Meet the Awesome Carrie Ryan
I’m excited to have Carrie Ryan, the author The Forest of Hands and Teeth, on my blog today. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer fiancé, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.
What is the best part of becoming full time writer?
The flexibility. I felt like I was balancing so much before and was never able to give 100% to the things that needed it.
The worst part?
Figuring out when to stop working (crazy, I know!). I was so used to having concrete goals as a lawyer (if nothing else, I had to bill at least 8 hours in a day) and in writing there really is nothing concrete! I think I'm still working on that balance :)
If you could visit any place and time (past/present/future) for a week, where and when would it be?
That's such a tough question! I think I would go back to a time before my grandmother died so I could listen to more of her stories. I've forgotten so many of the details of the stories she'd tell us growing up and I really miss them!
Do you ever experience writer's block?
I totally do! I don't ever outline and so there are definitely times that I stare at the screen trying to figure out what happens next. Usually I just try to think about what's the worst thing that could happen to those characters and write that :)
Do you play music when you write? Have a cup of Chai at your elbow? A cat on your lap? What elements make up a perfect writing space for you?
I wish I could listen to music but it's too distracting. Usually when I write I just lose track of everything else (I used to pour a glass of wine and I'd forget to drink it!). The ideal writing space for me is in the evening when it's dark and there's a fire going and no one else is home. It makes it easier to retreat into my own world that way!
Sounds perfect, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by. And now I better go prepare myself for the Zombie apocalypse.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is about a young girl named Mary growing up generations after an apocalypse in a village surrounded by fences protecting them from the Unconsecrated, zombie-like creatures inhabiting the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Cut off from the rest of the world and told they are the last survivors of the Return, every part of her life is controlled by the religious order called the Sisterhood. As Mary starts to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t, she learns the extent of the Sisterhood’s power and starts to discover more of their darkest secrets. When the security of the fences is threatened and her world is thrown into chaos, Mary must decide what she’s willing to risk to find out if there’s life beyond the Forest.
To find out more about Carrie, visit her website.
http://www.carrieryan.com
Here are two links to help you buy her book.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Hands-Teeth-Carrie-Ryan/dp/0385736819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225030123&sr=8-1
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385736817
What is the best part of becoming full time writer?
The flexibility. I felt like I was balancing so much before and was never able to give 100% to the things that needed it.
The worst part?
Figuring out when to stop working (crazy, I know!). I was so used to having concrete goals as a lawyer (if nothing else, I had to bill at least 8 hours in a day) and in writing there really is nothing concrete! I think I'm still working on that balance :)
If you could visit any place and time (past/present/future) for a week, where and when would it be?
That's such a tough question! I think I would go back to a time before my grandmother died so I could listen to more of her stories. I've forgotten so many of the details of the stories she'd tell us growing up and I really miss them!
Do you ever experience writer's block?
I totally do! I don't ever outline and so there are definitely times that I stare at the screen trying to figure out what happens next. Usually I just try to think about what's the worst thing that could happen to those characters and write that :)
Do you play music when you write? Have a cup of Chai at your elbow? A cat on your lap? What elements make up a perfect writing space for you?
I wish I could listen to music but it's too distracting. Usually when I write I just lose track of everything else (I used to pour a glass of wine and I'd forget to drink it!). The ideal writing space for me is in the evening when it's dark and there's a fire going and no one else is home. It makes it easier to retreat into my own world that way!
Sounds perfect, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by. And now I better go prepare myself for the Zombie apocalypse.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is about a young girl named Mary growing up generations after an apocalypse in a village surrounded by fences protecting them from the Unconsecrated, zombie-like creatures inhabiting the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Cut off from the rest of the world and told they are the last survivors of the Return, every part of her life is controlled by the religious order called the Sisterhood. As Mary starts to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t, she learns the extent of the Sisterhood’s power and starts to discover more of their darkest secrets. When the security of the fences is threatened and her world is thrown into chaos, Mary must decide what she’s willing to risk to find out if there’s life beyond the Forest.
To find out more about Carrie, visit her website.
http://www.carrieryan.com
Here are two links to help you buy her book.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Hands-Teeth-Carrie-Ryan/dp/0385736819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225030123&sr=8-1
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385736817