Learn more about Whittenberg’s writing process and how The Carnival of Reality came to be.
What did you learn about yourself when writing the book?
I learned that writing short stories is harder than writing a novel. Everything in a short story has to fit whereas a novel has a lot of odds and ends and involves a lot of quilting patches. My longest short stories and my shortest short stories were the easiest to write. That being stated, none of it was easy.
Did your vision for the book ever change when writing it?
I had wanted this novel to be entirely filled with women protagonists, but it ended up being 70%/30%.
What surprised you about your writing process?
I workshopped most of these in my writers’ group. Though they were supportive, I had my doubts.
What do you wish you knew when you first started writing your book?
I wish I knew that I had the order of the stories right. Arranging short stories is a story in and of itself.
Did you do any research for your book? If so, what kind?
Yes, lots. I have visited or lived in 49 of the 50 states (I’ve never been to Hawaii) so the locations in the book I’ve been to. Also, I have worked many, many different jobs and gone out of my way to meet different people so most of these characters are based on real people.
How many works did you write before your first book was published? Were they also short stories?
I’ve written nine novels and published five. I’ve published over a hundred of my poems and twenty-five short stories.
What did it feel like once you’d finished this book?
I’m big on revision — I never feel finished.
Did you ever use this book as a sort of spiritual release?
Yes, there are a lot of secrets in this collection. I share them because I’ve had them to myself for too long.
Do you think you’ve changed because of writing this book?
Short stories are harder for me to write than novels. I’ve always enjoyed reading them but writing them is a trial.
Was there a specific short story that was harder to write than the others?
“Rain” has such a harsh cause and effect story — a lot of my stories deal with abuse but this one I’m especially sensitive to.
