Craft Corner with Carling McQuinn

by Ahlaam Abdulwali ’25

For this month’s Craft Corner, I had the honor of interviewing Carling McQuinn ‘25. Carling is an Economics and Creative Writing major here at Macalester. You might recognize her name for winning the Nick Adams short story contest in 2023 for “Phantom,” a short story she wrote as a first-year in Introduction to Creative Writing. I’d encourage anyone reading this article to check it out here!

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What sparked your passion for creative writing? Do you remember the first creative piece you wrote?

In second grade, my best friend and I started brainstorming stories together. I’d write and she’d illustrate and then we’d read them aloud to the whole class. The first piece was called “The Tale of the Girl Who Loved Writing,” so I think it’s pretty obvious I’ve had a passion for storytelling for a while now. My parents also were influential to my love for reading when I was growing up and exposed me to all sorts of fiction—whether they were reading a chapter to me and my brother before bedtime or taking me to the library as often as they could. As soon as I realized creative writing was something people did as a living, I never looked back. 

What draws you towards long form pieces like short stories and novels?

Character is the most important part of what I write and is typically what draws me in as a reader. I find that the length of short stories allows me time to delve into that character’s psyche and pull apart all the pieces of their mind that I need to tell the story. I think of each character I write as either an extension of myself or a sort of fictional friend, and you just can’t get to know someone without spending enough time with them. Writing something as long as a novel, of course, is a different experience altogether. It can often be like having a really intense crush—it’s all-consuming. When I’m in the middle of a draft, it’s hard to think about anything else. I’m constantly brainstorming and writing dialogue in my head, even when I’m supposed to be doing something else. So I guess the bottom line here is, what I like about writing short stories is that super close character exploration I get to do at a specific space and time, and what I like about writing novels is how powerful and real that story becomes to me. 

What is your creative writing process like? Do you let ideas marinate before writing? How long does it take you to write a piece typically?

It truly depends! I’ve written complete stories in an afternoon before. I go back later and revise, sure, but the bulk of the work gets done in a few hours, and that’s always the most incredible experience. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen a lot. Normally, I spend some time thinking through the vague arc of the piece—I try to know who my main character is, what they want, and what they’re going to do that’s worth writing a story about. That’s it. Everything else I figure out while drafting. Sometimes this means my revision process is a little bit more involved, but it’s the only way that I can maintain the initial excitement and creativity that got me to start writing in the first place. In general, a shorter piece takes me a couple weeks, depending on what else I have going on. A novel draft—for someone who is writing with no publisher or deadline (yet!)—takes me the better part of a year. 

What authors do you draw inspiration from?

For my honors project, I’ve been reading some incredible short stories, and Kelly Link and Carmen Maria Machado in particular both have magical realism collections that have inspired me. I also love Taylor Jenkins Reid and Emily Henry for their punchy contemporary novels; V.E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo for their dark and deeply imagined magical worlds; and of course, if there are any true romance/fantasy fans out there, Sarah J. Maas will always be one of my favorites (although less-so as writing inspiration and more-so as a reader). 

What creative writing projects are you currently working on?  

I currently only have time for my honors project. I’m writing a magical realism short story collection centered around growing into adulthood and discovering what independence truly means through various avenues. It’s a fiction project through and through, but this one definitely draws from my personal experiences and emotions at its core. It’s been a fun time so far, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!

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Thank you to Carling for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions!