Loving and Living with Language: An Editor/Author’s Story
“Don’t let aging get you down. It’s too hard to get back up.”—John Warner
As a lifelong lover of language, I wanted to start this Spunky Seniors blog with a quotation about aging. I picked one that I think is both funny and—in my case at least—true. This quotation illustrates how a few words, carefully chosen, can help us find humor in a truth that is sometimes less than humorous.
I’ve always enjoyed the power of words and the beauty of language. Like most writers, I’m sure, I possess an intuitive grasp of grammar, and this has led to my being associated with publications such as my high school newspaper, county newspaper, and college newspaper. As you might suspect, all of this newspaper experience steered me toward a bachelor’s in journalism, then to a master’s in English Education, and finally to a career as an academic editor.
At Carolynn Carey's retirement party |
Carolyn with grandson |
But while I enjoyed my stints first as a copyeditor and later as an editor, I always wanted to write fiction. I tried on a few occasions when I could carve out some time between raising a daughter, caring for a home and husband, and keeping up at work. Unfortunately, I discovered that knowing grammar doesn’t equal understanding the craft of writing. Learning to write fiction well required a new skill set and many years of practice.
When I was finally published (by Avalon Books in 2005), I maintained my interest in sharing what I knew about grammar. I wrote articles for the newsletter of my local Romance Writers of America chapter and contributed a monthly blog called “Carolynn’s Clues” to a website for writers (WeWriteRomance.com). I still enjoy grammar but as my writing career heats up, I’ve had to cut back on writing about grammar. My last “Carolynn’s Clues” column appeared on February 14 of this year. Not coincidentally, my most recent contemporary romance was released earlier in that month.
Prognosis for Happiness is a sweet romance set in a small Tennessee town. The hero and heroine were high school classmates fourteen years before the story begins. He was the “Boy Most Likely to Succeed” and she was the class nerd. He went on to become a successful plastic surgeon in Hollywood while she stayed at home as a small-town pediatrician. Then he comes back to town to oversee her work with his young niece and… Well, I won’t give the entire plot away here. The book is available as a paperback on Amazon or as an electronic book for the Kindle, Nook, or on Smashwords. The links to buy the book follow, as do links to my homepage and blog. I hope you’ll visit both, and thanks for allowing me to guest blog here today.
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0073J1I34
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prognosis-for-happiness-carolynn-carey/1108801627?ean=2940014025089&itm=1&usri=prognosis+for+happiness
Smashwords:
My website and blog: