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Author Revealed

Scott William Carter
Photograph © Heidi Carter

Scott William Carter

Scott William Carter is the author of Wooden Bones. His first novel, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, was hailed by Publishers Weekly as a "touching and impressive debut." His short stories have appeared in dozens of popular magazines... Read full bio

Author Revealed:
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. Treat every reader as if they are the only one you have.
Learn more about Scott William Carter
Scott William Carter Revealed
About Scott William Carter
  • What is your birthdate?:
    4/22
  • Previous occupations:
    Bookstore owner, ski instructor, technology trainer.
  • Favorite job:
    Nothing beats writing.
  • High school and/or college:
    I graduated from the University of Oregon.
  • Name of your favorite composer or music artist?:
    Lately, I've really been into Jack Johnson.
  • Favorite movie:
    I'm going with the Lord of the Rings triology.
  • Favorite television show:
    The Office.
Revealing Questions
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
A. Father husband writer reader Redwoods coffee laughter Altoids
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. Treat every reader as if they are the only one you have.
Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
A. I remember Harrison Ford saying once in an interview that he didn't believe in happiness as a pure objective. I pretty much agree with that Happiness is a bi-product of doing something you love, something that gives you meaning. Since I love writing, I try to spend as much time doing it as possible. Now and then, I end up happy because of it.
Q. What’s your greatest fear?
A. Losing people important to me. That and choking on an Altoid.
Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A. The Redwoods. There's nothing like 3000-year-old trees to give you some perspective.
Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
A. I'd go with Mother Teresa, except I don't look good in a habit.
Q. Which living person do you most admire?
A. My wife. Don't tell her, though. I wouldn't want it to go to her head.
Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
A. I was addicted to the phrase "you know," until someone explained to me that no, most people don't know.
Q. What do you regret most?
A. Not getting out more as kid and a young man. I try to make up for it now by spending as much time indoors in front of a computer.
Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A. The ability to make any woman fall in love with me. Of course, it would be a terrible burden, now that I'm married.
Q. What is your greatest achievement?
A. I won my elementary school's Lego building contest in third grade. I don't think I'll ever top that.
Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
A. I have flaws?
Q. What’s your best quality?
A. Every now and then, I make a funny.
Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A. Are you implying I wouldn't want to be me?
Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
A. I move with the speed of a ninja.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A. Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A. Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.
Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A. I'd like to meet Edgar Allan Poe. If we met on the street, I'd probably stammer and say, "Got a light?" But of course, I don't smoke, so it would end up being awkward no matter what he said.
Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
A. I don't name any of my pets Peeve.
Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A. Thinking about writing.
Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
A. Thinking about writing for money.
Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A. I'm extremely proud to say I'm humble. Beyond that, I can't think of any others.
Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A. I'll go with cauliflower.  If I'm going to eat it every day, I'll end up hating it, so I might as well start with someting I already hate.
Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
A. That would be like choosing between my children. If I had five of them.
On Books and Writing
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
A. Wow, I could spend a week on that question. Let's go with Nick Hornby, John D. MacDonald, Stephen King, and Bill Waterson.
Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A. The way I look at it, I haven't read them yet. If you think about how how many millions of books have been published, and how few I've read, the odds of this statement being true are very high.
Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
A. There's just too many books to read to spend time on ones I've already read, even ones I like quite a bit.
Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
A. If you haven't written a million words, then you haven't tried hard enough yet.
Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
A. I have readers?
Q. How did you come to write Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys?
A. I was inspired by someone I know who ran away from home as a teenager, getting caught because they committed a crime far away, in another state. I also wanted an opportunity to work out my long repressed teenage angst.