Leslie Carlin is the winner of the 2019 Marina Nemat Award for Creative Writing for her collection of short stories titled The Richley Chronicles.
In a fictional town in Northern England, the lives of its inhabitants connect and collide, weaving a narrative that readers can’t put down. Loosely based on time Leslie spent living in England, this collection of stories has earned her much recognition; first, our Penguin Random House Canada Student Award for Fiction, and now the Marina Nemat Award for Creative Writing. We sat down with Leslie to discuss her love of fiction, winning two awards, and her recipe for writing success.
SCS: The Richley Chronicles are based in a small town in Northern England. Some of the characters are expats, and a couple are anthropologists….just like you! Are these stories inspired by your personal experiences?
LC: Yes and no, and that’s the beauty of writing fiction; I have the freedom to take creative liberties, while being inspired by people and places in my real life. For instance, I lived in England for 17 years, including Northern England, and Richley is a similar setting with many similar features. But I didn’t want to be too constrained by facts, so made it a loose adaptation of the town I called home.
As for characters in the series, their lives are intertwined and events reverberate. Some of them are inspired by my personal experiences as an American who has lived in England and then moved to Canada, and as an anthropologist. But others are purely the product of my mind.
SCS: When it comes to writing, how do you get your creative juices flowing?
LC: As Mary Heaton Vorse said, “apply seat of the pants to seat of the chair.” Writers have ideas all the time, but the key element to success is sitting down and producing them. An idea is a great start, but you have to sit and pound it out, then rewrite it again and again. Ideas plus time, that’s what gets you through.
SCS: How does it feel to win two Creative Writing awards?
LC: Kind of miraculous! I had just finished taking a course with Marina Nemat, and loved learning from her! She didn’t know I had applied for her award, so to win the prize she has endowed and will issue, is really special. Marina even sent me a note of congratulations, which was great. I’m also grateful to my mentor, Dennis Bock, who provided many revisions so my collection was ready for these competitions. His commitment to my work, and his expertise, were invaluable.
SCS: What’s your advice for people who want to start writing but don’t know how to start?
LC: Read! Do lots of reading, then write. Write anything…journal, letters, blogs; just start. For instance, I write a blog called Travails of a Transatlantic Transplant. And take writing classes! At SCS, they are offered in person, online, and at different campuses, so you can make it work. Also, talk to other readers and writers. Join a group, or start a group. That’s the magic formula: read, write, learn, and engage.