Anyway, I belong to an exclusive group of middle grade writers, the MGnarwhals. Our fearless team captain read an interesting blog post by Ann and reached out to her with questions. He somehow managed to book a chat for all us narwhals. I probably shouldn't go into too much detail on the meeting as it was informal in structure (mostly a Q&A) and some bits of advice about writing and publishing was meant just for us narwhals, but I'll share a couple nuggets or takeaways from the Q&A. But first, can I just say how much I loved her energy? So much energy for writing and reading and doing the best you can! Nugget #1 When talking about her writing process, she talked about all the false starts, the messy drafts, and manuscript flops. (They happen to all of us!) What I won't forget, though, is her optimism. "You keep getting better!" she said, meaning that the secret to writing (and maybe even publishing traditionally) is to keep writing. It's such a simple recipe for success. Keep writing. Get better! I know this to be true. I think about the writer I was even last year, and I'm completely different. I'm better... I can't wait to see how my writing skills improve next year and the next... Nugget #2 You can read her publishing story on her blog (link above), but she had a few setbacks when her book was released. Instead of hanging her head and moaning about her challenges, though, she got to work. "When it comes to promoting," she said. "Don't shy away." She talked about how retweeting something positive about her book was easy because it wasn't about her. It was about Zoe (her main character) and her story. Why wouldn't she support her friend? "It's like your baby!" she said. "Advocate! No regrets!' Her method worked because it was through word of mouth that I heard about the book. It was the same for many of us, I think. Conclusion
I'm thinking about the meeting and I can't remember all the questions or even all the answers, just the excitement and energy! You know how some people say they can see themselves in others? You know, I think I can see myself in Ann. Years from now. After publishing my first book and having a second soon to be released. I'll be as excited as her. ha ha! I hope so anyway. I know some people get worn down by the politics and sloooow process of publishing, but if there's anything I've learned it's that writing is writing. Whether you're starting in on your first book, in the query trenches, or published... you've got to love telling stories to get your through.
1 Comment
12/2/2021 08:32:33 am
I love her book, probably because the octopus is my spirit animal, but she is also a very insightful writer. It's nice to discover more of her story here. Thanks for writing about this, Kassie!
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