AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Carolyn Clarke

Carolyn Clarke is the founder and curator of HenLit Central, a blog focused on ‘life and lit’ for women over 40. And Now There's Zelda is her second book after her multi-award winning and bestselling book, And Then There’s Margaret (women's fiction - comedy drama). She has been an ESL teacher for over sixteen years and has co-authored several articles and resources with Cambridge University Press, MacMillan Education and her award-winning blog ESL Made Easy. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her partner, Tony, her two daughters and a bulldog, Sophie.

Q: What inspired you to write humorous fiction from a woman's perspective?
Answer: I've always enjoyed reading lighthearted books written in the first person by women. It feels more intimate to be inside their heads, following along on their journeys. It's up close and personal. When I was younger, I devoured these ‘chick lit’ reads because they were easy and fun. With their colorful, cute covers depicting dreamy landscapes, snowflakes, and sprinkles on cupcakes, these books often feature strong female protagonists, although many are single millennials swiping left in search of love, struggling for independence, or on a noble quest for political correctness. However, as I've aged, I've lost interest in the frivolous romps, typical angst, and adventures of 20 or even 30-somethings.

Writing about characters I can identify with is frankly what inspired me to write my debut novel And Then There’s Margaret. Fleshing out the story and the characters I wanted came easy as I observed the world around me, noticing and hearing about all the potential situations unique to women aged 40 and above, including relationships, work, family dynamics, aging parents and societal expectations. For those books written in this genre, it's refreshing to see the mix of funny and messy, and the messy feeling all too real and relatable. It's about finding humor in the everyday challenges and triumphs of being a woman smack dab in the middle of the sandwich generation. I know I've gained a deeper sense of empathy and understanding for what middle aged women are currently experiencing. Ultimately, it's about finding humor in the complexities of life and offering readers a fresh, resonating, and entertaining take on the world through a female lens.

Q: How do you infuse humor into your stories while addressing important themes or issues?
Answer: Writing dramedies can be tricky. This mixed genre, blending drama and comedy, requires characters and situations that feel genuine, unpredictable, flawed, and relatable. Serious themes such as illness, family struggles, divorce, and aging need to be fleshed out with added details to personalize them, while humorous moments should be sprinkled throughout to lighten the tone.

As a relatively new writer in the literary world, I've learned that creating characters with distinct personalities, quirks, and comedic traits is essential. Both of my books revolve around the complex relationship between a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. Despite the challenges they face, Allie and Margaret ultimately grow closer and become better people, although Allie fears turning into her mother-in-law now that the shoe is on the other foot in And Now There’s Zelda – the stories are filled with realism and humor that enlighten and perhaps soften the narrative.

I’ve also learned that dialogue and wordplay play a crucial role in infusing humor into serious conversations or situations. Crafting witty exchanges between characters can lighten the mood without undermining the gravity of the underlying themes. Ensuring each chapter and scene remains engaging and unpredictable while balancing humor and depth is essential in dramedy, offering readers an entertaining and meaningful experience on multiple levels.

Q: Can you share a favorite comedic moment or character from one of your novels?
Answer: One of my favorite characters besides Allie and Margaret is Val, Allie’s best friend and troubleshooter. Val is extremely flawed but identifiable. She’s incredibly distinct when it comes to her colorful personality, her voice, and mannerisms. Since Val is one of the characters who could embody all your friends rolled up into one, I had to get it right, even when it came to describing her facial expressions and gestures. In each scene with Val, there was fun and drama. Val adds the right dosage of laughter and makes the scenes she’s in come alive.

Q: How do you approach balancing humor with emotional depth in your writing?
Answer: Besides getting older and feeling it, I feel I’ve gained the wisdom that comes with age and experience. I have much better control over my emotions. I know myself better and have a greater sense of compassion and empathy towards others. And that’s important when it comes to balancing humor and emotional depth.

Over the course of writing the first book, there were a few approaches I learned from a series of creative writing courses that helped with balancing and emotional depth. It’s referred to as character development. I struggled with this at first as it’s not easy creating well-rounded characters with depth and complexity, including both humorous and serious traits. You have to allow the characters to evolve and reveal different facets of themselves throughout the story, showing vulnerability and emotional depth alongside their comedic tendencies.
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Again, using humor to lighten intense moments or to provide relief after emotional scenes, while also delving into the characters' inner struggles and emotional arcs is challenging but important to accomplish in this genre.

Timing and pacing are also necessary so that the injected humor naturally arises from the characters' interactions (and their actions and body language) and the unfolding plot, while also giving sufficient space for emotional moments to resonate with readers. It took me a while to learn this, and I hope to continue developing this skill.
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Lastly, I believe that you need to allow readers to empathize with your characters’ struggles and triumphs. Even in humorous situations, a character’s emotional depth needs to shine through, especially when trying to resonate with readers’ own experiences and emotions. I want my core readers who would enjoy my books to laugh, cry, and reflect to have a deeper connection and emotional investment in the story.

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Visit Carolyn on her website: 
https://henlitcentral.com/
Join Carolyn on Faceboook: 
www.facebook.com/CarolynClarkeAuthor
Follow Carolyn on Instagram: 
www.instagram.com/carolynclarkeauthor/
Engage Carolyn on twitter: 
https://twitter.com/CarolynRClarke

LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Now-Theres-Zelda-Perfect-Dramedy/dp/1685134114