Teenage girls are awesome. That's the first thing I thought after "WOW," when I found out that 14 year old Nyah Nichol has won a Canada-wide writing contest, The Uncommon Quest, founded by Toronto-based publisher Common Deer Press. This September, Common Deer is hosting a Kickstarted to raise funds for The Uncommon Quest. They will use the funds for printing, publishing, and promoting the winning novels, as well as expanding the scope of the contest from Canada-only to worldwide entries. I wholeheartedly support The Uncommon Quest, and urge you to donate to their Kickstarter, which opens on September 3rd. I will include a link here once that page goes live. The Uncommon Quest and Common Deer Press are putting books into the hands of readers and bringing authors' stories to life. Help foster imagination and love of reading by supporting The Uncommon Quest! Lastly, I have an exclusive interview for you readers! I had the chance to ask Erin Silver a few questions. She is the Bronze winner of the 2019 Uncommon Quest, and her book, Just Watch Me, will be published in Fall 2020. Common Deer Press Website What is The Uncommon Quest? Support The Uncommon Quest 2019 Winners Exclusive Interview with Erin SilverShreya P.: What’s your favorite part about the writing process? Erin Silver: That’s a great question. I love writing—it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. The process is fun and creative but it can also be painful. It takes months, if not years, to write and then rewrite a manuscript. It can feel daunting—like you’ll never get it right or finish. But there’s nothing better than when it all comes together at the end. I will never forget the emotional high I experienced when reading this one particular chapter of my middle grade novel, Just Watch Me, to my critique group. It was a really funny scene and we laughed until tears streamed down our faces. Seeing my writing teacher wipe his eyes is a moment I’ll never forget! SP: How many people do you let read early versions of your work? ES: I’m not afraid to share my work early on—the more feedback I get the better. You develop a thick skin over the years and come to understand that sometimes the harshest critiques help you the most. I share everything with my mom, husband, best friend and my critique group. Each person who reads my work offers ideas, suggestions, solutions to make the next version that much better. It’s a truly collaborative effort. SP: Where do you go to seek inspiration? ES: My kids are a great inspiration. I love hearing about their day—they always have an interesting perspective or make me laugh. Plus they aren’t exactly the best behaved kids and tend to end up in situations I can write about. I also listen to people’s stories. When I hear something funny/special/unique, the lightbulb goes off in my head and I know I have to write about it or incorporate an aspect of it into whatever I’m working on. SP: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? ES: I loved Judy Blume’s novel It’s Not the End of the World. I was a divorced single mom for several years and kids’ books about divorce are special to me. This one, in particular, reflected my kids’ reality in a relatable, meaningful way. I want them to be able to read about a kid whose parents are splitting up and know they aren’t alone. It’s Not the End of the World isn’t one of the books like Fudge and Are You There God? that really stand out when you think of Judy Blume, but I think it’s important that kids read books reflect their reality, and she does it in a masterful way. SP: What did you learn from writing this book, or from your characters? ES: I learned that as much as you can like a character, bad things need to happen. You have to make things worse and worse and raise the stakes higher and higher until readers care so much about your main character that they root for a good outcome. Kids are also really smart. You need to offer enough unexpected twists and turns and the character needs to grow, change and develop along the way for the ending to be satisfying. You can’t have adults solving the problems, you can’t offer up a moral message on a silver platter or preach to them. It has to be done subtly and in an entertaining way for young readers to appreciate the book. SP: Which writing habit would you recommend every writer try? ES: Just sit down and write. Everyone has potential to be a writer, everyone has great ideas, but forcing yourself to sit there when you aren’t inspired or are doubting whether you’ll ever be published—that’s the toughest part. If you can sit long enough to get the first draft done, you’re most of the way there. I also highly recommend finding a critique group and sticking with it. Everyone who reads your work does so in a thoughtful, helpful way—it’s the best way to grow and develop as a writer. SP: What is your dream writing achievement? ES: My dream writing achievement is to be a published author. All I wanted was one single book on a store shelf. A single book that made someone laugh or meant something to someone. I have received so much rejection over the years—tons of agents, editors and publishers who said “thanks, but no thanks.” I doubted myself. I felt like a failure. I wanted to give up, but I never did because this was my dream. I was persistent when it was hard and somehow it’s paying off. I met Kirsten from Common Deer Press when she spoke as a guest at my critique group and learned about her Uncommon Quest Contest. I entered and ended up with a publishing contract a few months later. I am completely beside myself. SP: What’s one line you would include in a theoretical Nobel Prize in Literature acceptance speech? ES: Oh gosh—I don’t think I’ll ever need to write that speech. I would probably thank my mom, my husband, my best friend, my kids, my Brian Henry writing group and my publisher for all their encouragement and feedback—and for the chance to bring a book into the world. Writing a book is truly a group effort and I could never have done it alone. I would also mention how thankful I am to have won a publishing contract through The Uncommon Quest, a writing competition launched by my publisher, Common Deer Press. They have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fundraise for future contests. I’d thank everyone who donates because it gives new and emerging writers the shot at a publishing contract. Thank you, Erin Silver, for answering these questions! Don't forget to keep an eye out for her book, Just Watch Me, which will be published in Fall 2020!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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