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Winner of 2 Vocal Challenges, Misty Rae

Mariann Carroll ‘s Interview Blog

By Mariann CarrollPublished 11 months ago Updated 11 months ago 6 min read
15
Misty Rae ‘s Photo

Misty Rae is a Legend Writer in my book, I hope you enjoy reading her stories just as much as I do. An interview with two times first place winner to Vocal challenges, Misty Rae.

Misty Rae is retired trial lawyer. She is now a full time writer as well a wife to a talented artist. She has three boys.

Mariann (New York) : Where are you from?

Misty Rae ( Canada ) : I was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick. My mother died when I was 3 weeks old . I was adopted and moved to Oromocoto, New Brunswick. That's where I spent my entire childhood. Now, I live in northern Ontario.

Mariann : Why did you join Vocal ?

Misty Rae : Like many people, I was enticed to join Vocal by one of the larger challenges. I think it was The Little Black Book Challenge, $20,000 for a short story? Hell yes!

Mariann: When did you start writing?

Misty Rae: I started writing before I could actually perform the physical act of putting words to paper. I learned to read at three and was fascinated by books and stories. I loved them! Somewhere along the line, I started making up my own. I'd tell them to my parents and other adults that happened to be around and they'd fuss over me and give me money. Not a lot, like a quarter or something. I was a professional writer, or at least storyteller, before I started school, LOL.

I've been writing ever since. My first published work was a poem I wrote in kindergarten. It was called Snow and I had the distinction of being the only kindergartener accepted into our elementary school's newspaper, The Roadrunner.

Over time, my writing changed and became more therapeutic, a way of sorting out complex feelings, etc. It also became something I did only for myself. I stopped sharing it with others. In fact, I hid it for decades. It was actually joining Vocal and their challenges that inspired me to begin sharing my work.

Mariann: What do you like to write about and why?

Misty Rae : Oh, wow, that's a loaded question! I guess the starting point is my life. I like writing about my experiences and sharing them with people, both as a means of processing my own insanity, for lack of a better word, and hopefully, touching others.

I have what I think is a pretty unique perspective on the world given my upbringing. I'm mixed-race (Black father, white mother), but white-presenting and was raised in a Black home. That was pretty different in the 1970s and 80s.

Add to that a complicated sort of love/hate relationship with my mother, becoming a young single mother to 3 boys myself, and clawing my way from poverty to a law degree .

Mariann: What your favorite story you wrote on Vocal and why?

Misty Rae : My favorite story will likely surprise most people because it's not one of my winning pieces. I mean, I guess they were good too, but the one closest to my heart is Little Man. It's a short story based on my father's life and one of the stories he used to tell about failing grade 5 and deciding to quit school at 10 years old. It's not my best work. Looking at it now after 2 years, I can see how much I've grown as a fiction writer. In fact, I may need to go back and clean it up, LOL.

Mariann: What is your real life schedule and how do you fit your writing in it?

Misty Rae: My schedule is pretty loose. I gave up practicing law years ago and now write full-time, so my time is mostly my own. I generally get up around 7:30, have my coffee, watch the news, read, and putter around for a bit. Then I get cleaned up, respond to comments, and hang out with Rudy, my puppy. We usually spend a couple hours each day at the dog park or out hiking.

I don't really "find time" to write. It's not like that. I don't have that type of discipline as a writer. I don't schedule it. I write when the lightning bolt of inspiration hits me. That can be anytime.

Misty Rae’s Writing Space Photo

Mariann : What does your writing space look like?

Misty Rae: My writing space is my dining room table. I like to keep it neat and free of clutter.

Fun Facts : The art works on the walls in Misty Rae’s writing space was created by her husband, Carl.

Mariann : If you can be a book, what title would you give yourself?

Misty Rae : If I were a book, the title would be "Holy Fu*k, Now What?," because my life is filled with a never-ending stream of absurdity. Something is always happening. I'm one of those people that seems to either find themselves in the middle of ridiculous situations or approached by the most unusual people. It can be pretty stressful sometimes, but at least my life is never boring. Plus, it always gives me something to write about.

Fun Fact: This is her first Place story in the Hometown Heroes Challenge

Mariann : What vocal Facebook group do you belong in?

Misty Rae: I belong to a few Vocal related Facebook groups, Vocal + Assist, Great Incantations, Medium and Vocal Writers Group and Vocal Social Society.

Fun Fact : Chosen Princess, 2nd place to the Bedtime Stories Challenge

Mariann: What are your most proud accomplishment on Vocal ?

Misty Rae: I've won 3 challenges, 2 first place, 1 second place. The first place stories were The World According To Winnie. I've also been runner-up in 2 challenges that are listed on my profile. However, I also was a Vocal + Fiction Award finalist and placed in the Moment of Freedom Challenge.

I've had 12 Top Stories to date. Of those, I think my favorite was Beyond Infinity because it was the first time one of my fiction pieces received that distinction. https://vocal.media/fiction/beyond-infinity

Mariann: Do you have any other hobbies?

Misty Rae : Yes, I do have other hobbies. I love to cook. I'm actually a very good cook and had I not gone into law, I may have considered becoming a chef. I still think about going on Hell's Kitchen as a contestant, but my temper would get the best of me. Gordon Ramsay would scream in my face exactly once and I'd be done, LOL.

I also love to read, which I suppose is a given. But most of my time lately has been taken up on a project I'm working on - a novel based on the life of my 6th great grandfather, Paris O'Ree. He was a slave on a South Carolina rice plantation. He ran away at 15 to join the British Army in the American Revolution and gained his freedom and passage to Canada. He's listed in The Book of Negroes as "Paris - stout lad."

The book's title is, or will be, as it stands right now, I Ran So You Could Fly. It's fiction, but based on my actual ancestor. The truth is, there aren't enough records for me to write an actual historical account of Paris' life. Recordkeeping for African Americans and Canadian was scant at best, especially back in the 1700s.

There you have it, my interview with a vocal first creator legend. She has accomplished most of us dream of on Vocal. Thank you, Vocal Interview Blog fans. I leave you with Misty Rae, First Place Challenge Story in Boss Mom:

( If you want to be interview, contact me on Instagram @vocalmariann8carroll.)

Authors
15

About the Creator

Mariann Carroll

Proactive for positive change.Born in the City of Chicago ,Illinois.

Multi race .Studied in a foreign country .Fluent in several languages .

fascinated by diversity.A Romantic and a dreamer.Interest in healthy living

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  2. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  3. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (11)

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  • Phil Flannery11 months ago

    Another great insight.

  • Misty's stories are outta this world! I enjoyed this interview very much!

  • JBaz11 months ago

    Misty is an excellent writer and this was a great interview. so glad you managed to do this

  • Awesome interview and Misty is such a Lovely person ❤️😉📝Thank you again for sharing...💯

  • Another stellar interview allowing us a glimpse of a stellar writer.

  • Deasun T. Smyth11 months ago

    Brilliant interview! This one was so good. Congratulations for all of your accomplishments Misty Rae!

  • Denise E Lindquist11 months ago

    Great interview as usual!!😊💕

  • Babs Iverson11 months ago

    Fabulous interview!!!💖💖💕

  • This was great! Misty Rae has had quite the journey. Her husbands artwork looks fantastic!

  • Tiffany Gordon 11 months ago

    You knocked this interview out of the park Mariann! I loved learning more about Misty! :)

  • Misty Rae11 months ago

    Thank you so much for all your hard work on this! It was a great interview and I had a wonderful time. ❤️

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