Carolyn Tody is here today, January 15th on COME IN ~SIT DOWN ~ TELL US ABOUT YOUR...

This blog is a meeting place for authors and others in the arts .... each week as others are directed to our door or just stumble on by, they come and leave us information about themselves so they can tell about their new books or drawing or photos or to tell us about their new blogs. ****PLEASE be sure your comments are appearing on the latest most timely blog insuring your inclusion in the sending off to google plus land at the end of the week.*****


This is a meeting place where new and old alike can hook up for their next read or just to rediscover an old love.

Here is the link to Gwen’s site: http://www.indieauthornetwork.weebly.com/index.html G.D. Steel's blog is free promoting of your arts. As I am wont to say {as does Facebook} our site is free to comment and share and always will be free.  

For the rest of the month of January and possibly into February of 2012,we will be interviewing new and seasoned authors, first at Gwen's and then over here.

Today we have Carolyn Tody ~

I am so happy you decided to join us in our first major round of interviews.  Carolyn Tody is one of The Peacock Writers, a group dedicated to raising money through our children’s stories for children’s charities.  I am happy to be a part of that group as is Gwen and others you will meet later in the month.  Carolyn not only gave us our name but graciously painted our logo.  


What inspired you to write?


My otherwise critical teacher heaped praise on my writing as a child, and Reader’s Digest published my work. When I wrote a required piece entitled ‘Patchwork Portraiture’ to enter the university, it netted me an advanced seat and writing honors.  But what really inspired me to write was a whack aside my head and a kick in the seat of my pants. I accepted a Disney University invitation to intern in Florida. Soon I was sharing Disney quarters with youngsters from around the world, attending seminars, and ‘performing onstage.’ One day, I stood ‘onstage’ by a window in Olde World Antiques across the moat from Cinderella castle ~ I was alone in the Annex, bored, watching guests enjoy the sun. My escape options were to sneak M&M’s from my costume or activate my imagination.  I chose the latter. Turning back to face an approaching couple, I spooked them when my costume blended into the antique doll shelves, and that’s when it happened! I ‘escaped’ into the tunnels as a doll by writing a story on 2”x2” slips of paper. That story later became a series as I backtracked to find my characters’ origins. Soon, book two and one were outlined, along with others, and I was hooked. Imagination is a very helpful tool when it comes to realizing long held dreams, which became the topic for another book, and… voila! I was inspired to write.


Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it all yourself?


A panel of three peer reviewers associated with my writer’s group has helped greatly.  In addition, I have edited several books by other authors. Since I create many of my own words, spellcheck can be a minefield, so I use various online editing tools for the first edit after revision. I also ‘cold read,’ often resulting in more magic from rewriting passages to which I was formerly too close.  I have two well-read, astute reviewers who provide a ‘practical’ analysis. And even though I have not yet met the editor who can make better overall suggestions than my team, I am open to suggestions as my series becomes more layered and complex.


What genre do you normally write in?  


Whatever genre is needed.  I’m an artist, writer, entrepreneur and human resources professional with sixteen publications in venues as diverse as small towns, seasons of life, holiday readings, whimsical holidays for children, true paranormal, illustrated fireside poetry, love and transition, and historical docudrama.  I also like to write whimsical escapades, fantasy novellas, and creative nonfiction with an air of mystery.  I’d like to narrow it down, but my experience base is wide and I like variety. So I decided to focus most artwork (sculpture, painting, miniatures, photography etc) and writing onto the central arc of the legacy I want to leave, a fiction/nonfiction series about achieving deeper dreams and goals, self acceptance, transition, and a set of playful tools and devices for continuous reinvention that I designed for my own self mid-career.


Also, is there a genre you've always wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?   


Not really.  Possibly Romance. I am an incurable romantic and have written romantic fairy tales, but feel there is some dimension I have yet to develop.  I’d probably mix romance with another genre. In the first Legacy of Hope novel series, Ancient Mariner action takes place in an unimaginably beautiful setting surrounded by spectacular waters. Contemporary and paranormal romances are woven through from start to finish, but the story centers on an ancient mystery with elements of sci fi and fantasy. See what I mean? I like layers and dimension, mixed media and enriched genre.


Do you ever base your characters on people you know?


I’ll go to great lengths to avoid ‘always’ and ‘never’, so anything is possible.  But my characters generally pop into my imagination, and they seem to fill out their own profiles as naturally as if they were already friends waiting to wangle an admission ticket to the show. A few have even been based on artwork, souvenirs, and ideas encountered while traveling afar.


What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?


Social writing can show you that the sky is the limit, so join an online and a local writer’s group that match your values and objectives. Take a class; others will happily direct you to resources.  Practice by using prompts, Fiction 440 challenges, or other short duration writing, and have someone edit; then rewrite with that feedback and make a checklist of all the notes and resources you glean along the way, as well as useful writing tips, websites, and editing tips. You can also ask an experienced author to mentor you; find an author you respect and admire, learn from them, and emulate. This is done in many crafts. For instance, students with no carving experience studying at a Swiss Canton woodcarving school will have a finely modeled example of carving clamped in a vise at the table to observe.  Ask questions on Google or another search engine; you’ll be surprised at the resources available. Last, If your writing involves characters, create a blank profile sheet listing different criteria as a template.


Do your stories tend to have morals, or special messages, included within them? 


Most. Perhaps all. I believe that deep-seated creative dreams and noble callings deserve a chance.  So besides entertaining I sometimes mingle a human resources background and broad life experience to encourage confidence and help smash barriers. Being an occasional single head of householder has taken a great deal of effective, practical problem solving ability, and to fulfill a creative dream a person must be able to focus what they want out of life. It seems my imagination works best while writing. So I  ‘exercise’ it and see what results. This has given me a playful approach and inspired others to find training and explore interesting new facets of their dream.


This question was posed by a fellow author and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~ 
Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book? 


“Hi, I’m Raku.  From your perspective, I probably look like a ceramic raccoon with Kanji writing on my belly wishing you ‘good luck.’  But you’d be surprised what lurks under that façade. High above Lake Biwa in the prefecture of Shiga, on Japan’s main island of Honshu, in the mystical, mountaintop pottery of my famous creator, I was forgotten.  For many years I sat on a boring shelf in a corner waiting for a chance to escape to the beautiful green, lush landscape outside my window. While I waited on that vantage point, I gleaned wisdom from every Sage who visited the mountaintop.
“One day, Kerri rode by. Her hostess was taking her to a tea ceremony at the nearby confectionery factory.  Was I ever surprised when she chose me to accompany her!  Shortly after that we made a long airbus excursion to America. How beautiful it was by the majestic Great Lakes!  But I wasn’t there long.  After we successfully eluded her attackers, Kerri took me to Mullions to meet Patches. From the gallery window high over WitherWorm Village, he and I joined forces to protect the region from a mythological beast. And whenever the moon was full, we rode into the fascinating and surreal world of the Patchwork Forest…”


Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?


I like to maintain the kind of diplomatic balance between good and evil that I would like my children and theirs to read.  However, they read at an advanced level and only what is intensely interesting.  So, legendary monsters are vile, heroes and heroines are awesome, plots are involved with continuous action that is intense at times. My imagination can paint a vivid picture with a pen, so prepare for the unexpected.  Broad-based background goes into each production and pops out diverse topics to entertain while encouraging a life well lived. Just as fulfilling a dream challenges the weak at heart, storytelling from one who survived to ‘weave the story’ is colorful with a capital “C”.


Also need your latest info and links ~ 


DreamSculptr Writing Academy/artwork http://www.http://cactusrose.wordpress.com
Blog two: http://writingonthewallexpress.blogspot.com/
Author page: https://www.facebook.com/CactusRose.Author
Emerging Art page https://www.facebook.com/DreamSculptr
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DreamSculptr
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5956209-dreamsculptr 
LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/pub/carolyn-tody/22/1a6/786
AuthorsDen: http://www.authorsden.com/carolyntody


Thank you for stopping by Carolyn.  It's been a pleasure, as always.