, he stood close to her.  She shook her head in denial when his fingers closed around her upper arm.  Gently, he turned her to face him.   She lifted her head.

When I was thirteen/fourteen years old, I had a terrible crush on a distant relative, fourth or fifth cousin, who was nearly ten years older than I.  I never forgot that hopeless, "too young" feeling.  I began to think of "what ifs": what if a girl like that grows up to discover that the unattainable older man had thought about her, too?  What if they were to meet years later and discover a real passion, still unattainable?  What if the extent of that passion would be one toe-curling, unforgettable kiss?  Voila!  That's how the story developed.

How long  would you say that you have been writing well?

Writing "well?"  I'm still working on that one!  I've written nearly all my life, from the age of nine.  In the fourth grade, I wrote stories with my friends as characters.  I'm still doing that!  In Starlight, Starbright... there are characters based upon some of those same friends, with their permission, of course.  Actually, the writing improved when I joined a writer's roundtable seventeen years ago. 

Where did you attend school?

I attended many schools: three grade schools, two high schools, and some college, after I had been married for twenty years.

Did you ever take any writing courses?

I did take some Composition and Creative Writing college courses.  Much to my surprise and delight, the writing instructor told me that I "didn't need any held from him."  Talk about an ego booster!

What do you think would be the success of most writers?

Just doing it!  The more writing we do, the BETTER writing we do.  First, though, comes reading.  I believe that good writers were and are avid readers.   I've read thousands of books, and I have stacks of books on my "unread" shelves.   A writer must develop his/her own style, and that comes with time and getting a sense of what feels right. The most important thing is to write what you know, write from your own heart and soul, and with your own voice.

In your own words describe you writing?

I see pictures when I write.  It's like watching a movie progress upon the screen.  I actually see and become the characters, even the horrible ones!  It's as if I'm inside their heads; I know how they think.  The constant question in my mind is the "what if" I mentioned.  What really thrills me is when the characters decide to take over the story...I know that sounds a little "twilight zone-ish."  Sometimes a story goes in a direction I didn't intend, as if it has a mind of its own.....   Style?  I might tend to get a little too descriptive occasionally, but mostly I write what I like to read.

What area if any have you thought of trying?

There are some thriller mysteries floating around in my head, and I've thought about play/screen writing.    Currently I'm working on the third and final book of the Starlight series.  When I finish it, I'll probably start rewriting and editing the three other novels that began when I was in the writers' group.

Who was your inspiration?

Many!  Ben Ames Williams turned out some great books, and I discovered him while I was in high school.  Agnes Sligh Turnbull was another prolific historical novelist I admired.   I still look for copies of her books in second-hand bookstores.  I had some wonderful teachers who praised my written efforts, and they encouraged me to keep writing.  Mostly, I think my inspiration comes from looking at my shelves filled with books.  I described my love of writing once as "a love affair with the written word," something that makes me smile and sometimes laugh aloud.

www.warmfuzzystories.com

www.Storytime_Tapestries.com

www.2theheart.com

www.weavingsmallwisdoms.com

www.starfish@ripplemaker.com

www.sanddollar.com

www.insightoftheday.com  

www.womenwithheart.com

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      If you would like to be featured in an upcoming interview, please contact me as soon as possible.  The positions are filling up fast.  You don??™t want to be left out in the cold.

winterose@videotron.ca   

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