The DEAR WOW Archives
Great questions submitted by WOW retreat participants and Dear WOW letter-writers, to the Council of Elders:
Dear WOW:
I have a lot of small ideas/writings: how do I choose which to grow into a story?
As you approach your bounty of ‘a lot of ideas/writings’ what do you find most interesting of what you have written so far?
Consider stepping back from your ideas to gather a different view. Maybe your ideas will get a different view of you. How about writing all your ideas on index cards and lying them on a table. Move them around. Maybe for a week or more. Notice what idea you have a craving for. Is there one idea pulling you in? Maybe four? Maybe all of them? Is there a thread linking them together? A theme? How might it best be devoured? In what order?
The beauty of smorgasbord is the bounty of offerings. You obviously have a bounty of creativity within. Now is the time to start digesting your ideas. WOW supports you taking a deeper taste of one idea that looks and feels appetizing and see what happens. Keep us posted on what you find.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I’ve received only 4 acceptances, and 77 rejections—how do I not get distracted by rejection?
Wait, you got 4 acceptances!? What’s your secret? You should be coaching us all!
Seriously, if you’ve got an acceptance rate like that you’re way ahead of the pack. Especially if those are cold submissions, which often have to go through entry-level readers before making it to the decision-makers.
Another reason to celebrate: You sent 81 submissions! That makes you a working writer who takes the job seriously.
Back when rejections came in the mail, you heard stories of writers proudly papering the wall in rejection letters. Celebrating their perseverance. Maybe next time you get a rejection message, you can print that baby out, proudly tape it to the wall and tell yourself, “Wow, look at me go. I’m a real writer!”
P.S. I just got a message back from the editor of the New England Review. Their acceptance rate is 1%. You’re killing it!
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I have been working on a novel for the last two years. I wrote the first draft in less than three months. Now, the grind.
I can’t seem to stay in the work. Even mundane chores call me away from my writing desk.
And this is why writers have some of the tidiest places. But please remember this old advice: A first draft is just that—neither good nor bad.
You know of course that you have it in you to make this a powerful, relevant, emotionally resonant and beautifully written book about universal themes with relatable, fascinating characters and compelling prose. You know it. You just need to do it. Stay present, or get present, and when you stray toward the chores, come back and get back in the writing car and drive.
Say it to yourself right now: “I’m gonna leave my funk on the dance floor.” If you need more motivation, consider the company of other writers at our First Sundays writing prompt events, or a writers retreat (this is why we started this whole shebang!) Or get both space and motivation at a residency. Plenty of breaks for coffee, yoga, and hiking, with none of the mundane.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I’m working hard at my book, but sometimes I’m not sure if my hard work is justified. Will anyone even want to read my story? How will I know?
It can really feel like you’re writing in a vacuum. You will ask yourself sometimes, “Why am I spending all of this effort—where does this lead?”
Here’s the beauty part, dear writer: take a day off from being the writer, and be the reader. Think about who will benefit from your book, and what that looks like. Picture your reader—you already care about them, and they will appreciate it. What is their life like? And where do they read your book? On a commuter train, in their favorite chair, or in a break-room chair on an all-too-fast lunch hour?
Wherever they are, people have interests. And what do they love? Stories! And you’ve got one to tell. Keep going—you’ve got someone out there who right now needs to hear your story.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
Who should I ask for feedback on my book draft?
Great question! And one that every writer who has written anything has had to face. After all, are we writers without our readers?
While that is true, be judicious in who you ask to be your first readers in the draft stage. Your friends and family may care about you, but they might also care too much. They don’t wat you to fail, and their feedback might be fear-based. Also, are they any good at book editing? Probably not.
Consider hiring a professional or three. We recommend three paid readers. But do your homework, and get people who read books similar to yours. If you don’t have the cash for this, think about a local book club—book club participants are well used to critiquing a book. Because of this, book clubs are often home to the most thoughtful and experienced readers!
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I feel like I should be making money as a writer. Or at least to have a platform and some visibility. How do I prove myself?
If you need to make money at writing, you can enter contests, or utilize “hybrid publishing”—where you put the money upfront to publish, but your art is under the care of a legitimate editor and publisher. In-person events sell the most books. We get it: Writers need readers—it’s the primary relationship sometimes. Other times though, it’s more about feeling legitimate than getting paid. It can feel like it’s about your worth as a writer. So go ahead, submit to that contest, apply for that grant, put together a submissions calendar, and stick to it. Get your writing out there—it will help.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I feel distant from my characters. They’re different from me—how do I get close enough to write their truths?
If your characters feel distant from you/who you are, find a model in your life who is not you. Go through your day doing everything in the eyes of this character: getting dressed, taking a walk. Research their jobs, where they live, and the habits and households of the period and region. Research will bring your characters to life. Look forward to this feeling: Later on, you’ll have done this thing you thought you couldn’t.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
I’m insecure about moving from one genre to another, although I’ve had some success in my past writing. There are so many established writers in this new genre. What am I doing this for?
It’s not easy to write in any genre. You might need to learn some additional architecture, like that of rom-com or crime fiction, but these you can learn. Because you have an advantage: You already know color, tone, story structure. You know how to do research to bring your characters to life. You have the wisdom to write this story. You are already legit as a writer.
Write on,
WOW
Dear WOW:
At the start of a project I feel that it’s not going to be any good. How do I move past this?
What made you want to write it? A writer is interested in a thing, and through research and writing, becomes an expert in it. Everything is interesting if you write it well. All writers have crippling insecurity. You are not a good judge. You are not a literary critic. You are writing this for a reason, and you are the only person who can write this book.
Write on,
WOW