Carol Parchewsky—An Excellent Writer Beside Us
by Haiyue Yu
Carol Parchewsky
In Calgary, Alberta, lives an excellent writer who impresses me deeply. Her name is Carol Parchewsky. Carol is a writer who dabbles in many different writing fields including picture books, poetry, creative nonfiction, middle-grade and adult fiction. Since the beginning of her writing career, she has published many works like poetry and paintings in AWCS Alberta Skies. Carol always keeps a passion for writing. Now, she is working on her next manuscript—a middle-grade novel which she has spent much time and effort on. Also, she has begun to make a collection of interlinked short stories.
Carol is a versatile person. Besides her writing career, she also has many achievements in other fields. At the University of Saskatchewan, Carol earned her Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering degree; at the University of Calgary, she received her Postgraduate Certificates in Professional Management—PEG, E-learning, and Creative Writing; she is also leads some government and civic organizations, in both the public and private sectors. For example, she is the Operations Director of Legend Grafix, which is an all-inclusive graphic design house based in Calgary, Alberta.
It was my honor to connect with Miss Carol Parchewsky, and I got some answers about her life and writing:
H Y: What are your hobbies besides writing? Do you think these hobbies help your writing career? If so, how?
Sometimes if you’re stuck on a piece, the best thing to do is take a break and do something else that stimulates your creativity, like baking, going for a walk, or viewing art. Your mind will make new connections if you’re not worrying about how to fill a page.
I like reading, cooking, baking, knitting, hiking, and gardening. Yes, I do think hobbies help my writing career. Sometimes when I am working out, [I think of] what happens next with a story, or how a character will react in a story; I need time away from the page. I find that these other hobbies provide space from the work, and time to sit with the idea and approach the idea from a different way without the presence of a blank page awaiting words.
H Y: As you know, literature associates with culture. How do the cultural elements influence your writing, and which culture would you like to mention in your next writing?
In my work, I am often influenced by cultural elements. I find artwork, especially contemporary work, a fascinating prompt for ideas.
H Y: From all of your writings, which one are you most proud of? And why?
The piece that I am the proudest of is still under development. It is a middle-grade novel. This was the first novel that I wrote. It was inspired by a painting by Atanas Chongarov. I find that art and writing can be interlinked. Either art or writing can inspire or inform the other craft.
From the answers, we learned that Carol is a writer who really enjoys life. Usually, art comes from our daily life, so real life is a good place for writers to find inspiration. Carol knows and does just that. She enjoys her hobbies like cooking and baking when she’s not writing. These breaks not only relax her but also help provide her with new writing ideas. Her attitude to life and writing is very positive. In the appreciation of culture, Carol is different from other writers: some writers appreciate historical or regional culture, but Carol likes the culture from contemporary artworks. I really think that we will get an excellent novel from her.
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