Hi, I'm Carrie! I’m a creative writer whose love for stories isn’t so much of a passion as it is an obsession. For as long as I can remember, I've needed to understand how they work: how all the separate parts come together to create stories that move us, shape us, and stay with us long after they're done.
As a kid, I watched every special feature about the making of Titanic I could find and wanted everyone I'd ever known to go to the theaters with me to see the Lord of the Rings films separately so I could watch them again and again and again. I went down every rabbit hole on the internet I could find to learn more about Harry Potter and lovingly bought second copies of my favorite books so I could mark in them (only in pencil, of course. I'm no monster.)
It took me a long time to realize that what connected these stories wasn't a particular genre or style or theme. It was care. The people who made these stories cared deeply about them and paid attention to getting every detail right, so they became worthy of my attention too.
If narrative engineering were a field of study, I'd have majored in it. Since it isn't, I did the next best thing and made a career out of thinking way too much about writing.
Highlights include getting my BFA in Creative Writing and writing my master’s thesis on how narratives shape women's expectations in romantic and sexual relationships. I’ve also taught English in Seville, Spain (which you may know as Dorne if you watched Game of Thrones) and spent nearly a decade helping writers at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Currently, I work in instructional design and volunteer with a local writing center.
The same values that drive my work show up in my writing too. For nearly ten years, I wrote screenplays. I loved the economy of language and attention to detail the genre demands. I didn't love the reality of the industry, and since moving to LA was never an option, I pivoted to creative nonfiction, prose poems, and personal essays. I know these formats seem very different, but my focus is the same: every word matters, every detail counts, and meaning gets packed into very small spaces.
Outside of writing, I’m a dedicated dog mom who spends as much time with my rescue pup Rudy as possible. He's my baby, my best friend, and quite possibly the love of my life. His interests include chasing sticks, eating cheese, and being a very good boy.
If you'd like to know more about me, please check out my blog, my writing samples, or my social media links below. You can also reach out if you have any questions, and you're welcome to follow Rudy on Instagram at #rudytherudabaga where you'll see him living his very best life.
