Member Spotlight: Elisa Lynn Carbone

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is important to me because it keeps me sane. If I’m working out the lives of my characters, I’m spending much less time worrying about the characters (including me) in my own life. Why is it important for the world? Writing is actually a very fast way to communicate and to share ideas. I’ve got no patience with watching a podcast, but I’ll happily (and quickly) read an article talking about the same issues. And I’d much rather communicate with a friend over text than by phone. I’m the kind of person who is tempted to text: “Sorry I missed your call. I was staring at my phone in horror wondering why on earth you couldn’t just text me.” I guess it’s an introvert thing.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I have certain things that I do before I settle down to write. It starts with getting the room ready (there can be NO clutter. My writing room is a spare bedroom, not my office!) and letting everyone in the house know that I am not to be interrupted for any reason other than a phone call from Oprah. Then I have rituals. A bit of neurolinguistic programming “anchoring” for creativity and confidence. A bit of prayer – asking for help in knowing what my characters think and say and do, and help communicating all of that in a way that will be vivid, fast moving, colorful, suspenseful, adventurous, funny, instructive . . . you get the idea. Many years ago I realized I could not do this on my own, I needed help from guardian angels (they’re not just for Catholics anymore!) and anywhere else help could come from. I never sit down to write without asking for this help. I write my books by hand in a spiral ring notebook. Maybe not having a blank screen staring at me helps too?

What is your favorite time to write? It’s all about food: After I’ve just eaten breakfast or just eaten lunch. I can’t write when I’m hungry, and if I get interrupted to eat it takes a while to get back into things. For example, when I was writing Blood on the River: James Town 1607, I would read original records written by the colonists, sometimes for hours, to send me back in time. Going downstairs for a snack would have jarred me back to the present day. Sometimes I bring a snack into my writing room with me, just in case.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Don’t write unless you have to. In other words, don’t try to become a writer unless you love it so much you would do it whether or not you ever were published or got paid. The process has to be the reward. That way, there is no way to fail.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Kids are so much fun, and they continue to be that way. It is still satisfying to sneak little incognito positive messages into my stories. It’s like subliminal advertising, but for good stuff like “Choose love over fear” or “Follow your dreams.” And now with my new chapter book series, it’s “Math is everywhere! And it’s fun! Science is super fun too! You can eat most science experiments!” (okay, maybe not the science experiments adults do, but the ones designed for kids – totally edible. In fact, I just ate some baking soda mixed with vinegar this morning. For editing purposes. Not saying it was good.)

Elisa Carbone’s The Box in the Woods, illustrated by Kate Herbert, is out now with Reycraft Books.