Meet Carrie Anne Noble! She’s an award-winning author of several YA fantasy books, including The Mermaid’s Sister and Gretchen and the Bear. I’m a big fan of hers and have read several of her books, with the rest on my TBR list. (You can check out my reviews if you’re interested!) She’s a fellow fairy tale enthusiast and was kind enough to take time to answer some questions about writing and storytelling. Thanks for stopping by, Carrie!
Tell me about your writing journey/background.
I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember, but my first published piece of fiction was The Mermaid’s Sister. I entered it in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest back in 2014 and won the Young Adult category. The prize was a contract with Skyscape Publishing. It was quite a wonderful surprise to win!
What genre do you write? Is it also your favorite to read, or do you prefer books from a different genre?
I usually write fairy tale-ish fantasy or historical fantasy with a dash of romance. I’ll read just about any genre that’s not too spicy, although I most enjoy magical realism—books like The Scorpio Races and Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries.
Do you only write books, or are there other types of writing you enjoy?
I enjoy writing short stories and have had several published. Occasionally, I write poetry. I should do that more often! It’s such a fun way to play with words and sounds.
How do you made time for writing in your everyday life? Are you a “little bit every day” writer or a “longer chunks less often” writer?
I try to write every day. Writing is my “happy place,” so I do hate to miss a day. Of course, sometimes it isn’t possible—but I still tend to think about what I’m working on as I do other things.
How do you approach your stories—are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you come up with plots or characters first?
I’m somewhere in the middle now, although I started out as a pantser and still lean more in that direction. Usually, I start with characters, at least a vague idea of what they’ll face in the story, and a general idea of the ending.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
I like revising. I enjoy refining the characters and painting more layers onto the story world, and rearranging words to make things prettier or more effective. It’s very satisfying to transform something you like into something you love.
What’s the best and/or worst writing advice you’ve ever gotten?
Best: Neil Gaiman’s advice to keep writing and finish things.
Worst: In my opinion, Stephen King’s “no adverbs allowed” rule. Sometimes, we need a little “ly” in our lives!
Do you have any favorite writing tools?
I use The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi a lot. Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody is also an excellent resource for new and experienced writers who want to better understand story structure. It has helped me a lot.
What inspires your stories? How do you come up with and develop your ideas?
I’m inspired by folklore, old fairy tales, and things that I see and hear. The “what if” question is often something that gets my imagination going. (“What if that old man walking down the road is really a leprechaun headed to bury his gold?”) I develop the ideas slowly from there, usually as I write, but sometimes through brainstorming in the early morning by scribbling out a few pages of possibilities.
A lot of writers include parts of their own personality or story in their work. Is there anything that is distinctly “you” in your stories?
My love for trees and nature definitely seeps onto the page, as well as my fondness for happy endings and stories that make people cry a little.
Your stories tend to be set in our world, but with an extra, magical flair (The Mermaid’s Sister being historical fantasy and Gretchen and the Bear being more magical dystopian). How do you approach worldbuilding and creating magic systems within a world that already exists?
My world building starts with observing the world we live in with wonder and appreciation, thinking about nature’s colors, shapes, sounds, and scents. That sense of wonder really does make ordinary things feel almost magical. And then, a lot of times the magic in my stories is subtle—something that you could believe in without trying too hard, like a horse that knows all the best, secret paths and can shorten a journey, or a pair of shoes that stay comfy no matter how many miles you walk.
What is something you just love about fairy tales?
In theater, they call it the “suspension of disbelief.” Fairy tales can have boys sprouting wings, talking animals, magic beans—and because of the genre, we just go along with it and trust the storyteller. You believe it’s all real and possible while you’re reading.
Is there a recent or upcoming project you’d like to share about?
My most recently published project was a story on Kindle Vella about grown-up Gretel (of Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel), called The Gingerbread Queen. Years after fleeing the witch’s gingerbread cottage, Gretel returns to hide from townsfolk who accuse her of being the witch’s successor. Handsome baker Lukas offers the only recipe to repair the crumbling cottage. Soon, Gretel’s innate magic ignites, as does the spark between her and Lukas. Could it be her fate to become the next cruel witch to reign over the forest—and to lose any chance of a happily-ever-after with Lukas?
Kindle Vella is a fun platform where stories are posted in episodes, and it’s free to read the first three chapters. Find The Gingerbread Queen here.
Currently, I’m close to finishing a novel about a fairy tale-obsessed, 1980’s girl who gets a wrong number phone call from a bridge troll who’s been hired to lure her into the real and dangerous realm of the Faeries. I really like this one!
Where can readers find you, virtually speaking?
I’m most often on Instagram (@carrieannenoble7), but you can also find me on Facebook as Carrie Anne Noble, Author. For updates on my latest projects, what I’m reading, a free short story, and other fun stuff, you can sign up for my newsletter at my website.
It was so wonderful to get to know Carrie a little better! And she’s been kind enough to offer a special treat for my followers. So, head over to my Instagram (@KateGJameson), where I’ll be giving away an audiobook copy of Gretchen and the Bear! I’ve really enjoyed doing these interviews and would love to do more, so let me know if there’s an author you’d like to see me talk to!
Until next time, word nerds!
Kate G. Jameson 