Interview with Carly Anne West

Author of Hello Neighbor: Buried Secrets

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I’m originally from Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, I reside in Seoul, Korea.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

The story is a winding one! After graduating from college, my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I moved to Nashville, TN in response to a job offer for him. After a few years, I was accepted into a graduate writing program in Oakland, CA, so off we went. After eight years of calling the Bay Area home, my husband again received a great job offer, so on to Seattle, WA. Three years later, we made the decision to plant roots in the Portland, OR area, which is where we thought we’d remain long-term. Then, another (wait for it) job offer, this time from clear across the world, and it was an opportunity that simply couldn’t be passed up. We are able to embrace a new culture, learn a new language, show our kids that there’s a wide world out there, and I have more time and space to devote to writing. So here we are, living much smaller, in a neighborhood nestled alongside the Han River.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

It’s funny, but I don’t know that it was ever really a choice. I knew I would write. From pretty early on, I had a need to tell stories. I muttered them to myself on long summer days spent alone in my room. When I was old enough to work, I mentally concocted stories about strangers shopping while I folded clothes at a display table. By the time I figured out that I could put these stories to paper, I’d already graduated from college. I was desperate to learn more, to practice the craft and discuss and share and live and breathe stories, so I applied to graduate school. My writing program concentrated far more on craft than on publishing and the business of writing, but along the way, I determined that I would write regardless, but that publishing, as hard as it can be, was what I wanted to pursue.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

What I hope I leave readers with is a sense of being haunted. I write ghost stories and mysteries, and the characters in my books are always vexed by some ghost or another. The ghost isn’t always literal, but it is nearly always unresolved. Scary and sad stories are my favorites – they offer a visceral entry point into some of our most basic human emotions. Fear and mourning are so often the scabs that form over the most vulnerable parts of us. When people read my books, I hope they’re able to see themselves in my characters and my stories and reflect on their own sense of vulnerability.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I suppose like many authors, I would love it if my books connected with as many readers as possible, for as many different reasons as possible. I write about outsiders a lot, kids who have been set aside for some reason or another. My characters are often loners, or quiet strugglers. They often have wry senses of humor. They feel deeply, and they’re frequently deeply flawed. I like my characters the way I like my people: complex. While readers may not see mirror images of themselves in my writing, it’s possible they’ll see aspects of themselves. My hope is that readers view these characters with empathy, and that they view themselves with that same generous empathy. They deserve it.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

So, I’ll answer this with one positive surprise and one negative. On the not-awesome side, writing (and publishing) come with a heaping dose of rejection. While writing in itself is a relatively solitary endeavor, the choice to share that work (and pursue publishing it) is the choice to allow that work to pass under countless critical eyes. Some of this criticism is extraordinarily helpful, and I value it deeply. Some is less than helpful. Some is downright hurtful. Learning to parse through the noise is a skill I’m still developing, and likely won’t ever master. I suppose, in a way, that jarring realization is also my positive surprise. With that criticism has come a beautiful writing and publishing community that I now cannot imagine my life without. I’m deeply devoted to this community, it’s support, it’s hard truths, and its gentle guidance.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I would urge a younger Carly to lay off the self-loathing a little. With all that noise swirling in the air, it’s tempting to believe every horrible thing you suspect is true about yourself and your writing. The reality – and in my wiser and less fragile moments, I believe this – is that there’s no such thing as “making it” as a writer. There are infinite paths to publishing, and just as many ways of defining success in this industry. The only true measure, for me anyway, is satisfaction in what I’m creating. If I am writing what my heart and my gut tell me is the story I want to write – even if that story changes at the most inconvenient time – then I’m “making it.”

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

LOL as many as possible! Is that an obvious answer? I don’t care! As many as possible!

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Honestly, the biggest challenge I’ve faced is molding my own changing life into the writing and publishing world. In the time between when I published my first book and now, I’ve lived in seven different homes, three different states, and two different countries. I’ve had two children and adopted a dog and a cat. I’ve transitioned personal and professional roles more times than I can count. Writing has been one of my only constants, and in so many cases, my lifeline. Ensuring that life doesn’t squeeze writing out is a worthwhile but daily struggle. I’m fortunate, though. I have a community that bolsters me when I need it and a family and partner who downright insist that I make writing a priority. Sadly, I don’t think everyone can say they have that support system.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Hmmm … I think in terms of writing, I can actually be pretty prolific when the inspiration strikes. When I’m in the zone, I can get the words on the page. As far as publishing and marketing, the superheroes are the publishers and the agents. I’d be just some girl hugging a stack of pages and aimlessly wandering Midtown without my incredible agent Steven Chudney; the amazing editors and copy editors and publicists and marketers and salespeople and cover designers and booksellers and librarians (and the list goes on and on) are the ones who bring the books to life. Truly, they are the muscle. For my part, I try to adhere to deadlines as much as possible. I don’t know even a fraction of what goes into publishing, but I know that deadlines are critical.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Oy, okay, so writing is a constant exchange with the part of me that hates myself and the part of me that loves myself. When the hateful part gets loud, I’m great at shutting down. It can take a while for the nice part to overpower the mean one. Publishing and marketing are ever-changing industries, so keeping up with those as a writer can sometimes feel like an additional part-time job.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m ALWAYS writing my next book. 😉

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I’m traditionally published. My first two YA books, THE MURMURINGS and THE BARGAINING, were published by Simon Pulse. The HELLO NEIGHBOR books are licensed by Scholastic’s AFK imprint in partnership with tinyBuild and Dynamic Pixels.