Interview With Carolyn Wada, Author of "For Cory's Sake"
Tracee Gleichner
July 06, 2009
About the Author
Carolyn Wada is the oldest of seven children raised by two wonderful, supportive parents. She has a deep interest in children's issues. In particular, she is interested in supporting organizations that help child survivors of abuse.
Royalties from For Cory's Sake will be donated to organizations that provide services to abused, neglected or exploited children.
More information about this aspect can be found via www.outskirtspress.com/ForCorysSake.
About the Book:
The planet of Cory has been enslaved by Fear, by the threat of an end to their world. Roci's outward life typifies the plight of the Coryan people: he has no family; he has been forced into slavery; people are attempting to control him with both the threat and reality of physical violence. Roci is distinct, though, in that he has decided to live in a place he can control—in vivid imaginary lives and worlds which he has created within the untouchable space of his mind. He believes in families though he has never had one, and he believes in compassionate people willing to make sacrifices to save those who cannot save themselves.
William Bentler is a kind and quietly courageous father of seven. He cares deeply about the plight of the Coryan people, and has spent his adult lifetime trying to raise awareness of their plight among the civilian occupiers. He does this by publishing articles, essays and stories about the heart-wrenching realities of indigenous Coryan life. He also strove to teach compassion and sacrifice to his children throughout their lives.
When the oppressors appoint a new leader, the sacrificial toll on William's life rises to a new and very exacting level. Published dissent is now punished with physical, escalating penalties paralleling those given to the slaves. But William continues to write and publish, and then watches in distress (though with a little pride) as two of his children choose his lifestyle as well.
William's compassion and quiet courage eventually attract a valuable and unexpected ally. The family and their valuable friend struggle onwards—making choices and sacrifices, taking risks, accepting almost unbearable consequences. In the end, they learn how to gain freedom by conquering Fear . . . for Cory's Sake.
I was lucky enough to interview this author. This is what she had to say:
Where are you from?
I lived the first 23 years of my life in Hawaii. I also claim Los Angeles, because I acquired a lifetime's worth of very interesting memories during my 6+ years in LA, LA. I currently live in Utah, because I suddenly felt a need to settle down (acquire real estate), I have family here, and it was a buyer's market.
When and why did you begin writing?
I've always had an imaginary story in my head, every day of my remembered life. A lot of it was "fan fiction," extrapolated stories about He-Man or Transformers characters, for example. My first original creation was a comic strip called "Jimmy Jumper," I think from my late elementary school years? Writing was what sometimes followed from the completely instinctual process of world (after world) creation.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer in the 8th grade, after a teacher told me several times that she liked a work of mine and that I had some ability. "Writer" really did become a part of my identity, that year. This identity got reinforced throughout high school; and I must've held on to it through the distractions of earning a living, or I wouldn't have kept plugging along at For Cory's Sake while working a stressful retail job!
What inspired you to write your first book?
The initial writing just happened. I had characters in my head, I wrote out a chapter one day and just kept on going until one (much later) day I had a 300-page story. A real-world concern did influence the revision process. I ended up with actual themes because of this real-life concern. I started out with a story about a family trying to save a planet. I finished with a symbolic fantasy about the controlling power of violence and fear, and the freeing power of deliberate choosing and ultimately, of knowledge.
Do you have a specific writing style?
For Cory's Sake was a challenge, because I was trying to write about intense topics in a subtle fashion. I ended up trying to just report, and let the intensity of certain moments speak for itself, without trying to grab the reader by the neck and say, "Look, look how horrible this is! So much blood and gore! They're suffering so much! See? See?" (You could check out this review to see what one reader thought about how I did: http://www.amazon.com/review/R10DNWIXDWOWH1/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm )
How did you come up with the title?
I have 5 younger brothers, and for a while near the end, my mom and I batted "Cory" around as a nice name for a baby boy. (I don't know why I thought a sister should have a say in the name of her baby brother) I have no brother named Cory, so I appropriated the name for my imaginary planet. And as Cory is both a personal name and the name of my planet, for Cory's sake is a literal description of the story and also suggests a double meaning. This was done deliberately.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I want readers to get whatever message they want to get, and none at all if they don't want one. There most certainly is deeper meaning in For Cory's Sake, a whole lot if you want it; but if you're not into symbolism, or applying fiction to real-world themes, it can also be read as an adventure story. It is entirely up to you! If you would like to read For Cory's Sake as symbolic fantasy, these two links will help with the "context," in that they explain what I was thinking about as I worked on the final revision: http://forcoryssake.blogspot.com/2009/05/importance-of-roci.html; http://pre-invasionconspiracy.info.
How much of the book is realistic?
My characters live on another planet in a future with spaceships, but their hopes, fears, relationships, insecurities and many of their challenges are very recognizable. They are "normal," imperfect people with passions and ideals which lead them into situations almost too big for them; and they react with a blend of fear and courage, reluctance and determination that most people could relate to.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I deliberately worked NOT to put any of my family members into my book. For the record, none of the Bentler family members are based on anyone in my own family. I did put parts of myself into William, both Kerrys, Terrence and Jeffrey. As an example, I can get very impatient when I think a vital something is not progressing as it should, to the point where I forget to eat or lose sleep, as I obsess about what should be done about it. I ratcheted up this tendency by several powers, and got Kerry Bentler.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Lord of the Rings and A Tale of Two Cities. I've reread both frequently over the past 18 years. I like the world-views of both Tolkien and Dickens. I like them because they have real good, real evil, actual heroism, real loyalty, true love, real friendship, hard choices and real consequences. I like to believe in all of these things, and I like to know that two intelligent, mature writers managed to be free of the cynicism that is so prevalent in much of literature.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
You know, I don't at the moment have a mentor!
What book are you reading now?
I am actually reading For Cory's Sake right now, since we are on virtual book tour together. But most recently I finished Under Maui Skies by Wayne Moniz. The author was my sophomore English teacher and is a prominent writer and cultural advocate in my home hometown. Under Maui Skies is a collection of short stories from various genres and historical time periods, all set on Maui. Some of the stories are very lighthearted and funny while others are bittersweet, as native lives intersect with vindictive gods or with occupiers bearing questionable motives and bad understanding. I recommend it.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I've been following the career of David Lucero, author of The Sandman, pretty closely. Like me, he self-published, at about the same time too, and we have become friends. I dove into his genre and read The Sandman, and he dove into mine with For Cory's Sake. The Sandman is very relevant to today's world, as it deals (fictionally) with the threat of a nuclear Iran and the lengths nations might go to, to stop this threat. The author is a former paratrooper, and his descriptions of jumping out of a plane or being in a fighter jet gave me extreme thrills of the vicarious sort that only books can deliver. I did write a review on Amazon, with more about what interested me about his book.
What are your current projects?
I am currently working on something I call "Bentler Universe," on my blog. In essence, it is Facebook for my characters. For Cory's Sake has a very zoomed-in focus on the stresses and serious events attendant on the process of saving a planet. "Bentler Universe" is a glimpse at my characters when they are more relaxed; into day-to-day lives filled with normal talk and just being. http://forcoryssake.blogspot.com
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
So far just the publishing company, and they should because I purchased a publishing package! No seriously, Outskirts Press has been great. And even more than the support, I liked the autonomy. I liked the amount of control and choice I had over my product, while still having a support system available to answer questions and give advice. The publishing process was very pleasant for both these reasons.
Do you see writing as a career?
I do see writing as a career, but not necessarily with the idea that it will ever support me materially. I intend to continue to practice my storytelling skills, work on getting my products out to readers and that would constitute a career whether it ever pays my mortgage or not. (I wasn't quite sure whether the word "career" intrinsically implied a profit-making endeavor, so I looked it up on Merriam-Webster. It said "a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement" and did not mention money) With this sense in mind, I do see writing as a career.
What do you think makes a good story?
Compelling characters. I "favorite" a story when a character becomes so real to me, that I find myself thinking about him or her as I walk down the street, even imagining new scenes for the character's past, present and if applicable, future. Characters that have impacted me so: Frodo, Batman, Sidney Carton, Enjolras and Brock from Pokemon. (I do have an affinity for self-sacrificing male characters. My favorite For Cory's Sake character: Terrence Bentler)
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned how to think more deeply and thematically. I started out with an adventure story and wound up with much more meaning, as deeper thoughts entered in to re-form the story. It was an expansive process in several ways, and I'm grateful for this experience.
WIN PRIZES!!!
FOR CORY'S SAKE VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on July 6 and end on July 31. You can visit Carolyn's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in July to find out more about this great book and talented author!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.
Print
Email
