Today I'm happy to welcome author Carol Grace Stratton, as she shares about her writing journey and her latest book.

Tell our readers when you started to write

I’ve always loved writing songs and essays. My first printed piece debuted as an essay in our local paper. For a twelve-year old I was thrilled to see my musings about daydreaming in print.

Unfortunately I stopped doing any serious writing until my fifties. Then 9/11 hit our country. I wrote a piece about my thoughts on that day and it reawakened my passion to communicate. I spent the next few years as a freelance writer while I collected a mile high stack of rejections (okay I sometimes exaggerate, it was thirty-three to be exact). Finally in 2012 after years of submitting, LPC picked up another book of mine, a moving devotional book called Changing Zip Codes.

What motivated you to write your first novel, Lake Surrender?

I have a degree in Recreation Therapy and ended up working as a teacher’s aide in an autistic classroom. When I first walked into the classroom, I had the thought that I should write a story that included an autistic kid. That’s quite a random thought considering: 1) It was the first day on the job, and 2) I’d never attempted a full blown novel and didn’t have a clue as to how to write it. But I’ve never been a person to let ignorance stop a good project!

What made you set your Lake Surrender series in a camp?

Camps are my version of heaven. Growing up, I attended Girl Scout camp, worked in a YMCA camp, became a believer at a camp and had my first kiss with my soon-to-be husband at a camp. There’s something about being outdoors and away from your comfortable routine that allows our souls to connect to God and think about eternal things.

What helped you to become a better writer?

One of the things I’ve observed about successful writers is how teachable they are. As committed lifelong learners they go to writer’s conferences, belong to critique groups, and constantly read about improving their craft.

 I’m not there yet and I’m still learning but what I know about constructing a novel is available through conferences, books and blogs. There’s a ton of information out there if you are hungry for knowledge.

Critique partners and beta readers (those first readers who read your work before being published) are also excellent opportunities to improve one’s manuscript.   

Any suggestions for beginner writers?

So often I’ve run into pre-published writers who want me to read their manuscript but have not learned how to correctly construct a novel. They are so eager to see their book in print that they bypass any constructive criticism and publish their book in a rush. I’m not against self-publishing; I published one book myself, but it’s critical to first get feedback on one’s manuscript. Even the top novelists pay for an editor to look at their stuff before they submit it to a publisher. And, of course, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

But most important as a believers called to write, we need to remember how God directs our paths. I find myself constantly going back to The One Who Created Me to verify if I am going in the right direction. Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  Wow, that’s a great promise for us as writers.

Check out the book: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Lake-Carol-Grace-Stratton-ebook/dp/B08Q8L7ZB9