Congratulations to Kerby Kunstler Caudill from Culver City, California for her award-winning story, "Counting," and to all of the other contestants and winners of the WOW! Women on Writing Quarter 4 2024 Essay Contest!
Congratulations to Kerby Kunstler Caudill from Culver City, California for her award-winning story, "Counting," and to all of the other contestants and winners of the WOW! Women on Writing Quarter 4 2024 Essay Contest!
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna spent her time advocating for health care on a local and national level. She received multiple awards and recognitions as a result of her efforts. Taking an indefinite break from the rigors of activism, Anna now spends her time pursuing her goal of becoming a published author. She is an avid reader and aspiring writer with multiple projects in various stages of development.
Anna lives in south central Pennsylvania with her husband, their two teen sons, a dog named Eloise, and an axolotl named Alfie. Check her out on Facebook.
You can read her essay "Dirty Laundry" HERE.
WOW: Congratulations on being a runner up in the WOW Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest which also happens to be the first writing contest you ever entered! What made you decide that "Dirty Laundry" was the piece to enter?
Anna: Thank you so much! Winning runner-up in the WOW Q4 2024 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest came as such a shock to me. I have written many pieces over the years as a hobby, but only recently decided to actually devote the time to becoming a professional writer. I woke up one morning to an email from Poets & Writers advertising the WOW contest and decided that morning that I would enter. It was only a few weeks before the deadline, so I chose “Dirty Laundry” simply because it was the most recent essay I had written. I was already proud of it on a personal level. It is difficult for me to talk about some parts of my past publicly, and I had written “Dirty Laundry” to help me cope with the feelings I was having over parting with the basket.
I know that if I am going to make it as a writer, I cannot not be afraid of sharing my truth. I ultimately want to write relatable content that might help others heal from their own trauma, but my desire to maintain my privacy has always held me back. Entering this contest was about more than just being judged by strangers for the first time or seeing if I have what it takes to win writing contests. It was about having the strength to share something deeply personal with the general public. It was about exposing my vulnerability. As far I was concerned, the true contest was whether or not I was brave enough to go public, so my goal was met the moment I hit, “Send.” Making it into the top ten after having no expectations at all was an incredible feeling. I am honestly still processing it!
WOW: You are relatively new to the life of a working writer. Can you share what made you pivot from health activist to writer?
Anna: For the past twenty years, I have gone where I am needed. I am a cosmetologist by trade, but when I gave birth to my oldest son, I was needed at home, so I became a stay-at-home mom. Shortly after giving birth to my second son, the three of us were diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects various systems of the body. I immediately became an advocate for my boys, for the whirlwind of doctors’ visits, hospitalizations, and surgeries that followed. When they began to miss too much school from all of their illnesses, I became a homeschool teacher. Seven years ago, when there was a chance that they may lose their health care due to bills that were floating through Congress, I became a health care activist. I was in DC every week, walking the halls of the House and Senate buildings, meeting with political leaders, and fighting for the rights of not only my sons, but for myself and millions of others with chronic illnesses and disabilities. We ultimately won that battle, and it was such a relief. Now that my sons are older, they are thriving in terms of their health, and as teens, they do not need me as much.
The writer in me has always been waiting for her turn. There has not been much room for her in the very busy life I have led over the last few decades, and she has been relegated to late nights or early mornings and any spare moments I could muster. There are so many formidable health care activists who are willing to pick up the baton, so I feel comfortable putting that part of my life aside. It is my time. I am ready to make the commitment to become a published author.
WOW: An amazing story and you must have so much to say. What is one of the most surprising things you've learned about the writing world?
Anna: I am still very much a newbie, so I have not had much experience yet, but one thing that I have found to be refreshing is how supportive the writing community is. Whenever I feel stuck or like I might want to give up, I reach out to my writer friends or visit a social media page for writers. I have found that writers are an amazing group of people who are ready and willing to lift each other up and give encouragement. It is a beautiful thing, and I feel honored to be a part of such a remarkable vocation.
WOW: Yes, I appreciate that feeling of having so many people rooting for me too. Can you share a little more about the type of writing you're pursuing?
Anna: I have always been an essayist. It is my favorite form of writing. I love telling personal stories in unconventional ways, and taking the simplest detail (like, say, a laundry basket) and building a message around it. With my many lived experiences, my memoir is my constant work in progress.
I am also trying my hand at fiction. I have never written fiction before, but a few years ago, I had an idea and decided to run with it. I did not to expect to have this much fun writing fiction, and it has been so enjoyable that I am now simultaneously writing two very different novels.
WOW: You are a very busy writer! This may have nothing to do with your
writing but I think WOW readers would like to know - what's an axolotl (see Anna's bio above) and how exactly did one come to share your life?
Anna: An axolotl is a type of salamander that is native to Mexico. A friend of mine is a biology teacher who had acquired three of them to observe for his Masters’ thesis. He posted about them on Facebook when they were just babies. My oldest son loves exotic animals, so we asked if we could come see them in person. My friend countered by asking us if we would rather have one to keep. My son jumped at the chance. Alfie was a little over a year old when he came to live with us, and he just turned five. He has such a big personality, and we all love him so much. I never thought I would ever have a footlong salamander living in an aquarium in my basement, but now I cannot imagine life without him!
WOW: I would love to see Alfie make a cameo appearance in one of your novels! Thanks for sharing and we all look forward to your future achievements.
“Yes?”
“I didn’t know that!”
I don’t hide what I do, and we’ve known each other for about 18 months. But somehow some people just seem to miss this fact about me. Yes, I am a writer. Yes, I write for young readers.
Periodically when I’ve had an especially gruesome week, I consider giving it up. But then what would I do? If we’re just talking how would I fill my time, that isn’t an issue. I love taking classes and figuring out new things. I’m currently taking a class about AI.
But if we are discussing how would I earn income? Hmm. That’s tricky. I’ve been a freelancer since about 1997. I’m not sure I’m good for much else at this point.
Fortunately, tantrums and bad days aside, I’m good at what I do. I write primarily nonfiction for young readers. If writing for young readers is something you’d be interested in doing, the best thing you can do to pave your way is read books for young readers.
If you want to write picture books, read picture books. If you are interested in nonfiction, read nonfiction. Young adult novels? There are so many great books for you to read.
You don’t have to read only what you want to write. That means that you don’t have to confine yourself to only picture books or only middle grade. Who am I to deny you amazing books for other age groups?
But do read things that were published in the last three years or so. Publishing is always changing and that includes the books that publishers want. Sure, some classics stand the test of time (Where the Wild Things Are) but today’s young readers want to read today’s books. One way to find these books is to check the new acquisitions at the library.
Another way to find these books is to sign up for publishing and literature newsletters. I get newsletters from Book Riot, Publisher’s Weekly, MacMillan, and Penguin Random House.
When I tell you to read and read a lot, I don’t mean that you have to read print books. Audiobooks are a great way to get a feel for the play and flow in language. And ebooks are so convenient and also the way that many teens read. But really? Print books are the only way to go if you want to write picture books.
That’s because the format, complete with trim size and page turns, is a big part of the picture book experience. If you want to write picture books, you need to gain a feel for the full effect, page turns and everything.
I’ve seen some people recommend that you read 1000 books before you start writing. Meh. I don’t know. The more you read the better. Reading will help you get a feel for what publishers want and what has already been published. It will help you learn about language and pacing and characterization. You’ll learn how to hook a reader and what setting details to include.
Read, read, and read some more. But don’t use it as an excuse not to write. Because that part is truly vital if what you want to do is write for kids.
--SueBE
“Before you go, what’s the key to successful writing?”
I stared at the professor with a look that had the heat of a thousand suns. I am not great at ad-libbing. This is why I am a writer, not a stand-up comedian. I have a chance to think my thoughts over and tweak them before sharing them with the world.
I had pre-planned my speech introducing his students to the college’s Academic Support Services, including me as a writing tutor. I had answered the expected questions about making appointments, e-tutoring, study groups, effective study techniques. And now he was throwing me a question from left field. Arghhh.
A kid sitting in the back of the room smirked. He knew I had absolutely no idea what to say and this was the highlight of the class for him. He leaned back in his chair, waiting.
“Well, that is an interesting question and so many things come to mind…” I gave the professor another glance, hoping he would jump in with whatever he expected me to say. No such luck. What did he want me to say?
An interesting opening. Consistency. Use of all five senses. Pacing. Organization. Solid research.
“Time.” Wait. Did I say that? Where am I going with this?
"Writing doesn’t come easily for most of us.” Snorts from the audience.
“Sometimes, I think writers – and you all are writers – think if we could just get the words out of our head and on the page or the screen the hard work is done. We forget that this is just our first draft. The first step in a process. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, ‘This is not the beginning of the end but it may be the end of the beginning.’
“So, give yourself the luxury of time. Time to proofread and smooth out your wording. Time to rearrange things. Time to put it away for a day then reread it and see if it still conveys what you want it to say. Time to read it aloud to a friend and get their opinion. Time to hate it and start over.
“Time gives you the opportunity to improve your writing. Time is the key.”
I knew I’d still get students coming in one hour before their assignment was due but maybe someone was listening. Later that week a student came in and started with, “It isn’t due for a month but I thought I should get started early…”
So tell us, if you were in that classroom what would you pinpoint as the key to successful writing?
Amanda J. Conley writes to survive the tangle of words that threaten to keep her up at night. She spent twenty-five years as a metalsmith, making a living fabricating gold and silver while wordsmithing on the side. Recently, she has devoted more time to the pen and is nearly finished writing her first novel, which will be completed as soon as she can tear herself away from her addiction to entering flash fiction contests.
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