Interview with Meredith Towbin, Runner Up in the WOW! 2021 Q1 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Meredith Towbin never wins things (except for a coloring contest when she was nine), so she is very excited to be recognized by WOW! After graduating from Wellesley College, she taught English literature to high schoolers. Her teaching career was short-lived, however, as she was repeatedly mistaken for one of the students and berated by a colleague for using the faculty bathroom. She left teaching and worked as an editor at a local newspaper and, later, as an associate editor for a trade magazine covering the salon and spa industry. After acquiring a lifetime supply of hair gel, she decided to give up the glitz and glamour, much like Grace Kelly, and become a stay-at-home mom. Over the past eleven years, she’s written five novels, which you can only read if you have access to her laptop. She has recently finished a sixth novel and is hoping to secure a literary agent once it’s all spiffed up. She’s been blogging about herself for seven years at www.adventuresinbuttercream.com. 

You can also follow her on Twitter (@mtprose) and Instagram (@towbinma). One of her essays was recently published on Sammiches & Psych Meds (yay!). In her free time, she enjoys knitting, baking, reading, and binge watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. Her life goal is to teach her two boys how to load a dishwasher correctly. 

----------Interview by Renee Roberson

WOW: “How Not to Get Kidnapped: A Suggestive Guide” is a humorous look at a common childhood fear adults instill in us as children, stranger danger. How did you first get the idea for this piece and what was the writing and revision process like for it? 

Meredith: Last year, I took a class taught by author Dan White called “Story of My Life,” and I wrote the essay in response to one of his prompts. We were asked to write about a fuzzy childhood memory, and this one came to mind immediately. It’s been 37 years since that afternoon when my Hebrew School teacher decided to scare the snot out of me, and I’ve never forgotten it. She scarred me for life. I was fortunate to have lots of eyes on this essay. Not only did Dan provide feedback, but I was able to workshop the piece in a Zoom breakout room with my classmates. The more eyes, the better! 

WOW:  I love hearing about classes and workshop that inspire award-winning pieces, and that the workshopping aspect was so helpful. How do you think your training writing for a newspaper and trade magazine helped or hindered you as you work to craft other creative nonfiction pieces? 

Meredith: Oh, this is a good question! And I had to think about it for a few days. First and foremost, having somebody actually hire me to write (and pay me to do it) gave me a big shot of confidence. I think all of us as writers worry that we suck, in between bouts of thinking we’re writing the next Great American Novel, but overall, there’s a lot of insecurity there. Having that outside validation from writing professionals who trust you can go a long way. I also think that writing professionally helped me develop as a writer simply because of the sheer volume of output I had to produce. I write both fiction and nonfiction, but writing is writing, and the more you practice, you better you get, just like with anything else. 

WOW: That is so true. It's hard not to improve your writing when you are writing every day! I've heard a lot of writers talk about how much reading helps, too. What was the last book you read and what was it about? 

Meredith: Last year was so hard for so many reasons, and all I wanted was to read books that had nothing to do with what was happening in the real world. Enter my first ever Regency Romance! I never saw that coming. Usually when I read a book I like, I devour almost everything from that author, and I indulged in quite a few novels written by Julie Klassen. The most recent one I read, Lady of Milkweed Manor, had everything I never knew I wanted—a vicar’s daughter who makes a terrible yet passionate mistake one fateful night, a love affair that can never be, a mysterious woman living in an attic, another woman driven to hysterics and madness. It was AWESOME. I highly recommend it. 

WOW: I love it! I just finished Stephen King's latest (all 600 pages) book so I'm definitely in the mood for something different and Lady of the Milkweed Manor may fit the bill. But you've also been doing so much writing! Having completed six novels, what is your favorite genre to write, and how did you get the ideas for the ones you’ve written? 

Meredith: I’ve written a bunch of different stuff through the years—three young adult novels, a memoir, and women’s fiction. My favorite thing to write is narrative nonfiction/memoir. I usually end up writing about things that happen to me and, even if those things were originally upsetting, I try to find humor in them. If, for example, a woman flips me the double bird as I’m turning into Bed, Bath and Beyond (true story) and it enrages me (also true story), I’ll sit with those feelings for a day and then try to find the humor in the incident. It makes me feel better to write it all out from a different, funnier perspective. It beats fuming for a week. Although I have to admit, I’m still pretty pissed about what went down. I mean, who does that?!? As far as my fiction goes, I’ve gotten ideas from places I’ve visited, people I know, and even dreams I’ve had. Years ago, my husband and I took a trip to Europe and toured the Pitti Palace in Florence. Both the palace itself and the surrounding gardens became the setting for one of my YA books (except I turned the palace in my book into a much darker place than it is in real life). 

WOW: That sounds so intriguing! It also sounds like the pandemic has inspired some different creative works.  Your essay, “Kitchen Scraps Gardening, or How I Made Dead Vegetables Even Deader” is hilarious. 

Meredith: Yes! I actually wrote a whole novel during the pandemic. But before you become too impressed, let me preface it with this: Back in April 2020, I was reading all this stuff on Twitter about how Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in isolation during the plague, and it made me feel like a total loser. I mean, what was I doing? Not writing the next King Lear, that’s for damn sure. I was dealing with my kids’ remote school, inhaling thousands of calories a day thanks to my incessant stress baking, doing puzzles like it was my job, and worrying constantly about anything and everything. I put all this pressure on myself to be productive and write, which only made me feel worse. And made me avoid writing like the plague. (Ha!) On a whim, I ended up taking the “Story of My Life” class, which got my creative juices flowing again. I had a half-finished memoir that I had abandoned in 2019 because I got stuck, but after taking the class, I decided to take another stab at it and rewrite it into fiction. Although the novel doesn’t really deal with anything pandemic-related, I was able to be productive in short spurts every day, and eventually I had written a whole book.

WOW: I absolutely love that. Thank you for making me laugh out loud during this interview and also lighting a fire under me to get back to some of my own creative projects. Sending you good vibes on your agent search and I look forward to reading more from you in the future!

I'm Tellin'

As a child, my older sister and cousin often called me a tattletale. There I was in my plaits with ribbons on the ends of each one and white Ked sneakers, dingy from playing, running through whoever's house I was in to tell on them. 

"Ooh I'm tellin'," I'd cover my mouth and yell, always leaving off the end letter g. Whether it was finding out my sister had a crush on a boy, or my cousin said the word, "Dang," which I thought was a curse word, or they kicked me out of their room, I was tellin' my parents or any other adult that was nearby on them.

I'm sure that irritated my sister and cousin to no end. I know it was most likely why they mumbled under their breath and frowned when they had to take me anywhere with them. Thankfully for them (and myself) that tattletale stage in my life was short lived.   

When I outgrew my tattletale stage though, it seemed as if I stopped tellin' a lot of things altogether that I shouldn't have. If someone said or did something hurtful, I didn't tell. I didn't speak up for fear others would get upset. I chose silence instead. Even as an adult. Even when I wrote, which has always been my saving grace, I stopped tellin'. I kept those stories locked securely in my head instead of setting them free so they wouldn't lance my spirit. 

Now...finally...because I am on a journey of writing without inhibitions, I am reverting back to being a tattletale. I'm showing my nakedness, sharing my beautiful mess; for what lies beneath all of our flawed layers is indeed beautiful. I'm tellin' those stories I've kept close to my bosom that have caused too many sleepless nights. 

"I'm tellin'."

Recently I wrote an essay about a scar on my body from a surgery I had years ago that I submitted to a literary magazine. Whether or not it gets published, it felt cathartic in my tellin'.  I'm embracing this new me, this self liberating/healing attitude of tellin' that has overtaken me. I'm gathering those notebooks in the bottom drawer of my bedroom dresser, where I housed stories I've never finished because my palms grew sweaty and my stomach queasy each time I tried to, and finishing them. 

I'm tellin' those stories  that are painful, and those stories that may ruffle feathers. I'm tellin' those stories about racism and how it affected me, my loved ones and my community. I'm tellin' those stories that will make readers see a part of themselves, a part they too may have stuffed away or muted, so they can start charting their own self-liberating journey. I'm tellin' more about me so that others can  understand a bit more what my world looks like as a black woman. 

I'm tellin' to bridge gaps and to connect my words with someone's heart. And no, not all of my stories will be steeped in nothing but melancholy. Many will make you laugh out loud, for some of the stories I stopped tellin' have moments of hilarity scattered throughout them. 

So, I hope in whatever genre you write in, you too are in a tattletale mood. I hope you feel like tellin' all those stories that you once had second thoughts about tellin'. I hope you tell the stories that allow readers to sit on the edge of their emotions and see you threadbare so that they want to read more of your work, knowing that if you survived or bounced back, they can also. It's all in our tellin'. 

"Im tellin'," and I hope you continue to do so also and give your voice, even the rawest parts of it, wings. 

                                                              ----Jeanine DeHoney

Jeanine DeHoney is a freelance writer who has had her writing published in several anthologies, magazines, and online blogs. 

  

Friday Speak Out!: Why I Write

by Anne Marie Scala

I write because I can’t not write.

Anyone who gets as wildly excited as I do when Staples has notebooks on sale for $.25 has to write. Finding my favorite pens makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

Writing is part of who I am.

Almost a decade ago, I attempted to turn my writing hobby into a profession. Despite initially having success, I couldn't find a rhythm to sustain it for long. A year of overwhelm and exhaustion followed and I concluded my energy would be better spent elsewhere.

Recent events propelled me to revisit my dream of being a writer. Hoping to avoid my previous missteps, I signed up for a course offered by an experienced writing coach.

Before diving in, she encouraged me to explore these inquiries:

Why does writing matter to me?

Why do I feel compelled to write?

Writing matters to me because it is the primary way I care for myself. When I can’t find my footing, it grounds me. When I’m stuck, it sets me free. Without a writing practice, I'm lost. Wherever I am in the world, it brings me home.

Writing expands my self-awareness. Scribbling sentences sets a stage for emotions to safely speak. Journaling reveals invaluable insights and riveting revelations, celebrates joy and love, and sheds light on negative patterns and choices that may change them. These discoveries allow me to show up in the world as a better version of myself.

My coach invited me to dive deeper: Why do I want to share my writing? Particularly when the process of getting published can be excruciating.

I want to share because I believe in the power of words and their unmatched ability to uplift, encourage and empower.

I want to share to honor all the writers whose stories changed my life. Growing up, I felt different from those around me. It was words written by people I never met that made me feel seen and understood. Had these courageous authors chosen not to share, I don’t know where I would be right now.

I want to share because I am raising artists. I want to set a good example by experiencing all the emotions that accompany an artist’s journey. The exhilaration of accomplishment; the agony of unmet expectations and everything in between.

This inquisitive writing exercise has proved invaluable. My responses anchor me. ‘My whys’ tether me to my truth and hold me steady so I can stay the course as I navigate life as a writer.

* * *

Anne Marie Scala is a freelance writer who has been published in the Elephant Journal, Scary Mommy and Her View From Home. She’s also an educator and community volunteer who appreciates a good book, a good run, and a good football game. Anne Marie lives in New Jersey with her husband and two teenage daughters. You can follow her on Instagram @ anne_marie_scala
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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3 Reasons to Keep Writing

Not long ago, I attended a webinar on writing concept books. For those of you who don’t write for kids, a concept book is a picture book about . . . a concept. Alphabet books, counting books, and books about the Fibonacci sequence are all concept books. Yes, there are picture books about the Fibonacci sequence. Check out Joyce Sidman’s Swirl by Swirl and Sarah Campbell’s Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature. 

The presenter for the webinar was Liz Garton Scanlon and she recommended a long list of concept books. When they arrived, I eagerly sat down to read. I had to laugh after I finished One Dark Bird by Liz Garton Scanlon and Counting Crows by Kathi Appelt. Both are counting books about black birds. 

I couldn’t help but wonder what Scanlon thought if she discovered Counting Crows (2015) while she was working on One Dark Bird (2019). The good news is that she both found publishers because they are very different books.  There is room for both. 

How often do we put an idea aside when we hear someone is working on something similar? What we need to do is keep writing and here is why. 

Imaginary Dragons 

Writing is tough enough without us creating imaginary problems. When you hear about a book in production that sounds like your own idea, a counting book about birds, it can be easy to become discouraged. "Someone beat me to it!"   Maybe yes. Maybe no. If the piece hasn’t been published, you may be assuming it is too like your own work, because your work will be told through . . . 

Your POV 

When you write, you tell the fiction or nonfiction story through your individual point of view (POV). No matter what you are writing it will somehow reflect your unique take on the world. That other author? Even siblings have different experiences and look at things differently. What is the chance that this author will see things just like you do? Pretty slim. So keep writing. 

Reslant or Reimagine 

If you can read the other writer’s work, do. Although it probably isn't very like your own idea, it may be. And if it is, you can reslant or reimagine your own work. A nonfiction picture book could become fiction. Or you might write it for older readers. A book for an educational publisher will be different than one written for a trade publisher or a regional publisher. A picture book? It may be fully illustrated but it is different from a graphic novel.

Whether you are writing a counting book, a book about birds, or even one about the Fibonacci sequence, there is almost always room for more than one book. You simply need to find your unique point of view and the piece that only you could write. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 27 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins March 1, 2021) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins  March 1, 2021). 

When Size Matters

         Sometimes bigger is better. A bigger paycheck. A larger brownie (which results in a bigger butt, which is not a good thing). A bigger spot to parallel park into.

And sometimes smaller is better. A smaller waist (for me, that train left the station decades ago). A gift in a tiny box from your SO at Christmas. A smaller credit card bill.

Sometimes, as writers, we dream of running with the big dogs. Signing with a big publisher. Getting a big advance. Getting big, splashy promotion events set up.

I thought about this after I read Cathy C. Hall’s post. It came at the perfect time, because recently my manuscript was accepted by a small publisher. Margo Dill began her press not long ago. I think she’s published around 10 books so far. As far as I know, it’s just Margo. She doesn’t have a staff (although her daughter might do some reading of the kids’ books to give her official “thumbs-up” approval). Her business is small, and the way she does business is personal… which I love.

Here are some things that are happening with Margo that I think would be impossible if I had been accepted by a bigger publisher:

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• Our contract--The publishing contract went through some changes. There were things I didn’t understand. She rewrote it to spell things out to me. After much thought, I decided I didn’t want to make any money from this book. Margo altered the contract to reflect that, and made arrangements to collect my proceeds until they amount to something… and then I’ll decide what Tulsa-based group will benefit from the book sales. I don’t think a bigger publisher would be as flexible or as accommodating as Margo has been.

• My book cover--I knew a talented artist, and I hoped she would be able to create the cover. Margo was happy to let that happen. Of course, she would have to approve the cover, and she suggested some minor changes with the title (she was so right) and now the cover is real and it’s spectacular (if you’re a fanatical Seinfeld fan, you’re welcome). With a bigger publisher, most of the time they arrange for an artist, and it’s their choice. If a writer is lucky, they’ll have some input. Sometimes, they have none. The cover--the first thing a prospective reader sees--is out of the author’s hands.

• Editing--A few nights ago, I got an email about the edits I’m going to have to make. Margo wasn’t quite ready--hadn’t finished yet--and wondered if the timeline was too tight for me. Would I be able to do the editing by the end of February? If she was asking too much, she said she could change the timeline to accommodate me. How thoughtful. I don’t imagine a bigger publisher would consider my needs and my responsibilities. I imagine with a big press, I’d be left with footprints on my back as they ran over me, hurrying to the next project.

Okay, to be completely honest, if my manuscript had been accepted by a big publisher and I had the chance to get a cushy advance and I was getting into the Stephen King stratosphere of success because of the contract, I would have loved it. However, I like being part of a small press. Margo doesn’t have dozens of authors to promote. I appreciate being one of the fish in her just-right pond…

How about you? What experiences have you had--with publishers, agents, writing conferences, critique groups? Were they big or small? What size is “just right” from your perspective?

Sioux Roslawski is a middle school teacher, a freelance writer, and in April she’ll have her middle-grade historical novel debut. Henry’s Story: Greenwood Gone is about the Tulsa Race Massacre. If you’d like to read more of Sioux’s writing, check out her blog.

Success Is Yours To Share

We write a lot about success on this blog—last week on Wednesday, Cathy C. Hall wrote about the seduction of the spectacular. Sometimes, we're chasing the spectacular—an agent, the best-sellers' list, a no. 1 badge—and we don’t celebrate success of all kinds, like a published book with a smaller publisher or a story published on a website. 

I nodded my head the whole time I read Cathy's post because I'm the worst offender of this. I'll look at all I've accomplished so far and constantly be disappointed in myself that it’s not enough--there aren't enough reviews or followers or national publications on my bio. I had a book review column in the Sunday edition of The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana IL) for six years, which is pretty cool, but my brain will say: Well, it wasn't The Chicago Tribune.

Sometimes, this type of thinking serves me well because it helps with my drive and persistence. These thoughts keep me achieving more and more. But it's also exhausting and probably not very mentally healthy. I'm always telling everyone else that we should celebrate every success from accomplishing a short-term goal to getting twenty reviews on Amazon to making the New York Times Best Sellers List.  Celebrating success helps to keep us going with our writing. It gives us an "attitude of gratitude." And success—big or small—is something to turn to when we're feeling down about a rejection or a one-star review.

This is why I LOVE that I am the collector of success stories for WOW! If you're a Facebook page member or Instagram follower, you've probably seen a post like the one I posted yesterday:

But if not, (and this past week, I received the nicest email from one of my e-newsletter subscribers who reminded me that everyone is not on social media) you may have missed these posts. I try to ask for success stories every month (especially when Ang, our fearless leader, reminds me!) for the Markets eNewsletter, and this is one of my favorite parts of the social media manager job. I love reading your success stories. They are so inspiring--from someone saying she finally got the courage to submit her work for the first time to someone landing an agent--I love them all. 

The other thing this Success Stories column does (while I put it together and then hopefully for you if you read it in the Markets Newsletter) is show you all the opportunities there are out there for writing. You don't have to fit into a box. There's not even a writing box any more. There are so many ways to get your words out in the world, and each one of them matters--from your own blog to self-publishing to literary magazines to traditional publishers. 

So...if you have a success story and you're reading this column today, please put it in the comments below or email me at margo (at) wow-womenonwriting.com and put SUCCESS STORY in the subject line. But to make it in the February Markets eNewsletter, do it today, February 23, or save it for March! 

The other fun post we had on social media the other day, which I would love to put in the Markets Newsletter with the Success Stories column, is this writing "exercise" we posted with a photo, asking for a caption. (If you are on social media and you haven't connected with us yet, we do post a lot of reminders about classes and book tours; highlight our contest winners, bloggers, and freelancers; and we also post encouraging quotes, poll questions, writing exercises, and questions where we ask for answers in GIFs or one word--so what are you waiting for?) 

If you'd like to leave a caption below in the comments for our photo below (from Shutterstock), then please do! You can do both your successes and a caption in the same comment if you choose to do both, but separate comments are also fine:

What's your caption? Put in the comments!

 

Even if you decide to do neither one today, I hope that you'll take some time to celebrate anything you've accomplished during an almost year-long pandemic. If you've sat down at your keyboard, taken a writing class, been reading in your genre, that's amazing, and all of those put you one step closer to whatever your goal is for your writing. 

We hope to hear from a lot of you either below or on social media or in my inbox.

Here's to success! 

Margo L. Dill is the managing editor of WOW! Women on Writing and the collector of success stories! Plus, she teaches the novel coaching class which starts on 3/5. You can reach her at margo (at) wow-womenonwriting.com. To find out more about her books for kids, visit margoldill.com. To discover more about her publishing company, Editor-911 Books, and to enter their recent warm-up winter contest for a $25 gift card (before 2/28), visit the website here. 

Save the Cat! Online Class & Story Cards Blog Tour & Giveaway

We are excited to announce the launch of another Save the Cat!® blog tour. If you are finally ready to outline your novel or screenplay, you'll want to follow along on this tour. We'll be talking about their Cracking the Beat Sheet Online Course and their Story Cards. 

First, what is Save the Cat!®? 

Save the Cat! provides writers the resources they need to develop their screenplays and novels based on a series of best-selling books, primarily written by Blake Snyder (1957- 2009). Blake’s method is based on 10 distinctive genres and his 15 story beats (the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet). Our books, workshops, story structure software, apps, and story coaching teach you everything you need to unlock the fundamentals and mechanics of plot and character transformation. 

Find out more about Save the Cat! by visiting their webpage at https://savethecat.com/.

About the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Online Course

Behind the Scenes at Save the Cat!

This course is designed for writers to turn their idea into a movie or novel. This learn-at-your-own-pace online class helps you develop the 15 key “beats” or “plot points” of your story. Strung together, in the right order, these 15 beats make up the blueprint to a successful screenplay or novel. 

You'll Turn an Idea into a Story by Learning to:

• Create a solid beat sheet that will serve as the road map, and “backbone” of your story 

• Identify and know the key components of your story genre 

• Learn the clichés of your genre so that you can break them like an artist 

• Plot your hero’s journey and “transformation” 

• Troubleshoot your story idea for viability 

• Write a compelling logline or elevator pitch 

This Course Is for Those Who:

• Want to troubleshoot an existing story 

• Have so many great ideas and struggle to choose "the one" 

• Are ready to write but not sure how to start 

• Are determined to finish a half-written story 

• Want to learn 

This Course Includes:

• Over 3 hours and 17 minutes of original video production 

• 9 downloadable worksheets • 3 reading assignments (book not included) 

• 4 homework assignments 

Course Value: $59 

Find out more information about the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Online Course by visiting https://www.savethecatcourses.com/courses/cracking-the-beat-sheet.

About Save the Cat! Story Cards

Introducing Save the Cat!®Story Cards, consisting of Save the Cat! Beat Cards and Save the Cat! Scene Cards, all designed to outline and develop your story. 

Save the Cat! Beat Cards 

Crack your story from the “Opening Image” to the “Final Image.” Save the Cat!® Beat Cards provide writers with the 15 key plot points to map out your script or novel. Every set contains 15 individual index cards with helpful explanations of each beat to form the foundation of your story. 

Save the Cat! Scene Cards 

Every scene of your story needs to communicate “place,” “basic action,” “emotional transformation,” and “outcome.” The Save the Cat!® Scene Cards help writers nail the purpose of every scene. Each set of cards contains 40 color-coded cards broken down by act, with 10 extra cards because we know you’ll need them. 

Cards Value: $10.95 

Find out more information about Story Cards at https://savethecat.com/story-cards.

More information about Save the Cat!:

Savethe Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Online Course

Save the Cat! Website

Save the Cat! Best-Selling Books

Save the Cat! Story Cards

-- Interview by Nicole Pyles

WOW: First of all, I want to say how excited I am to have you back and see what new amazing thing Save the Cat is bringing us! What inspired you to create a writing class based upon the Save the Cat! books? 

Jason: Thanks so much for the great question – as you can imagine the pandemic has hit so many of us incredibly hard, especially the isolation; however, the unforeseen upside we found was that so many of us wanted to use that time and energy to become creatively productive. This inspired us to do the same. Save the Cat! is the world’s best-selling storytelling method from novels to screenplays, so why not play our part and bring our method to life in an on-demand, learn at your own pace course called Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet – an incredibly productive set of videos with assignments designed to organize and focus the writer’s creative energy into their story. 

WOW: I really love that you used the pandemic to inspire you to create something so creatively inspired. What can people expect from the course? 

Jason: There are a lot of classes out there, most feel-like academic exercises with tons of fluff – not us! We created something completely different, a course that clarifies where there is confusion with a core goal of having fun! Yes, fun! Writing is an exercise in learning and creating, and when done right, it brings a huge smile. We hit it all in this course!

WOW: Fun is so important when it comes to learning! Who is this course ideal for? 

Jason: The Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Course is designed for all those who want to create or tighten a screenplay or novel. No matter if you’re new or a professional writer, you’ll learn how to straighten your story spine, nail a title, and crack your story’s beat sheet or outline. Feel free to connect with me directly at jason.kolinsky@savethecat.com with any questions about how it’s right for you. 

WOW: Thank you so much for that! So, how can this course help writers figure out which story to write? 

Jason: The Save the Cat! Beat Sheet helps any writer figure out if their story has legs. It guides writers to truly break story. Come to the course with an open mind and you’ll finish the course with a fresh understanding of your creative journey. 

WOW: That would be so helpful. So, how do the story cards help writers develop their writing? 

Jason: So happy to be introducing the Save the Cat! Story Cards. Blake Snyder, author and co-founder of Save the Cat!, liked to say that the Board is the most vital piece of equipment a writer needs to have at their disposal—next to paper and pen. To help all writers deliver on that statement, we created two sets of cards that would make Blake proud. The Save the Cat! Beat Cards to help map out the beats of your screenplay or novel and the Save Cat! Scene Cards which guide you to identify the meaning of every scene. Included in every set of cards is an example card that shows how you fill out every section. The scene cards are conveniently color-coded and the beat cards are numerically labeled for when you’re ready to lay them out on your board, wall, or table. 

WOW: Storyboarding writing is so helpful. What advice do you have on how to approach the story cards? 

Jason: The writer’s board really is the best tool for a writer. It’s used in writers’ rooms all around the world for a reason, it allows you to see where the story is going and if you’re getting there. These cards are so helpful and they very much work as intended. I can’t wait to hear more stories of how writers applied the cards. 

WOW: That's so amazing! What type of feedback are you seeing on both the course and the story cards? 

Jason: Game changing. Seriously. The positive reviews and personal emails have been overwhelming. We’ve heard from established pros who are using the cards. Ideas are turning into stories, structure is being applied creatively, and writers are feeling more organized with the ability to troubleshoot with ease. It’s really great.

WOW: How cool is that? What is Save the Cat! working on next? 

Jason: It’s not been released yet, but it will be on March 30th – so it’s news you’re getting ahead of most… and it’s going to be ground breaking. It’s our latest book, Save the Cat! Writes For TV: The Last Book on Creating Binge-Worthy Content You’ll Ever Need. 

Early reviews are in from some of the most respected writers like 9-time Emmy winner Steven Levitan, Co-Creator of Modern Family who said “While I wish it were called Save the Dog!, I believe Save the Cat! can open eyes and demystify some of the biggest challenges TV writers face on that daunting blank page.” You can pre-order here! 

WOW: Lastly, what advice do you have for writers wanting to finish their novel this year? 

Jason: The best advice comes from Blake Snyder: “The worst thing that can happen in storytelling is not to finish. Half-written screenplays and novels never sell.” This means so much on so many levels. Finish what you start, so that you can move forward!

WOW: That's such good advice. Tell me about the impact of Save the Cat! on the writing world.

Jason: That’s a deep question – one that I think about everyday – and I think it comes down to language. Save the Cat! has become the shared language of storytellers. It’s the connective tissue in writers’ room and meeting rooms – it’s how writers, directors, producers, and executives all communicate and fundamentally understand each other. It’s what we are most proud of. 

WOW: I completely agree! It's transformed the writing world completely. Thank you so much for joining us today and I can't wait to see this tour launch.

  --- Blog Tour Dates

February 22nd @ The Muffin

What goes better with coffee in the morning than a muffin? Grab a cup and join us today over at our blog, where we launch another blog tour for Save the Cat! We talk about their online course and their story cards, interview the Save the Cat team, and host a special giveaway you don't want to miss.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

February 23rd @ Cathy Stucker's Selling Books

Join Cathy as she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Course. Perfect if you want to finally outline your novel!

https://www.sellingbooks.com/

February 23rd @ And So She Thinks

Join Francesca and read her review of the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Course. You don't want to miss this!

https://andsoshethinks.co.uk/blog/

February 24th @ Chapters Through Life

Visit Danielle's blog as she reviews her experience with the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet Course.

http://chaptersthroughlife.blogspot.co.uk

February 24th @ Margay Leah Justice

Join Margay as she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and the Story Cards.

http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

February 25th @ Author Anthony Avina

Join Anthony as he shares a Save the Cat! guest post about why the title of a story matters.

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

February 26th @ Writer Unboxed

Join Therese as she reviews the Save the Cat! writing course Cracking the Beat Sheet and the story cards. Don't miss it! 

https://writerunboxed.com/

February 27th @ Jessica Samuels

Join Jessica as she shares her insights into the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://jessicasamuelsauthor.com/

February 28th @ The Faerie Review

Visit Lily's blog as she reviews the Save the Cat! Story Cards and shares her insights into the Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com

March 1st @ Michelle Cornish

Join Michelle as she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

March 1st @ Memoir Writer's Journey

Kathy shares the Save the Cat guest post discussing stress testing dialogue and scene.

https://www.krpooler.com/blog/

March 2nd @ Cathy Stucker's Selling Books

Visit Cathy's blog again as she reviews the Save the Cat! Story Cards! Find out how this item will help you storyboard your novel.

https://www.sellingbooks.com/

March 3rd @ Knotty Needle

Visit Judy's blog as she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet and the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

March 4th @ Author Anthony Avina

Visit Anthony's blog where you can read his experience with the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

March 5th @ Quill and Books

Visit Kathryn's blog and read her review of the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://quillandbooks.com/

March 7th @ Sioux's Page

Join Sioux as she reviews the Save the Cat! Story Cards and her experience with the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

http://siouxspage.blogspot.com/

March 7th @ Help Me Naomi

Visit Naomi's blog today and you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Story Cards and the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://helpmenaomi.com/

March 8th @ World of My Imagination

Guest writer, Stephanie Anne, reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and Save the Cat! Story Cards on Nicole's blog World of My Imagination.

https://worldofmyimagination.com/

March 9th @ Cathy Stucker's Selling Books

Visit Cathy's blog again where you can read a guest post from the Save the Cat! team about why structure is a friend, not a formula.

https://www.sellingbooks.com/

March 9th @ Sandy Kirby Quandt

Sandy shares her review of the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://sandykirbyquandt.com/

March 10th @ Brooke's Reviews and Sweeps

Join Brooke as she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

http://www.brookereviewsnsweeps.com/

March 11th @ Jill Sheet's Blog

Visit Jill's blog today and check out her insights into the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

March 12th @ Finished Pages

Join Renee as she reviews her experience with the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet online course.

http://finishedpages.com/

March 14th @ The Margate Bookie

You'll definitely want to catch today's guest post where Save the Cat! discusses the power of the writer's board.

https://margatebookie.com/news/

March 15th @ My Heart is Booked

Join Danielle today where she reviews the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course and the Save the Cat! story cards.

https://www.myheartisbooked.com/

March 15th @ LM Harley

Visit Laura's blog and check out her review of the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://lmharleywriter.com/blog.html

March 18th @ Cathy C. Hall Writes

Join Cathy as she shares her thoughts about the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://c-c-hall.com/

March 19th @ One Writer's Journey

Visit Sue's blog today as she shares her insights into the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet online course.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

March 21st @ World of My Imagination

Join Nicole and read her review of the Save the Cat! Story Cards.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

March 22nd @ Mint Miller Writes

Mint Miller treats us to a review of the Save the Cat! Story Cards. Don't miss it!

https://www.mintmillerwrites.com/

March 23rd @ Karen Brown Tyson

Join Karen as shares a Save the Cat guest post discussing the benefits of using a board.

https://karenbrowntyson.com/

March 25th @ WOW's Editor Blog

You don't want to miss WOW's editor-in-chief, Angela Mackintosh' review of the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet online course.

https://wow-womenonwriting.com/

March 26th @ World of My Imagination

Writer Kate Mahony is a guest reviewer at World of My Imagination and she shares her thoughts about the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet course.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

March 27th @ Joyful Antidotes

Visit Joy's blog today where you can read her review of the Save the Cat! Cracking the Beat Sheet online course.

https://joyfulantidotes.com/

***** SAVE THE CAT! CLASS GIVEAWAY *****

Enter for your chance to win free access to the Cracking the Beat Sheet course.  Fill out the Rafflecopter form by 11:59 pm CST March 7th, and the winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget the next day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Leah Olson: Q1 2021 Creative Nonfiction Third-Place Winner and Runner Up

Leah’s Bio: Leah Olson is an aspiring writer (mostly by night) and an attorney currently working as in-house counsel for a nonprofit network of charter schools (by day). After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in journalism in 2007, she put her passion for writing on hold as she entered the professional abyss otherwise known as “being a Millennial in her twenties.” She spent two years working as a third grade teacher in Las Vegas with Teach For America before going to law school. She graduated from Harvard Law in 2012 and then spent four years working at two different corporate law firms in New York and San Francisco before moving on to the education sector. While she greatly enjoys her work, she has also recently rekindled her writing flame, primarily in the form of personal essays. She is currently working on a memoir about growing up as a biracial girl and transracial adoptee in white America. Her writing has appeared in HuffPost Personal, on the popular blog Scary Mommy, and in many publications on the platform Medium. She is a Maryland native but thoroughly enjoys living in Southern California with her husband and two young sons. 

If you haven't done so already, check out Leah's third-place story "I Want Dark Brown Skin Like You, Mommy!" and "Bushroot in the Flesh," which won runner up, and then return here for a chat with the author. 

WOW: Congratulations on placing both third and as a runner up in the Q1 2021 Creative Nonfiction Contest! How did you begin writing your third-place winning story “I Want Dark Brown Skin Like You, Mommy!”, and how did it and your writing processes evolve as you wrote? 

Leah: The second part of this question really speaks to me as an emerging writer in that I am still learning to accept that evolution is indeed a part of the writing process! My first iteration of this essay was so different and for a while I was almost embarrassed of that. But the more I write, the more I appreciate that writing is like peeling an onion. At first, I was writing about this experience with my son in comparison to my own memories of growing up with a mother who had a different skin color. As I touch on in the essay, I was adopted at birth by white parents. I didn't exactly expect to have that experience in reverse when I became a mom to biological children! But as I wrote, I realized that there is so much more to this. It's not just about comparing skin colors with a parent; it's about racial hierarchy and societal prejudice and my own identity issues. I went a lot deeper than I had originally expected – and yes, just like when I peel an actual onion, I may have shed a few tears in the process! 

WOW: I love to hear how writers’ stories evolve, so thank you for sharing your process. It sounds like it was a powerful experience for you. I have the same question for your story “Bushroot in the Flesh.” How did you begin writing it, and how did your process evolve? 

Leah: At the risk of coming across as over-the-top cheesy (or lazy!), I can extend the onion analogy to this piece too, but in a different way! This one STUNG when I first put it on paper. I seriously did not tell a soul about this incident until this year. This year! I'm a 35-year-old married mother of two and I still felt humiliated by something that happened to me as a teenager. So at first, I just wanted to get this story out and take a moment to see it on paper. At that point, it was basically a narrative recount of the incident in the dorms along with a lot of details about the psychological downward spiral that happened to me afterwards. As I wrote, though, I found my emotions about this starting to level out. The sting lost some of its power. I began to see it as something that I could learn from. I began to see this as something that not only can, but probably should, be shared. Writing has healing powers! 

WOW: Yes, writing can do such amazing things! It’s wonderful that it can give and take power away from memories and experiences. We are so fortunate that you shared your story with us! What else did you learn about yourself or your writing by creating these essays? 

Leah: I learned that it's okay to share your feelings even if you don't consider them to be final, or smooth, or pretty. I've spent so much of my life trying to come across as polished and put together and the explosion of social media during my formative coming-of-age years only exacerbated these tendencies. But there was something empowering about disarming that mindset through writing. 

WOW: Both of your award-winning stories have themes of race and privilege. In what ways have you written on these themes before? Or if you haven’t written on these themes, what prompted you to write and publish them now? 

Leah: I have written a lot about this on my Medium account. I've really appreciated that platform as a way to write and to connect with others who want to explore these topics (among many others). That platform has the option for reader comments and while I have encountered my fair share of trolls, most of the feedback has been constructive and I appreciate that. I have also been working on my memoir. That's maybe what prompted this whole essay writing pursuit in the first place. 

WOW: Can you tell us more about the memoir you’re writing? 

Leah: Thanks for asking! Writing can sometimes feel lonely, and talking about the work is motivation to keep going, right? My memoir weaves back and forth throughout my entire life in the form of stories. In these stories, I attempt to bring to life some of the biggest issues/struggles/conflicts that have been a constant part of my life as a biracial transracial adoptee growing up in predominantly-white, privileged America. These issues include: dating and making friends; appearance (in particular, styling my hair); fitting in with and getting ahead in elite, cutthroat competitive schools and then professional white worlds; my disconnect with various Black communities around me; choosing places to live; my perceived role and my identity challenges growing up in my multiracial family of eight; raising my own multiracial kids with my white husband. My first draft was linear – more like a life story on the theme of race. That was the only way it made sense to me. But as it has evolved, I've realized that there are issues that have grown up with me and by grouping them together more by topic, I - and hopefully my readers - can track my identity development (and, in some cases, lack thereof). It's also just fun to switch back and forth with my voice and my memories - sometimes writing as I feel right now, sometimes as my twentysomething early adult self, sometimes as a younger child. It has been a fun challenge and I am trying to make it become something that exists outside of my own computer hard drive! 

WOW: That sounds like such a fun process! And you’re touching on so many important issues. I would love to read this, so I hope it does find a way out of your own computer. Which creative nonfiction essays or writers have inspired you most, and in what ways did they inspire you? 

Leah: Oh gosh, it would be the total honest truth to say "so many" because I have read so many raw, vulnerable, powerful stories that bring a complete stranger to life and make me feel a full spectrum of emotions while sitting in my office, or car, or bedroom. I've read essays on subjects that I didn't think people were able or allowed to put on paper. I've read stories that make me weep or literally laugh out loud or think in my head, OMG I swore I was the only one who did/thought/noticed that!! All of that inspires me. But to call out a couple of these incredible pieces by name: 

• "Who Gets to be Afraid in America?" by Ibram X. Kendi: A personal essay plus commentary centered on the fear of a Black man who wants to go out for a run, written in the aftermath of the Ahmaud Arbery murder. As a runner and the sister to four Black brothers and a woman of color, this gave me chills. It forced me to take a hard look at my own attitude as a person who has lived in comfortable worlds, largely "passing" as white. It did not sugarcoat and I felt like I needed to see this. 
• "I'm on the bus to go see my son Henry at the hospital" by Rob Delaney, published on Medium. This is the harrowing account of a dad losing his two-year-old to a brain tumor. My son was two at the time I read this and I did not want to read it at first. I thought, I am going to spiral into anxiety about my absolute nightmare. And then I thought, tough sh*t, it's not always about you! I came across this essay and now I have the chance to meet a person who is surviving what used to be his nightmare, too, and he has the strength to share his story with us. Human to human. I really appreciate that bravery. 
• "Moving On" by Nora Ephron, published in The New Yorker. I am inspired by Nora Ephron's ability to insert humor into an emotional, sensitive, heavy subject (starting over with her two young kids after a divorce). Sometimes it just feels good to laugh, even about the things that hurt. 

WOW: Thank you so much for those vivid descriptions of those inspiring essays. You’ve talked me into putting each one on my to-read list! If you could tell your younger-writing-self anything, what would it be? 

Leah: Don't be embarrassed! Be willing to learn and revise and revisit things but don't assign so much judgment against yourself if you end up changing something. If everyone waited to write until they felt like they had everything completely sorted out, we'd have nothing to read! 

WOW: So true! Anything else you’d like to add? 

Leah: A sincere thank you to all writers who take the bold move of sharing their personal stories and all of the readers who take the bold move of reading them. So many experiences can be triggering in so many different ways. But the deeper that we go as writers and readers, the more we learn about ourselves and each other. 

WOW: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful responses! We’re so glad you took the chance and submitted your writing to us. Keep it up, and happy writing! 

Interviewed by Anne Greenawalt, who keeps a blog of journal entries, memoir snippets, interviews, training logs, book reviews, and profiles of writers and competitive sportswomen. She is actively building her writing community on Twitter and would love to connect with other writers there!

 

Becoming a Servant-Leader

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about my leadership style, and after reading an article my husband plucked from his files and gave to me, I’ve figured out I aspire to be a servant-leader. 

Servant leadership was coined by an author and business consultant named Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. He first began formulating the idea after reading a novel about a mystical journey by a group of people on a spiritual quest. A servant-leader is one whose primary motivation is “a deep desire to help others.” 

Here are 10 characteristics of a servant-leader: 

1. Listening intently to others. 
2. Having empathy. 
3. Helping oneself and others to heal. 
4. Awareness in understanding issues involving ethics and values. 
5. Using persuasion rather than positional authority when making decisions. 
6. Balancing conceptualization with a “day-to-day” focused approach. 
7. Using foresight to understand lessons from the past and realities of the present. 
8. Practicing stewardship and serving the needs of others. 
9. Commitment to the growth of people. 
10. Building community.  

Here are ways I consider myself a servant-leader. I try to be more than an editor to writers I work with. With new writers who are interested in contributing to the magazine, I let them know specifically what we are looking for with a detailed set of departments and article topics our magazine seeks. I created this guide myself when I found out we didn’t have one for the magazine. I try to let each writer know something specific I learned or enjoyed from their articles once they’ve been turned in. I also try to match writers with assignments I know they’ll enjoy working on—and they are appreciative. When they ask me if I have other suggestions of publications they can write for, I send them my ideas, along with market resources I think could be helpful. If I sense someone is unhappy, I get to the root of the issue and try my hardest to help solve the problem, whether asking the publisher to track down a missed payment or finding more money in the freelance budget to increase the pay of longtime writers. When I visit local businesses to take photos or get information for an article, I also try and make a small purchase before I leave (see photo above). I can support our economy that way, create goodwill with our publication and forge positive relationships with business owners. 

Sometimes being a servant-leader can be hard, because it’s a lot to take in and I worry about doing things perfectly and making sure I’m treating others fairly. But I also know it’s worth it to nurture a group of writers so that they can create their best work possible. 

As I was writing this post, it occurred to me that this philosophy is one of the reasons I’ve always enjoyed working with WOW! Everyone I’ve ever worked with here has a giving heart and a true desire to see other writers learn and succeed. Every day we see servant-leader editors and writers lifting one another up in these blog posts and in the comment section. 

 In the article I read, Practicing Servant-Leadership,” by Larry Spears, I found the following quote: 

"Servant-Leadership is providing a framework from which many thousands of known and unknown individuals are helping to improve how we treat those who do the work within our many institutions. Servant-leadership truly offers hope and guidance for a new era in human development, and for the creation of better, more caring institutions.”  

How have you been a servant-leader, or been served by one of these types of leaders? 

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and magazine editor who also hosts the true crime podcast, Missing in the Carolinas. Learn more at FinishedPages.com.