I know I’m not the only writer who has experienced something like this. You’ll be at church, the office, or your kids’ school and someone asks you where they need to go to find out how to write a book . . . article . . . essay.
My most recent request was an adorably message vague. “Can you recommend a book on writing a book?” I told her I’d need more info and groaned when I saw her response. She wants to write a memoir. That’s an area I don’t know well. But I do know who to ask. I fired off an email to our own Angela M. Soon she responded with a list of books, Youtube videos and more that looks more like a course syllabus than a book recommendation. I printed out a copy for myself!
Recently another WOW friend said an agent told her that her book read like NA. She wasn’t sure what agents handled New Adult. This time I could help. I had just seen a call for New Adult queries and sent her the info. Then when I was looking for someone to send my own work to, I found five or six more. Eventually she’ll tell me that enough is enough.
This made me think of Jodi Webb’s people list. You can see her post here.
We all have people that we go to for certain kinds of information. I have a specific friend, a nurse, I contact when a manuscript includes medical information. “Here’s my source and here’s what I wrote. Did I accurately explain it to 4th graders, or have I made something up?” My son, the mechanical engineer, found the right formula for converting temperature change from Celsius to Fahrenheit. When I needed to confirm a detail about the Greek Orthodox church, I emailed our church secretary. No, I’m not Greek Orthodox, but she is.
If someone isn’t on my own people list, I reach out. This is especially true when someone asks me a writing question. Writing can feel overwhelming. Oh, let’s not sugar coat this. There are times that writing is overwhelming. There is just so much information and I can't know it all.
I know I can reach out to my WOW family if I have a question on memoir, essay writing or poetry. There will be someone here I can turn to with queries about graphic novels, autofiction, or product reviews. If there’s something you need to know and can’t find yourself, ask around. One of us is sure to know. Heck, Jodi knows where to find a blueberry farmer.
--SueBE
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 55 books for young readers.
- To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.
- Click here to find her newsletter.
She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on September 2, 2024. She teaches:
