Meet Carrie Carter | Author & Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in La Porte, Texas, a city 30 minutes outside of Houston known for its petro-chemical industry and refineries. We lived on a street within what you couldn’t even really call a neighborhood, really just a few streets together and a handful of houses. There was one other kid my age, and of course my older sister, who wanted little to do with me when we were younger. As a result, I spent a lot of time reading and daydreaming. Stories percolated in my brain, either someone else’s or my own odd creation, and I knew at one point, I would have to write a novel. It was a fate a result of my childhood.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am proud that Whiskers Abroad went from a very loose concept – cats, coffee, Japan, and delicious food – to an actual book that was published and available for sale. It took a longer than it should because when I had free time to write, my mind would wander and I’d be looking up odd facts on the internet. Who invented the stapler? (George McMill) Can river blindness be cured? (Ivermectin gets rid of the disease but any blindness caused by it is permanent). How much romaine lettuce is a 100 calories? (about 13 cups, shredded). My sister kept me on track as well as she could. After much delays, she instructed me to sit down and write my two crappy sentences a day. I did. Sometimes I wrote more. Eventually we had a rough draft.

I think, no matter what you want to do, consistency is key. If you want to run a marathon, sticking with the schedule and running those low mileages during the week mean the difference between the finish line and a DNF, did not finish. Writing is the same. Churning out on a consistent schedule, no matter how small, will get you to the finish line.

I know that sounds like a creativity killer, but the reality is, it’s not. By being consistent, you get into a groove and find the confidence to let your self shine.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m very motivated by food so I have some to-go to food places I’d take them. First, we’d go to Chavez Restaurant, a great Tex-Mex restaurant that does it right. Is the interior fancy? No, but it’s designed where you can actually have a conversation and not scream, and the food is off the charts delicious. I’d take them to eat at a restaurant in Asia town the next day, my preference being Kuen Noodles for the best ramen the city has to offer, but I can be flexible if they want to go elsewhere. There are so many amazing restaurants in the area. And I’d take them to Bollo, even though I know great pizza exists all over the world but I love it their pizza. I don’t eat it often (too many calories and also pizza means drinking wine with it) so this is my excuse to chow down on pizza.

For night life, I’d take them to the Continental Club, where life music in a dive environment inspires dancing and fun. I’m a bit biased though. My band Molly and the Ringwalds used to play Friday happy hour there for over ten years. It was a fantastic experience and a ton of fun. If they like dancing to a DJ, a trip to Numbers on Friday night is a must. This Houston institution is going strong. My uncle danced there in the late 70’s I danced there in the 90’s and now my nieces and nephew dance there. Three generations! #classicnumbers

For non-food and non-late night activities, I’d take them to Archway Galleries. I’m always blown away by the quality of art there and want to share the amazement with other people. However, I must leave my credit card at home. It’s all so tempting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many different people played a part in making me who I am today. It’s difficult to pick one, and honestly, difficult to pick even just a dozen. I will keep this short. I promise. My grandmother, as I found out when I got older, loved to write short stories. She had dozens of them stashed away, and I was delighted and shocked when I read them. Some were sweet childern stories of teddy bears playing on rainbows, and others were dark twisted tales of a deformed daughter, locked in a basement, who gets her revenge on her family. It showed me you didn’t have to stuff yourself into one type of box for writing. She also encouraged me to write, telling me, “if you have a chance to write, do it.”
My sister did the lay-out on the current book Whiskers Abroad, and she kept me on track, demanding to see pages, forcing me to keep deadlines. It wouldn’t have gotten completed without her.
And this guy, whose name I don’t know, but his enthusiasm and energy has been etched on my psyche forever. He was a volunteer, a hippy type dude with long bushy red hair and an equally bushy red beard, that came to the elementary school to talk about books. He was excited about the stories and as I watched him in front of the class, I knew he understood me and I understood him. I wanted to be him as I got older, open and unabashed about my love of stories. I may have had a wee crush on him.

Website: carriecarterwrites.com

Instagram: CarrieCarterWrites or https://www.instagram.com/carriecarterwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carriecarterwrites

Image Credits
Photo By Jack Opatrany for bio photo and band photo, rest by me and my husband