Carolyn Wren on Her Writing Journey

This week we have author Carolyn Wren talking about her writing journey. She has a new story out "Puddles Valentine" in the anthology by Gumnut Press "Paw Prints of Love".

Carolyn Wren was born just outside of London and moved with her family to Western Australia when she was four.  They returned to England when she was eight and came back again when she was eleven, all by cruise ship, meaning Carolyn had traversed most of the words oceans before she became a teenager.  The resulting passion for travel has never left her. 

After a working life in the finance sector, Carolyn began writing fiction in 2009, for fun.  She won the very first writing contest she entered which gave her the incentive to keep going.  As of 2019, she’s published over a dozen stories through USA and Australian publishers, with upcoming releases through a UK publishing house.  Her award tally so far is 6 wins and 14 finalist placings from all around the world.  The trophies and certificates are displayed with a great deal of pride.

She’s a proud member of the Romance Writers of Australia.  Australian Romance Readers Association.  Australian Society of Authors, and the KSP Writers’ Centre.

Carolyn doesn’t like to limit herself to one genre, preferring to let her characters take control. The resulting stories can range from light hearted comedic contemporary through to sexy, action packed romantic suspense and emotion driven urban fantasy.  Because she’s a true romantic at heart, one thing remains constant in all her books, she loves a happy ending.

You can find Carolyn at the following links:

https://carolynwren.com/

https://www.facebook.com/carolynwrenauthor

https://www.instagram.com/carolynwrenauthor/

https://twitter.com/carolyn_wren

My writing journey for Puddles Valentine is an interesting one, because the story had its origins as a ‘writing prompt’ exercise back in 2013.  A group of author friends and I would set ourselves a monthly challenge, and this particular one was to create a complete story in 800 words or less. 

I had never written something so concise, and I was struggling, until an advertisement came on social media for upcoming St Patricks Day celebrations.  An idea popped into my head for a Rom-Com featuring a matchmaking leprechaun and a mischievous puppy, and the entire story raced from my fingers in half an hour, followed by a full week of head scratching revisions to meet that essential 800 word rule.

The exercise taught me so much about word usage and pacing and I loved the heart behind the story.  I kept it in my ‘works’ folder as a reminder, and there it sat until Gumnut Press announced its submissions for the Paw Prints of Love Anthology.  I remembered it, rummaged through my old folders, and was delighted to discover the leprechaun wasn’t an essential part of the love story, but the puppy was.

Even better, the tale (no pun intended) was perfect for expansion, giving me the opportunity to weave the world of Stonecrest Bay into its plotline.  I went back to the story’s basic roots and recrafted it, using the knowledge I’d gained from my years as a published author, and the wonderful insights of the editors I’ve worked with.

I’m so thrilled that my mischievous puppy and the love he generates will finally be released onto the world’s stage.  And I guess if there’s a moral to this writing journey, it’s to keep learning, challenge yourself every day and never waste a good story, no matter how old or how short it is. 

Paw Prints of Love

Anthology Authors- Lisa Knight, Fiona Greene, Teena Raffa, Susan Dunn, Helen Walton, Leah Kinninmont, Jenny Lynch, Lisa Wolstenholme, Carolyn Wren and P.L. Harris.

Love can call on us in the most unusual places. In this fictional seaside town of Stonecrest Bay, love is on the horizon and the one place you’re sure to run into the unexpected is The Funny Bone, Dee Chambers’ dog grooming salon.

A solo-dad comes to Stonecrest Bay to start a new life with his young son. A four-legged pastry loving friend causes havoc in more ways than one. A house-sitter finds herself in a hair-raising chocolaty situation. A man bent on finding a replacement farm dog finds more than he planned at the town fair. A woman gets more than she bargained for when she comes face to face with her ex. A new resident arrives with hidden secrets. And a pro surfer finds unexpected romance.

From reignited high school crushes to unexpected birthday surprises, readers will be swept up in these stories of young love blossoming, heartache and healing, old lost loves rekindled, and of new hearts connecting in Stonecrest Bay where the unpredicted could stroll around the next corner. There’s a story for everyone in this light-hearted collection of sweet romantic stories reminding us that it’s all for the love of dogs.

Enjoy this collection of stories from ten different Australian authors set in the fictional seaside town of Stonecrest Bay.

Buy on:

Amazon Kindle         

Amazon Aust           Amazon UK