Name: Caryn Cross Hawk
Genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Essays and Memoir
What has been your most rewarding moment as an author?
On August 23, 2024, I published my first book with DRL Press– a collection of short stories entitled Slices of Life: Essays * Fiction *Memoir. The book consists of stories written over the course of several years including my time in Georgetown and joining the San Gabriel Writers League. The themes are Coming of Age, Career and Workplace, Family and Friends, Love and Marriage and Travel and Adventure. I’d published a few articles in alumni magazines, but this is my first book. I have received some very positive initial feedback on the book which has been very encouraging and rewarding.
If you could offer one piece of writing advice to a novice author…
Join a writers group for general information and resources.
Also become involved in a critique sub-group with members who have similar writing goals, e.g. the members are interested in publishing a book of a certain genre or within a certain time frame. Agree upon the number of words to write at a regular interval. This will give you an opportunity to interact regularly with other writers who are serious, provide you with opportunities to give and receive feedback and keep you focused and productive.
I did this after moving to Georgetown and it was key in giving me the confidence and motivation to publish my first book. The group was very supportive and critical to maintaining my focus to achieve my book publication goal.
What have been some of the biggest helps for developing your writing skills?
Taking classes at local colleges, participating in workshops presented by writers’ groups including SGWL, talking with other writers, reading books on the craft and trying some of the suggested exercises.
Have you ever based characters on real people?
Yes, but I always change the names and some of the circumstances and characteristics (such as geographic location, character ages and genders, time period of story, ethnicities, etc.) to protect people’s privacy.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading and how often do you read?
I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction. I read every day and I am often reading more than one book at a time.
What is your goal/dream as an author?
Two of my major goals are to write a novel and to have that novel turned into a movie and to have one of my stories adapted as a play.
Awards
I’ve placed in two SGWL Writing Contests to date:
2023 Spring Writing Contest, 3rd Place Fiction: “Like Father Like Son”
2022 Spring Writing Contest, 3rd Place Fiction: “Hurricane David Is No Match for Us”
Biography
I was born in Chicago and educated there before going to St. Paul’s School, a college preparatory boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire. I earned a BA in Psychology from Harvard University and an MBA in Finance at the University of Chicago. My 30-year career included roles as a small business consultant at two major accounting firms, mid-level management positions at United Airlines and Director roles at the American Bar Association.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566409766998
