PT: C.L. Charlesworth, escritora norte-americana presenteada com o poder da imaginação, representado pelo farol que sinaliza que tudo quando é feito com alma, contagia inspiração. Através do seu blog “stories with legs” expressa de forma cativante e sublime todos os pensamentos que navegam na sua mente, sendo este um espaço que prima igualmente pela partilha de histórias entre os leitores. É com a mestria em storytelling,  que desenhou de forma empática cada personagem do seu mais recente livro “The last Merry go round”!

EN: C.L. Charlesworth, an American writer gifted with the power of imagination, is represented by the beacon that signals that everything done with soul, catches inspiration. Through her blog “stories with legs”, she not only expresses the thoughts that navigate her mind, in a captivating and sublime way, but also promotes sharing stories between readers. It is with her mastery in storytelling that she empathetically designed each character in her latest book “The last Merry go round”!

Maria (M): What are you made of?

C.L. Charlesworth (C.L.): I have the gift of imagination, and that has been a beacon all my life. I’m fortunate to be able to take a blank piece of paper and create a page-turning story that evokes a wide array of human drama. I’m inspired by the simplest to the most complex challenge a person can face, and with that, derive empathy for my characters. I would best describe myself as a “back porch storyteller”- writing that grabs you from the first sentence.

M: When did writing come into your life?

C.L.: My father, a steel mill worker, sometimes missed his favorite weekly television shows because of his schedule I would watch these programs, and recant in detail back to Dad what was shown. My storytelling was so enticing, often when we I sat on the porch, he asked me to tell him a story. I think this is where it began, my ability to hold someone’s attention with my short stories. I enjoyed reading particularly the required classics. I often rewrote a different ending, with my tenth-grade English Teacher and mentor’s encouragement, as a way to release my imagination.

M: What is the story behind your last book “The last Merry go round”?

C.L.: The idea came one Saturday morning, when I encountered at an isolated crosswalk, a car with a man and woman inside. They ignored me and I was stunned, the more his voice raged, calling her vile names. The silent women bowed her head and wiped her eyes. In the second she looked up unto his face, the man back-handed her three times. I felt helpless as the car sped away. A real, unhinged sight and sound of someone’s hand slicing into another’s flesh isn’t a move. The image imprinted my mind. Hence, I wrote the fiction thriller about a family named Fletcher, whose secrets are bitter, shocking, and fruitful revelations of the psychological demise of a family when their secrets devour them.

M: Do you have a writing routine?

C.L.: I try to block out at least an hour a day when I’m working on a new project. Shorter goals are more attainable. The optimum writer’s life for me is meditation, reading; listening to classical or jazz, and taking walks.

M: Where do you find inspiration?

C.L.: I’m an avid collector of newspaper and magazine articles, for interesting stories and pictures of people and interesting locations. I can take a photograph of an elderly person and use my imagination and tell an amazing story.

M: What do you do when writing doesn’t flow?

C.L.: I stop and read another book.

M: If you had a superpower, what would it be?

C.L.: I’d want the Power of Casting Spells, to rid the world of evil people who have chosen to turn mankind into a chaotic cesspool.

M: Now, I propose you some fast questions, in which you will have to choose only one option:

 Writing on paper or digital? Paper

 Country or city? City

 Seattle or Porto? Porto

 Jazz or classical music? Classical

M: “Stories with legs” is the name of your incredible blog, where do you want the stories to go?

C.L.: I want to inspire other writers, and open up a dialog with me or others about the issues I written about.

M: J.K. Rowling says: “We don’t need magic to transform our world, we have the power we need within us: we have the power to imagine better”. Do you agree?

C.L.: Yes. Anyone can write a story: we have one swimming inside our minds and pounding at our souls. The problem is fear. Once we let go of fear, there isn’t anything we can’t do, whether it be writing a bestselling novel, seeking a political career, or starting a non-profit (just to name a few). Changing one’s life is not a matter of how, but when.

M: What would you say to the 20-year-old Cheryl?

C.L.: You need to know the difference between “yes” and “no”, small words that will, can, and do: change the course of your life.

M: If we want to know more about you, about your work, where can we contact you?

C.L.: Website and Blog: https://www.storieswithlegs.com this will take you also to my Facebook and Twitter account, and an email to reach me.

Thank you, C.L. 🙂

Maria Alves da Silva