An Interview With Nora Shalaway Carpenter
Thank you so much for sharing your book with me and agreeing to do a Q&A for my readers.
It’s my pleasure, Sarah! Thank you so much for having me.
Give us a quick summary of The Edge of Anything!
The Edge of Anything tells the dual narrative of Len, an outcast teen photographer who believes she's slowly losing her mind, and Sage, a popular volleyball star with a devastating secret, and the unexpected friendship that saves them both.
What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome in completing your book?
My own self-doubt: what if no one cared about the book? What if everyone hated it? What if I couldn’t create the story as skillfully as I saw it in my mind? What if, what if, what if…
We are often our own worst enemies, you know? Thankfully, I have some incredible writer friends who repeatedly talked me off the cliff, commiserated, and cheered me on. Comradery and writing partners are so important in this business.
Your book is set in the rural North Carolina mountains. Why was it important to you for this to be the setting versus a more familiar large city?
Place always plays a big role in my stories. A number of important scenes in The Edge of Anything take place in the forest surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it was super important that the book be set somewhere where the characters had easy access to such a place. There are also hiking scenes, and as I live in the North Carolina mountains, I drew on my own experiences hiking the area. Really, when the story idea finally came together for me, there was no question where I’d set it.
The Edge of Anything is an #OwnVoices story that focuses heavily on grief and mental health. Can you tell us what inspired these elements of the book?
Those themes were inspired by my own experiences with grief and a devastating, trauma-induced mental health issue. I talk more about this in the book’s Author’s Note, but essentially, The Edge of Anything is the book I wish I’d had during that awful time in my life, a time when I doubted if things could ever get better. Unfortunately, there is so much stigma around mental health and a lot of stereotyping (in books as well as real life) of the people who suffer. I wanted to create a book that showed a character struggling authentically and that depicted the hidden internal battles a person goes through daily. Most importantly—I wanted to show that Len (like all real people struggling with mental health) is so much more than this condition that is terrorizing her brain. She is a regular person, worthy of love and respect and dignity.
On top of that, I really wanted to examine the transformative and life-saving power of friendship, and how much we all need such connections. The Edge of Anything arose from the combination of those themes.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Social media. No question.
Many of my readers are trying to decide which avenue of publishing to pursue for their books. Since your book is published traditionally, could you share with us what you’ve enjoyed about this process?
No matter which path they pursue, because of how the publishing industry has evolved, authors have to do much of the marketing themselves. However, I have loved having a publicist (who works for my publisher) who has organized a ton of events for me and pitched me for panels and conferences. I also loved working with my editor.
How long did it take you to get this book published, from its initial conception to the release date?
Oh gosh. Years from its initial conception. The characters both came to me separately, and for a while I didn’t realize they belonged in the same story. Once I did, the actual writing of the story took about ten months, after I’d created an outline and had a firm direction for the book. First and second page passes (revisions with my editor) occurred over the next 6-8 months, then copyedits. Then another 6 months until publication. But the important thing here is that I actually submitted a different book to this publisher. It didn’t get through acquisitions, but the editor asked if I had anything else, and that led to The Edge of Anything. So, would this book exist if I hadn’t first written (five times) a book that didn’t up selling. Maybe, but probably not. Publishing is a long, slow process, but nothing you do is ever wasted. Even if certain projects don’t sell, the process of writing them makes you a better writer. That can be hard to remember, especially before you’ve sold something, but it’s true.
Your first book is a picture book (Yoga Frog). Obviously the writing process was much different with this Young Adult novel, but did you notice a big difference in the publishing process?
It still takes a long time! [laughs] The biggest difference is that with picture books, half of the book is illustration and so entirely out of your control (unless you’re an author/illustrator, of course). It was definitely strange not knowing what the illustrations were going to look like until sketches came in. I’m grateful that my illustrator, Mark Chambers, did an awesome job!
You and I first met at our local SCBWI convention. Do you recommend writers have memberships to national organizations like SCBWI and attend local conferences and events?
Absolutely! This is one of the best and easiest ways to meet other writers and find a writer’s group. If you can’t swing the cost of a conference, go to author events at your local library and bookstore. Those events are wonderful. And because they’re smaller, they can feel less intimidating, too. If you want to be an author, you really need to check out author events. Listen, ask questions, and soak it all in. That will be you one day and you’ll want to be as prepared as possible.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Oh wow. Maybe Shiloh or Bridge to Terabithia. I can’t remember which one I read first!
What advice do you have for aspiring writers looking to publish their first novel?
Keep going! Know that this is a long game and those who make it are those who have not only persisted, but have actively worked to improve their craft. Read as much as you possibly can. Nothing makes you a better writer than reading. Try to attend workshops, conferences, and author events whenever possible, so you can learn more about the writing life and all it entails. You can make valuable friendships at these places, which can help so much when you’re going through the grueling processes of revision, querying, and eventually submission.
What other books and authors inspire you?
So many. If I had to pick one, I’d say Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer. I am in awe of how she played with the structure of storytelling in that novel, while simultaneously creating an exquisite narrative. Books like that give me a lot to aspire to as I continue on in my career.
What is your favorite book to recommend to others?
For fantasy fans, Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows. For contemporary, Jeff Zentner’s The Serpent King.
The Edge of Anything will be available for purchase next week, March 24th! What are you working on next?
My next book, Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Stereotypes of Small-Town America, comes out Oct 13, 2020 from Candlewick. It’s a mixed-genre anthology that I both edited and have a short story in, and I am so, so excited about it. The contributor list is AMAZING.
Currently, I’m working on another contemporary YA set in rural West Virginia, but I can’t say much more than that right now.
Sarah, thank you so much having me on your wonderful blog!
