So, you want to be a writer…
Read widely, write often, and seek guidance from as many sources as possible. Read the acknowledgments in your favorite books. Research the people your favorite authors reference. Take notes and make lists. Some methods will work better than others. Don’t commit yourself to one niche. If you fall out of love with a story, it’s okay to move on. Hone your craft, and trust your instincts. Stay grounded in your goals. Run wild with your words. Be gentle with yourself.
"When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game." -Toni Morrison
“Some writers have a bunch of talent; I don’t know any writers who are without it. But a unique and exact way of looking at things, and finding the right context to express that way of looking, is something else.” -Raymond Carver
“The first line of a book should be a door flung open. It should be like peering through a keyhole, or lifting the lid of an old, dusty jewelry box.” -Hayley Chewins
Resources:
Books: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need, by Jessica Brody. The Book: Essential Guide to Publishing, from the SCBWI. Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story, by Ursula K. Le Guin. Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life, by Dani Shapiro.
Podcasts: First Draft, hosted by Sarah Enni. Keeping a Notebook, hosted by Nina LaCour.
Organizations: We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit committed to diversifying children’s literature through mentorships, grant programs, and more. #DVpit, a Twitter event meant to showcase pitches from marginalized writers. (Note: I connected with my agent through #DVpit! It was a wonderful experience!) The SCBWI, a nonprofit committed to professional growth and networking within the children’s book publishing industry.