A tale of two writers, one a professional, the other not so much

 

Welcome back to the summer edition of Romancing the Genres. The 2024 Romance Slam Jam conference begins on July 11, and I hope to share this anecdote during this three day on line writer's conference. This summer I decided to relax and look back at old joys of my youth, while at the same time working to give something back for the future. 

There are the two parts to today's post. By the end, I hope you will see how they connect and not think I am just throwing out content to fill a post. 

Part 1: The past is hard to relive

This summer, I decided to take the proverbial stroll down memory lane and set out to re-read a number of my childhood favorites. Many of them are officially out of print (yes, I am THAT old.) One of those was a book I felt was my teenaged girl-power anthem. It was published in the 1960s and was there on the shelf of my high school library, waiting for me when I needed it. At a time when almost every book on those shelves featured a male hero/main character, this book, Podkayne of Mars was narrated by a sixteen year old heroine who radiated girl power. She was smart, sassy, dealing with dual-career parents wha had little time for their childreen, and a genius level younger brother well on his way to becoming a Despicable Me style sociopath. Plus, she was born on Mars in the future. As a science fiction lover since my elementary school days, I loved every word of her first person story.

I grabbed an electronic copy, happy to see that you really could find almost anything on the internet, including books that had been out of print for decades.  I settled down to enjoy an old friend all over again. 

Then I reached the final chapter and found myself facing a stranger.  Someone had messed with my story.  I found other editions, each containing the same unfamiliar and unsatisfactory ending.  And they all called it the "original" ending.  I found a note written by the origional author stating this was the ending he always wanted, not the ending the first publisher had him use, the ending that infused me with that girl power feeling that helped me get through my tumultuous teenaged years. 

Apparently, the author intended for the book to showcase that nothing good came from mothers overly  concerned with their careers. (Mothers, not fathers) Never mind that the young protagonist's mother was a renowned scientist doing world changing research. He needed that first ending to show that problems arose because she was too busy to notice the things happening to her kids. I don't know who the unknown publisher was who told him to make changes, but I am forever thankful to them. That original ending would have ripped me apart back then. 

Part 2: the future has its own issues

This spring I volunteered to be a mentor to an aspiring author of middle grade fiction. I was looking at people with a completed manuscript who wanted help whipping that manuscript into shape for publication.  I was volunteering my time at no cost to her, to help her revise the story into something more publication ready. I picked someone on the basis of their fabtasy story. I forgot to query about her experience with things like writing groups or critique partners, at facing any type of feedback at all. I assumed the mentee would want help and advice and be professional enough to realize she needed to revise before she was ready to face a publisher. 

We had exactly one meeting. All I had to do was mention that the prologue seemed to be giving information the reader did not for the story, certainly not at the beginning. And that chapter one had a forest and trees situation where things were so wordy readers might have difficulty seeing her story points. She burst into tears, said she could not work with someone who did not share her vision, and severed ties with me.

Tying the parts together

This is my tale of two writers. One, a professional, the other not so much.  One hated being told to revise his ending, but he did so, albeit grudgedly.  As a result, his book changed the life of at least one impressionable young reader.  The other writer refused to even consider making a change, and, at least for now, she remains a novice writing alone. 

I am not a publisher, and this author had every right to decide to ignore my suggestions,  although I felt the tears were a little much. The author of Podkayne of Mars was a multi-published author, at least in part because while he wrote angry letters afterward, he heeded criticism. I truely hope this aspiring author eventually learns to accept feedback. She really did have an interesting science fiction/fantasy story. I hope to see a smoother version of it some day, perhaps in my local library, where her heroine can inspire others. 

KidLitNation

Introduction by Judith Ashley

SUPPORT AUTHORS OF COLOR

Romancing the Genre is celebrating Children’s Books authors the entire month of June. This weekend we are featuring our own B.A. Binns. Blog Queen, Sarah Raplee, interviewed B.A. when she was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award for yet-to-be published authors in June 2010. When we had an opening in 2011, we invited her to join us.

This is B.A. Binn’s monthly post introduction.

Hi everyone!

I am Young Adult and Middle Grade author Barbara Binns, writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. As my tagline says, I write Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  My debut MG novel, Courage, was recently published by Harper Collins. It's a great read for this, or any season.

Check my books out at http://babinns.com

Last month Barbara posted about a mentoring program sponsored by KidLitNation, a non-profit organization working to assist authors and illustrators of color break into publishing. She has given us permission to use that material this month while as an International Group Blog we celebrate children’s book authors and the Genre-istas share their favorite books growing up.

 Last year, KidLit Nation announced a mentorship program and selected three aspiring children's book writers to work with published authors.

The individuals chosen to be mentored in the KidLitNation 2019-2020 program agreed to share their experiences during the six month mentorship. You’ll see the questions and each of their answers as you read on.

To me, the most important question Barbara asked is why they wanted to write children’s books. As you read on you’ll see that these three women are serious about telling the story of their heart in the best way they can. To do that, they took a chance and signed up with KidLitNation’s mentoring program. 

Good writers are always learning how best to tell their stories. I’m looking forward to the day when Gabriella, Suzannah and Catherine are published authors.

Gabriele Davis comes from a racially and culturally mixed family: African American, Native American, and Swiss/Caucasian. She grew up loving to read, and realizing as she grew older that something was missing in books. There were no families like hers. She applied for the mentorship to write books with humor and heart that allow all children to feel embraced. She picked Russ Busse as her picture book mentor to work with her on her Picture Book, Mary Had a Little Slam.

Suzannah Sebayan is a Filipina-American mother and writer. Since the birth of her daughter, the lack of Filipina voices in children's literature made her determined to write children's stories featuring Filipino characters. She wants to give her daughter the kind of stories she wished she had while growing up. She selected Barbara Binns as her mentor for her Middle Grade story, Mari and Her Amazing Super Cape.

Catherine Velasco is a Latinx who grew up in a multicultural family. She hoped to craft a story that would help children feel less lonely and make them laugh a little too. Her Middle Grade novel is Hammerin' Hector vs. Godzilla Gomez.

Here are their thoughts about their 2019-2020 KIDLIT NATION MENTORSHIP ~

How did you find out about the mentorship program?

Gabrielle: I discovered the mentorship program through KLN’s webinar with Russ Busse in May 2019, which I found either on Twitter or FB. The session included an announcement about the program, so I hightailed it over to the KidLitNation website to locate the details.

Suzannah: I found out about the program from the SCBWI [Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators] Illinois listserv.

Catherine: I found information on social media, from Urania Smith [One of the KidLitNation founders].

Why did you want a mentor? What did you hope to gain?

Gabriele: I had been querying agents for a couple of years with bits of encouragement but no success, so I wanted to better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a picture book writer. I also hoped to improve my craft. I saw this mentorship as an opportunity to move closer to my ultimate goal of bringing my stories into the world.

KidLitNation Mentorship - Writers Helping Writers

KidLitNation is a non-profit organization working to assist authors and illustrators of color break into publishing. (http://facebook.com/kidlitnation) Last year, they announced a mentorship program and selected three childrens's book writers to work with published authors for a six month period.

The individuals chosen to be mentored in the KidLitNation 2019-2020 mentoring program agreed to share their experiences during the six month mentorship.

Gabriele Davis comes from a racially and culturlly mixed family: African American, Native American, and Swiss/Caucasian. She grew up loving to read, and realizing as she grew older that something was missing in books. There were no families like hers. She applied for the mentorship to write books with humor and heart that allow all childrn to feel embraced. She picked Russ Busse as her picture book mentor to work with her on her Picture Book, Mary Had a Little Slam.
Suzannah Sebayan is a Filipina-American mother and writer. Since the birth of her daughter, the lack of Filipina voices in children's literaturemade her determined to writechilren's stories featuring Filipino characters. She wants to give her daughter the kind of stories she wished she had while growing up. She selected Barbara Binns as her mentor for her Middle Grade story, Mari and Her Amazing Super Cape.
Catherine Velasco is a Latinx who grew up in a multicultural family. She hoped to craft a story that would help children feel less lonely and make them laugh a little too. Her Middle Grade novel is Hammerin' Hector vs. Godzilla Gomez.

Here are their thoughts about their 2019-2020 KIDLIT NATION MENTORSHIP ~

How did you find out about the mentorship program?
Gabrielle: I discovered the mentorship program through KLN’s webinar with Russ Busse in May 2019, which I found either on Twitter or FB. The session included an announcement about the program, so I hightailed it over to the KidLitNation website to locate the details.

Suzannah: I found out about the program from the SCBWI [Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators] Illinois listserv.

Catherine: I found information on social media, from Urania Smith [One of the KidLitNation founders].


Why did you want a mentor? What did you hope to gain?
Gabriele: I had been querying agents for a couple of years with bits of encouragement but no success, so I wanted to better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a picture book writer. I also hoped to improve my craft. I saw this mentorship as an opportunity to move closer to my ultimate goal of bringing my stories into the world.

Suzannah: I hoped a mentor would provide support as I continued working on my middle grade manuscript. I wanted feedback on this work in progress, and information on the publishing industry, which is new to me.

Catherine: I have been a mentor for 30 years on and off. First with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and then as a journalist, helping high school reporters. So I thought it would be nice to be a mentee and see what happens. I had hope to gain the insight of a veteran author and get guidance with my middle grade contemporary story. An editor asked me for 50 pages and I was hoping to get some help and confidence before I submitted it


What was the mentoring experience like?
Gabriele: I feel really fortunate to have mentored with Russ Busse. Russ was generous with his time and feedback despite his very busy schedule. He has a keen editorial eye and a supportive, encouraging manner and was open to answering any questions I had. I really valued his honest feedback. For each manuscript, we began with a “big-picture” conversation. Then I got to work (unsure if I could accomplish what Russ had suggested) and always surprised myself with how quickly the revisions came together once I calmed down and let his feedback simmer. In our followup conversation, we focused on pickier, more line-level suggestions, and the revision process began again. In each case, Russ helped me tighten and fine-tune my story so that it felt submission-ready.

Suzannah: The experience was positivce and productive. Barbara Binns and I spoke about once a month from August through March. I restructured and refined my manuscript, particularly the opening chapters. I also learned about agents and editors, finding a writing partner and/or group, dealing with critiques and building an online presence.

Catherine: It was a true gift. My mentor, Matthew J. Kirby, is a talented author and teacher. He shared his experiences in the publishing world – the good and the frustrating. We also talked about craft – especially setting which is my weakness. He generously read my entire novel and pinpointed areas that took him out of the book as a reader. That alone was priceless. I wrote diligent notes and now I’m enjoying the revision process, something I used to dread.
 
 What is the most important thing you learned?
Gabriele: I gained a better understanding of how to pace my stories, especially how to effectively develop pivotal scenes (my tendency had been to rush through them). I learned to clarify my characters’ motivations and to trust my instincts regarding beginnings, endings and overall plot. Finally, I learned be patient during the revision process and to trust that the necessary ideas and words would come.

Suzannah: The importance of the opening chapters. I received support and encouragement, motivation to continue writing, feedback on my work and help in navigating the new-to-me children's literature world.

Catherine: Not to compare my book to the great author Judy Blume! That puts too much pressure on my character. Matt said that was unfair to Hector! That was one of my excuses for never submitting it – that it wasn’t good enough.

Is there anything you wanted or expected that you did not get?
Gabriele: The mentorship exceeded my expectations. I had hoped that Russ and I might work together on two to three manuscripts. We worked on four. And Russ helped me fine-tune the story closest to my heart, which earned me a spot in the 2020 PB Party showcase. My entry caught the eye of numerous agents and ultimately led to my signing with the fabulous Joyce Sweeney of The Seymour Agency.

Suzannah: My mentor was generous with her time, feedback and knowledge. I am grateful.

Catherine: No!

Would you recommend the experience to others?
Gabriele: Absolutely. Honest editorial feedback is invaluable to one’s growth as a writer. And a mentorship offers the opportunity to learn not only about craft but about the industry in general. I will always be grateful to Kidlit Nation for helping me leap forward on my writing journey.

Suzannah: Yes, I would recommend it. I enjoyed working one-on-one with a mentor, and my manuscript is now stronger.

Catherine: Yes, I would recommend the program to others because it’s nice to have someone rooting for your book from the publishing world. Matt picked me as his mentee because he loved Hector’s voice and said I made baseball sound interesting even though he was not a big sports fan. That was encouraging to hear that the book appealed to non-sports fans!

Is there anything else you would like to say to others?
Gabriele:  Know what you want from your mentorship. Then, work with your mentor to create a schedule that works for both of you, so that you can achieve it. Everyone’s busy. Having set times (and/or deadlines) will help both of you stay on track. Remember, you have an insider at your disposal. Don’t be shy. Ask ALL your questions! And be prepared to work hard. Working with a mentor can move your career forward if you take full advantage of the opportunity. Most important: have fun! Take joy in the process of creation.

Suzannah: For writers of color, please keep working on diverse children's stories. They are needed.

Catherine: I don’t want people to think all mentors will read an entire novel. I was in an unique situation where an editor wanted 50 pages and my book was selected in SCBWI’s 2019 Work-in-Progress Grant. Matt thought he could be the most help by giving me insight on what needs improvement since the book was getting interest in the publishing world. I truly appreciated his time and guidance, and KidLit Nation’s program. I feel more confident about releasing my book into the world.

You've heard ftrom the mentees. As one of the people selected to mentor an aspiring author, let me say I enjoyed the process. Suzannah and I spent long hours on the phone, and I feel that I came to know her well. Mostly, I enjoyed sharing publishing expoeriences with her, both pitfalls and highlights, and providing feedback that helped her story grow stonger over the months.

Receiving Critiques

Hi everyone! 

I am Young Adult and Middle Grade author Barbara Binns, writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. As my tagline says, I write Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  

Critiquing another writer's work can be a thankless task. Too often, writers are seeking praise. Maybe a few spelling or grammar corrections, but not a deep uncovering of plot issues and a lack of character development. Sometimes, when you point out actual problems with their writing, they get upset. That's one reason critiquing is not a job fro family or friends.  Bot the giving and the receiving can be painful.

Praise is a wonderful thing. In fact, let me admit, I like -- no, I love -- praise as much as anyone. But praise along does not move me any closer to my goal of becoming a better writer. That sometimes requires cold, hard truth.

I recently sent off a manuscript to my agent. A month later I received back a six page, single spaced letter. SIX pages. I can almost visualize my agent and the reader she engaged bending over trying to craft the right words to use in their criticism. They did not want to hurt my feelings.

Well, six pages was enough of a "cut direct" as they say in Regency novels. At first glance I wanted to cry. There was no way to make that kind, I should tell them not to bother. Like any other piece of

writing, too many words can obscure the real meaning, hide the gem of information inside. And they do not need to worry, there is nothing they could say that would make me ever decide to stop writing.

They had some real points. I do have multiple main characters, one with no arc to speak of.  The chit-chat between the characters is sometimes just that, idle talk that, while fun and realistic, does nothing to move the story forward. Ditto for my villain, he's just there, not really being as bad as he could be.

All that, and more, could have been shared in far fewer pages.  In fact, I got an excellent reader report from a 7th grader who read the manuscript and told me, in a terse but perfect fashion, which of my chapter had no real reason for existing.  It happens, even to \multi-published writers, we can get long-winded, and enjoy writing a section so much that we forget to murder our darlings. it's nice that the 7th grader was able to express things better than the industry professional adults.

I am currently mentoring two aspiring authors, one as a part of a formal mentorship program from KidLitNation - http://kidlitnation.com/home/own-your-voice/mentorship-program/. The organization sponsored a 6 month mentorship, and I was paired with one of the aspiring authors. My other mentorship is informal, I am working with someone from my home town.

There are five primary things I tell them:

1. Multiple criticizers can overwhelm you with contradictory advice
2. Always remember, it is your work and your voice
3. No one likes everything
4. Someone will hate even the best work out there
5. Take your time before deciding how to respond.  Lots and lots of time.

Number 1 is often the easiest to handle. I always look first at places where those giving me feedback agree. I remember back when a group was critiquing the opening chapter of my first YA novel, Pull.  There was a passage in there that brought out the big difference in opinion. 1/3 of the group felt that passage took them out of the story. 1/3 felt that passage was well written and they enjoyed having it. The final third barely noticed it, they didn't care one way or another.  My first thought was simple, only a third were bothered by it, so it was going to stay in. Then I slept on it. A few days later I had a different realization. I was taking one third of my audience out of the story. Was that really a good move? The rest of the audience might like it, but would never notice if it weren't there.  The passage of time made it simple, as much as I loved my great turn of phrase, I was not going to take people out of the story. Now, years later, I barely remember the passage at all, just that it was once in the first chapter and I once considered it essential.

Number 2 was taught to me by my first editor, who handled Pull as a matter of fact. I was looking at her changes to the manuscript and came across something that altered the meaning significantly. With great trepidation I called her to explain why that part could not be changed. She said fine, agreeing so easily I was stunned. Then she reminded me, in the end, this was my work, my voice. And my name would be listed as author. I therefore needed to either agree on any proposed changed, or push back as I had done. Hearing that from the woman who sent me a check in exchange for the right to publish my book made a big difference in how I handled editorial and review comments from then on.

Number 3 and 4 go together. No one likes every book, motion picture, poem, piece of art, etc. I have a friend who writes poetry and keeps asking me to review her stuff. We have a running joke, because I admit I don't get poetry. My comments are always surface level comments, because I wouldn't know good from bad, and I really only ever read hers. There are best-sellers that I still have no idea how anyone enjoyed them and think the writer needs to go back to school. And books that barely made a splash that I found unforgettable and that hit all the right marks. In other words, many critiques are  personal opinion.

Number 5 is the most important. If you are in a critique session, smile and say absolutely nothing unless asked a direct question.  Never try to tell the person they are wrong. First, because that will only discourage them from being honest. And second, if your mind is busy coming up with a response, it can't also be listening for the real issues that may exist. Just listen. You do not have to agree. Then sleep on the problem. For a day, two days, even a week. Then, relook at the issues raised without anger or judgement. Look for anything that makes sense. Only act on things that make sense to you and that fit within your voice.

As I said, I look for multiple critiques. When I entered contests, I never did one unless there were three judges, I needed that best two out of three opinions. I also divide comments into three types:

• first - things I totally agree with. I often have a subliminal feeling something is not right. If the comments hit that bell, I accept there is a problem immediately.

• second - things I totally disagree with. Especially ones where a "solution" has been included. These I usually reject right away. Too often these are from writers saying, "I wouldn't do it that way" and their solutions are, in fact, their voice, not mine.

• third - things that make me think. These are the ones I put away for a day or two, then look at again. That 6-page letter had a number of these, some I am still digesting. The good news is they did not waste time trying to tell me how to fix the problems, they simply pointed out the weak areas. By taking time, in this case a week, before trying to attack anything, I've given my own subconscious time to examine these issues. There are significant weaknesses. I'm glad they, and my 7th grader, pointed out the problems to me.

A good critique, done by someone who has no axe to grind or no intent on changing your style, can be worth its weight in anything, including gold. But it depends on what you do with the information. Like a shopkeeper whose customers want different items and brands, you have to decide which fits your journey, your goal. That's what I'm trying to work on with my mentees, to help them use critiques to their greater benefit.

I would also love to hear any additional tips on how you deal with receiving critiques to your writing. It always helps to share.

Hi everyone! 

I am Young Adult and Middle Grade author Barbara Binns, writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. As my tagline says, I write Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  

Welcome to June at Romancing The Genres.

I recently volunteered to be a mentor to an aspiring author, as part of a pilot mentoring program set up by KidLitNation (http://kidlitnation.com/home/own-your-voice/mentorship-program/)

In 2016, Urania Smith and I worked together to fund the attendance of three aspiring authors to an Illinois SCBWI conference. This picture shows Urania and I plus the three scholarship recipients. Urania went on to co-found KidLitNation. That organization continues to provide conference scholarships. They also hold monthly informational webinars, and now, is setting up this mentorship. I continue to contribute to the scholarship fund, presented one of their webinars last year, and now will be one of their first crop of mentors.

Part of me is eager to begin sharing my knowledge in a new arena. The rest of me is gripped with terror that this person will discover that I know nothing, that my career is where it is solely because of luck. This is a six-month commitment, so I need to put aside the impostor syndrome trying to own my head, and use my knowledge to help another author move along their path. Currently I and two other mentors are evaluating writing samples and trying to determine who we might be compatible with.

For the past few years I have made presentations to school children about writing and courage, to librarians, parents and teachers. Today, June 12, I will be making a presentation to writers about writing cross-cultural fiction. I love teaching almost as much as I like writing. I've been a critique partner. And now, I am ready to conquer new territory in helping others.

 Picking a mentee is not quite like picking a significant other. It’s not even like picking an agent (and yes, I will need to discuss finding and using an agent with my mentee.) It’s a little like the Voice during the blinds. I get to see the writing, ask them a little about their hopes and work ethic, and what they expect from a mentor. Once I find someone whose expectation for the relationship matches mine, we’ll hook up.

A mentor is not a teacher or critique group,  not a writing partner or beta reader.  This is one person who has been through the door trying to help another get past the threshold. I hope to be a brain to pick, an eye to guide, an ear to listen and an arm to give a push in the right direction. I plan to challenge him or her to do more, maybe more than they think they can. Most of all, I will be a loud voice in their cheering section.


I would love to hear from any of you who have been in a mentor/mentee relationship. Someone who helped you on the path to achieving your personal goals? Please comment on how the relationship worked for you. And, if for some reason the relationship didn't work out the way you wanted, share that too. I want to hear both the good and the bad.

Special Guest Cherry Adair!

Cherry's next action adventure novel will be GIDEON coming this Fall.

Over the last decade-ish J I've carved a niche for myself with my sexy, sassy, fast-paced, action adventure novels which have appeared on numerous bestsellers lists, won dozens of awards and garnered praise from reviewers and fans alike. When people ask me- “What’s the book (any of my books. Lol) about?” My response is - “Running-chasing-attraction-shooting--wild-money-sex-running-shooting-more-wild-monkey-sex-running-chasing-shooting-happily-ever-after J

I loathe writing first drafts. To me it's like wading through wet cement, and it take me forever because there's always something I'd rather be doing . Which is why I no longer write by the seat of my pants, I plot and then plot some more, so that the map of my story is easy to follow and relatively painless. Once that first draft is done, it's another story. I can't be torn away from my computer. I go back and layer and texture, polish, tweak, and fluff!

Writing is not for sissies. It's hard, hard work. And solitary work at that. But through the years I've found two other passions to fuel me, and spark my creativity.

The first is teaching. I love, love love teaching everything I've learned about writing over the years to other authors. It give me such a kick to see the OMG! look in someone's eyes a second before their head goes down, and their fingers fly as they write or type at lightening speed. I know that whatever I just said resonated, and she's no longer even in the same room, but off applying it to her own story, oblivious to everyone around her. I know what that feels like, and I want the writers/students in my classes, to have that ah-ha moment every time a teach the craft of writing.

The second is my passion for mentoring other writers, particularly fledgling writers at every stage from rank beginners, to authors with several books under their belts. So many people say they want to write a book, but they never sit their butts in the chair and actually write. Or they write the same three chapters over and over again, tweaking and polishing and changing a word here and there (sure, lady - that's the EASY part! Lol) . Many of them enter every contest, get fabulous feedback on the same three chapters, year after year, after year…. but never finish the book. I gently, with great love, and very little sympathy (sure it's hard, cupcake. But if you want it badly enough you'll stop talking about it, and buckle down and put in the work) nudge them to sit their as- butts in the chair and write, and finish the book! Lol

I have an active  motivational group on Facebook called Butt In Chair Challenge ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/ButtInChair/) for anyone who needs a weekly nudge. Everyone has to report in once a week with their anticipated word or page count, then come back the following week to let me know if they met their goal.  (threats and bribes are involved J Sometimes all I need to do is show them a picture of a great high heel - I can motivate with graphics. J)

COMING THIS FALL!

I've kicked a LOT of butts over the years, and have dozens and dozens of published books filling the shelves in my office from people I've mentored. Proving that sitting one's butt down and finishing the damn book pays off!

I don't delude myself, I know I have very little if anything to do with their success. I think of myself as the magic feather Dumbo was given to help him to fly. J Everyone needs to be seen. We all want to be acknowledged. No one sits behind us as we type, saying "WOW! That sentence is amazing!" I don't read my mentees (is that a word??! Lol) work. But I am always right there beside them mentally, encouraging them to keep going, urging them to finish this book, and start the next, propping them up when they get that rejection letter, encouraging them to keep submitting, keep writing, keep learning. I want to see them publish. I want their success. There's plenty of room for all of us. I can't wait to buy their book the second they tell me it's available. Their success gives me enormous satisfaction and joy.

Two of my dear friends, Tina De Salvo*(Elli) and Stella Barcelona*(Deceived) published their debut novels this month. While I had nothing to do with their success, I'm so proud of their dedication, and their willingness to learn everything necessary to get their novels from first draft to completed book.  I did a little nudging, but not much. Neither needed that feather. But if they'd wanted or needed it - I would've handed over a bushel-full of feathers in a heartbeat. J

Cheers,

Cherry

*Tina De Salvo & Stella Barcelona are Guesting here at RTG on May 29th & 30th.