Author Spotlight Interview

https://aquintillionwords.com/2024/09/16/carollyne-haynes-author-interview/

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Raised by Committee – Carollyne Haynes
I’ve read a lot of books, but Carollyne’s first – Raised by Committee – was certainly one of the most impactful for me. It’s story of survival after abuse and abandonment, and based on Carollyne’s own life experiences. I’m so happy Carollyne agreed to answer some of my burning questions about life, her book, and what’s coming next. You can read my review for Raised by Committee here!

1. Firstly, thank you for sharing your experiences in this book. Such a brave and wonderful thing to do! When did you first consider putting your childhood experiences down on paper (or screen?!) Was there a specific thing that motivated you?
A few years ago, I registered for an online writing course and several of the projects involved free fall writing [W.O. Mitchell’s technique], which often led me down the dark path of memories concerning my childhood experiences.  My writing tutor kept encouraging me to dig deeper, sensing that there was a story to be told, but I was reluctant to go there.  When I mentioned this to my husband, he suggested that instead of dredging up painful memories, I should focus on ‘what happened after the police came’ – so that is what I did.  I contacted the Devon County Council and was able to obtain a copy of the 500 pages of documentation concerning my time under their care as a ‘ward of the courts in need of moral protection’.  After reading the file, which contained many ‘behind the scenes’ details that I wasn’t aware of as a child, I suddenly realized that I had literally been ‘raised by a committee’ of dedicated child care workers, educational psychologists, social workers and others.  ‘Raised by Committee’ is a tribute to these hidden angels who devote their lives to taking care of the children who, through no fault of their own, become the flotsam of our society.

2. It goes without saying that certain parts of this book must have been difficult to write. Did the process of writing this book help you to heal further from everything you experienced growing up?
Absolutely!  When writing the first draft of ‘Raised by Committee’, I literally spewed every emotion that I had stuffed deep down inside of me out onto the page … the pain, the fear, the sense of isolation, the anger, and so much more. But when I went back and read the first draft, I realized that, shining through all these negative emotions, was the real story.  It was the story of being cared for by strangers, given the opportunity to continue my grammar school education and go on to college, and the story of being able to not only survive the trauma of my childhood, but to thrive.  I am deeply indebted to them all.

3. How do you hope readers will respond to your story? Is there any specific demographic you hope will read and take inspiration from your words?
Hopefully, by reading ‘Raised by Committee’, people will appreciate the impact of childhood sexual abuse and the lasting scars it can leave on those affected.  ‘Raised by Committee’ has been recommended as a resource for social workers, teachers, students entering the field of child care, and others who deal with victims of childhood abuse.

4. What advice would you give to someone who is currently experiencing a type of abuse, or those who are growing up in care?
My biggest fear as a child was that, if I told anyone what was going on, they wouldn’t believe me.  I’m sure this is a common response, unfortunately, and I don’t have an easy answer.  There is a huge amount of shame associated with being abused, so I just wanted to pretend to the outside world that it wasn’t happening.  Fortunately, thanks to books like mine, and organizations like Little Warriors, awareness of this issue is increasing.  Help is out there … so I would encourage them to reach out to a safe family member, teacher, clergyman or neighbour.  
As for those currently growing up in care, while it is not always an easy road, it is important to remember that caregivers ultimately have your best interests at heart.  No one can replace your family, but at least you are somewhere safe.  Your future is in your hands, so strive to do everything in your power to get on a path to future success.

5. Is there a specific way you protect your emotional and mental health when you discuss your experiences with others?
I have to admit that the raw emotions are still there inside me, and sometimes they threaten to burble over, but I remind myself that I survived and have gone on to live a fulfilling, happy life.  I still tend to gloss over the details, focussing instead on how fortunate I was to receive such excellent care.  But at the same time, as a mother of a beautiful daughter, I have to ask myself how my mother could abandon me and let this all happen.  What sort of person does that?  Unfortunately, I’ll have to take that question to my grave.

6. How long did it take to write this book from the first draft to publication?
I pounded out the first draft in a few months, then set it aside briefly before reading it over. I then spent another couple of months purging all the superfluous stuff … if a word, or sentence or paragraph didn’t ‘move the story forward’ it was deleted. All in all, I spent more than a year working on the manuscript before releasing it for publication.

7. What are some of your favourite books and authors? Have there been any that inspired you?
I read books across a broad spectrum, but a couple that stand out are ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ by Mark Haddon; and ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ by Melissa Fu.  I also enjoy historical fiction and have read many of Phillipa Gregory’s books.  Margaret Atwood’s writing was an early inspiration for me to start writing, and I had the privilege of meeting her at one of her readings here in British Columbia.

8. What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a series of blogs entitled ‘Behind the Scenes’ which I will start posting in the near future. The blogs will focus on stories and details that readers of my books might be interested in. I am also working on adapting ‘A Matter of Issue’ [my second book] into a screenplay, and adapting ‘Raised by Committee’ to an audiobook.  Both these projects are quite ambitious as I have to ‘learn as I go’.

9. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Is there anything you want to achieve with your writing or any other avenue?
Many people who read ‘Raised by Committee’ ask what happened in my life after I turned 18 and was no longer in care, so I would like to write a series of short stories highlighting some of the turns my life has taken – but this time I would like to aim for a more light-hearted tone with some humour thrown in … we could all do with a good laugh in this day and age.

10. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new authors?
What worked for me was treating it like a job, insofar as I would go into my office at 9 every morning and not leave there until noon at the earliest – even on bad days, when I just sat and stared at the blank screen!  I also had a straw man outline of the progress of the story … what each chapter would include and how it moved the story forward.  The main thing is to just start writing … the cat sat on the mat, how now brown cow, etc. … or whatever it takes to get those creative juices running.  Get it all out on paper and then edit, edit, edit.  Both my books took circuitous routes to the final versions, changing quite dramatically along the way.  

About the author

Born in Devon, England, I have been playing with words in one form or another all my life. From editorial assistant on London’s famous Fleet Street, to the publication of two full length novels, I continue to make music with my words.
At age 20 I emigrated to Canada and have made it my home ever since. During my years in Ottawa I worked as a Member’s Assistant at the House of Commons and the Conference Board of Canada, before heading west with husband and two children. After four years in Calgary we packed up and moved again, this time to Vancouver Island where I now live with my husband, Jim. I have three children, four grandchildren, four grand-chickens and a grand-dog … I am indeed truly blessed!
My writing shines a spotlight on contemporary issues, and lays them bare.