When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was nine I decided I wanted to not just be a writer, but a child genius. So I spent the summer writing long hand on yellow legal paper the best story I could come up with (it read like a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland mash-up). About eight pages in, my opus ended with a fragment.

It was only after I finished university and started working at an inner city service agency that I realized I had this itch that could not be scratched any other way but writing. So I joined a writing group and began to develop my craft. The wisdom of age assures me I still have my best work to produce and that keeps me curiously moving forward.

Who were the authors that influenced you as a youth, and in what ways?

I read genre fiction almost exclusively. My friends waxed on about Bronte sisters and Dickens, but I was firmly in the Hardy Boys, Babysitters’ Club, Nancy Drew camp.  I loved historical romances and read reams of paper backs with dis-functional relationships and fairy tale endings.  As a writer I’ve gravitated to the counterpoint of these books, because as I’ve aged I’ve become more curious and interested in the stories that don’t always work out perfectly.

How did it feel when you got to hold your very first advanced copy of your book?

I was eating one of the best cinnamon buns in the city and I got the book and myself all very sticky with excitement. It was an oddly normal day, filled with much anxiety about how the book- of very personal essays- would be received by others. I mostly prayed it would not be ignored.

What was the inspiration behind your book?

When I moved into an inner city neighbourhood with a reputation for crime, people asked, “Why do you live there?” My answer was to write this series of poignant, funny, sad, make-you-mad stories that will introduce you to my neighbours. From cat rescuers to home sharers, murder victims to art evangelists, each one helped me discover the innate beauty in my complex community. Each one invites questions about the social and economic forces that are shaping and reshaping North American cities.

What was your publishing journey like?

Fraught with my own anxiety! My editor was very supportive of the book, but because it was a university publisher they required the same editorial process for non-academic books as academic. Meaning it required two positive peer reviews, then after I edited the copy to respond to these reviews, it went to a committee of academics to decide on publishing. Each committee member came from different backgrounds within the university, so creative non-fiction wasn’t exactly something they all loved or cared about.  In the end it was published, and my publisher’s marketing team was super supportive.  It took about three and a half years from my initial contact with the UAP’s editor to when it was launched.

What advice do you have for aspiring young novelists?

My published work has mostly been non- fiction, but I am currently writing a novel. It’s a daunting task to write something so long, that may never meet another reader besides  myself and initial family readers.  Working on content that I feel really interested in has helped me sustain the lengthy process as well as buoyed me when I’m discouraged. Oh, and my writing group is so important. They keep me accountable and humbleJ

If you could have any superpower, which would you choose?

To sense people’s top strengths and weakness on first greeting.

Where is your favorite travel destination?

My favorite thing about travelling is seeing different places and I rarely go back to the same place twice! Top destinations have been Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Greek Islands, Pender Island and the Crowsneset Pass.

When you’re not writing, what are your favorite hobbies?

DIYing, thrift shopping, cooking, yoga, reading to my kids

Where can people find you online?

www.carissahalton.com

@carissahalton1 (facebook)

@carissahalton (twitter)

Thank you for joining me for Writer Wednesdays!

If you are a writer/author of any genre and would like to pitch yourself for an interview, please email me at info@alexismariechute.com

Catch you next week!

Happy writing,

   –   Alexis Marie Chute