An Interview with Lainy Carslaw

By day, Lainy Carslaw is a novelist, essayist, editor and writing coach. Her work has been published with Causeway Lit, The Sandy River Review, Brevity, Pink Pangea, the Nasty Women anthology, The Fourth River, and several editions of The Madwomen in the Attic anthologies. She is also a regular contributor to her local newspaper, The Hampton News.

By night, she is a competitive gymnastics coach in her family’s business that welcomes over 1,200 students into its doors each week.

At all times, she is the mom of three boys, Koda, Pax, and Neo, and wife to a ninja warrior coach who also owns his own gym.

She holds a poetry degree from The University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in fiction from Chatham University. You can follow her writing and coaching journey on Instagram and Threads: @lainycarslaw

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The original title was The First to Let Go but when I stumbled upon Regrip, I not only felt it fit the book’s theme but was also a unique title.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Seeing my book cover was love at first sight. It sets the perfect tone for the book. When my book arrived in its package, I was too afraid to open it for weeks. I think I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to the moment or that I wouldn’t give it the respect it deserves. So, I set a date, picked a song to play, and made sure to capture the moment!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I started writing stories in third grade and never stopped. In fourth grade I earned a spot at Young Authors Day after writing a story about an opera singing puffer fish named Big Mama. Getting recognized and encouraged to write by that teacher meant so much to me. I took a break from writing after college and having young kids but started having ideas for a book in my early thirties. Fifteen straight years of writing, workshops, and going back to get MFA finally led me here!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have been a gymnastics coach at my family’s gym for over twenty-five years. The excitement, drama, and chaos of the gym is a perfect complement to the quietness and solitude of writing. I love our students and I also love what sports can teach children about bravery, hard work, discipline, and determination. I don’t think I would have been strong enough to follow through with my novel if it wasn’t for the inspiration of my athletes and what I learned from being a gymnast myself. There are a lot of parallels to gymnastics and writing, like constant practice, critique, and editing to get your routine or your book as perfect as you can.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

I think just getting it done. Hitting send on that last draft was a huge moment after over a decade or editing and revising.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I know this answer very easily because we just put on a show with dances that represented the themes in my book. We used the song the inscription in my book comes from: The Promise by Tracy Chapman. That song is about distance and coming back together and the hope of being reunited. Bloodline by Alex Warren is also a perfect song! It talks about breaking the cycles or trauma or abuse that can run through and ruin families.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

The main thing I hope they take away is that everyone is carrying an invisible weight and we can be a light to others and help them carry the heaviness of life. Some people’s weight is heavier than others but we all have baggage and hidden troubles. If we can help or support in any way, or even be a kind voice or face, we should try because we never truly know the private battles others are fighting.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I’m working on a sequel to Regrip. I also have a collection of my favorite essays I’d like to put together. And a gymnastics workbook for athletes.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I loved working with Atmosphere. They gave me the confidence I needed to publish and the professional team to help me finally do it. From the proofreaders, editors, distribution team, and cover design, everyone was kind and professional.

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