# Please introduce yourself and your book(s).
Aloha from lush Manoa Valley in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the topside world, I teach academic writing to international students at a community college; in the river that flows beneath, I’m an author, collage artist, and photographer. I invite you to https://marilynwhitehorse.com to see more about In a Pickle and The Church of Unrealized Fantasies as well as view some collages and photographs.
# What is/are the real-life story(ies) behind your books?
The Reverend Sweetie Bird Charles is not like any character I’ve ever met or read about. As a reviewer from Kirkus Review said, “She is a character who is equal parts Huckleberry Finn and Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird.” That’s some heady company, wouldn’t you say? One day Sweetie Bird appeared, and I’ve been following her romp through life ever since. Suffice it to say, there’s never a dull moment.
Those that know me well might recognize some of the trials and tribulations I’ve treaded lightly over—and some I’ve kicked to the curb—during my sojourn through life. But, for the most part, this is Sweetie Bird’s story.
Some would call what happens to The Reverend Sweetie Bird Charles sheer luck. Michael Meade uses the terms fate and destiny. Jung calls it synchronicity. It’s about being in the right place at the right time.
# What inspires/ inspired your creativity?
I’ve always known I’m a writer—it’s what I do. Is it nature vs. nurture? Astrologically, my rising sign is Gemini, the communicator, so I’m happiest when I’m following my star.
I’ve written since I was old enough to hold a piece of chalk. I was a precocious child and would get up early to be with my father while he ate breakfast before heading off to work. In his attempts to keep me quiet so my mother could sleep in, he taught me the alphabet from the letters on the shredded wheat box, and then how to write the letters on my chalk board. I begged to learn to write cursive because my parents both had beautiful handwriting. My mother gave me her old Schaeffer fountain pen, a bottle of ink, and all the paper I wanted when I was very young—much younger than you’d think any sensible parent would give her child a bottle of ink. I distinctly remember she taught me the word ‘indelible’. I was very careful and never spilled a drop! In kindergarten I spent most of the time in the corner because I already knew how to read and understood numbers, shapes, and colors. Because I grew up in a small town, all the teachers knew me and after my ‘corner-garten’ in the morning, I was allowed to attend second grade in the afternoon.
# How do I deal with creative block?
I used to think I needed to contact ʻthe Muse’ to create. I wasted a lot of time.
Now I know the only thing blocking me is myself.
I discovered that if I leave myself a thread at the end of a writing period, I can pick up the trail easily the next day. Once I have words on paper, then I have something to work with. An empty page is just an empty page–it’s like a potter with a lump of clay. Spin the wheel. Pick up the pen. Now what? When I have the barest hint of something, things have a way of working themselves out.
I’ve learned not to take things too seriously: the first draft is just me telling myself the story. I’ve learned to trust the process.
# What is the biggest mistakes you can make in a book?
The biggest mistake is never to start.
Having a friend who believes in you and is willing to give of their time to read the story in its raw form and give feedback is invaluable. A big mistake would be not to utilize their offering.
And then, I’m blessed to have a fabulous editor—one who understands what I’m doing and can follow Sweetie Bird’s logic and grammar (or the breaking of rules heretofore). If my editor didn’t understand what I’m up to as a writer, Sweetie Bird never would have been able to crawl out of the drawer.
# Do you have tips on choosing titles and covers?
I do some of my best thinking when I’m in water, either in the shower or swimming in the Pacific. The ideas come best when I’m not really thinking about it. When the spark comes, then I hold on to the thought until I can get the idea down on paper before it washes away. The idea for In a Pickle came while I was swimming in the Pacific with the green sea turtles. Of course, it had to do with money in a pickle jar—what else? For The Church of Unrealized Fantasies, the image is of the actual Bell Tower on the campus of CSU, Channel Islands. Having two graphic designers, both named Ron, brought my ideas to fruition. These two men are as invaluable as my aforementioned friend and my editor.
# How do bad reviews and negative feedback affect you and how do you deal with them?
I understand that my way of thinking, writing, and my characters may not be for everyone… One reviewer said that they had a little trouble getting past the liberties I take with grammar and the ‘the voice,’ but once they got into the rhythm they enjoyed it. That’s the way it is with some folks, isn’t it? Sometimes people are willing to take the time to walk a mile in someone else’s moccasins to understand where they’re coming from; other folks skate on by. If people don’t take the time, then they never know.
# How has your creative process improved over time?
I’ve learned not to be afraid to make a mistake. It’s just words on paper and they can be changed with a simple flick of the wrist in a cross-out, the scratch of an eraser, or the dabbing of some whiteout. Delete works just fine too. Proofreading is imperative!
# What were the best, worst and most surprising things you encountered during the entire process of completing your book(s)?
The most surprising thing for me is that the character of Sweetie Bird has been with me for so long. I first met her when I wrote a short story entitled “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady.” I put that story in the drawer after it was published in the Macguffin in 2008 and worked on other things. Sometime later, after I’d completed another project, I heard ‘knocking’ coming from my desk drawer. I opened the drawer. In no uncertain terms Sweetie Bird informed me she had a lot more to say. I used the short story as the beginning of The Church of Unrealized Fantasies. What can I do but follow where Sweetie Bird continues to lead me?
# Do you tend towards personal satisfaction or aim to serve your readers? Do you balance the two and how?
I write what I want. If someone else wants to engage with the characters, that’s fine. My friend Bob identified with my characters and said, “Everybody has a bit of Agnes in them.” If folks don’t care for my train of thought, there are plenty of other books for them to read.
# What are your plans for future books?
Currently I just finished editing Book 3 in the Reverend Sweetie Bird series. I was surprised when this book presented itself, but like Hansel and Gretel, I just follow the breadcrumbs. A few days ago, I put Book 3 in the drawer to let it marinate a bit more.
Another book I have in the drawer is my adventures in the classroom where I work with folks who don’t speak the English language and don’t know American culture. Unlike Sweetie Bird, none of those stories are made up!
I need to time book releases due to my teaching schedule. As Charles Bukowski advised as he was writing Post Office: don’t quit your day job!
# Tell us some quirky facts about yourself
As a writer, I’ve had to do all kinds of things to keep food on the table. I’ve been a painter of walls (white mostly), a custodian, a secretary (briefly), a nude model for art classes, a dog and house sitter, a nursery manager, a frame shop manager, a filler of cream puffs, and a dishwasher. For several months I was a potato shed worker who stood on a vibrating machine and threw rotten potatoes into a garbage can as I inhaled the noxious toxic gas, solanine, so McDonald’s could make a buck selling French fries. In that same vein, I also stood on another vibrating machine in the middle of the night tossing out rotten asparagus (and an occasional mouse that caught a ride in from the field) for the Jolly Green Giant.