We’re excited to share our new success story with fabulous writer Cathy Carr—who just signed with an agent! We love how Cathy is inspired to make a positive impact on young readers, plus her take on the generosity of the writing community. We agree, Cathy. Who wouldn’t want to talk to writers? Read more…
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc).
I’m excited and happy to announce that I recently signed with Rachel Orr of Prospect Agency. Now, all we need is a publisher.
How did studying/retreating at The Writing Barn support you in achieving this goal? What workshop/intensives/or classes have you taken with us?
I took two fiction-writing classes—one on-site at the Writing Barn, with MG/YA writer Nova Ren Suma, and Write. Submit. Support. with MG/YA writer Carrie Jones. I also worked privately with Bethany Hegedus. I remember Nova for her tactful honesty, Carrie for her spot-on line editing, and Bethany for being a great developmental reader with deep industry knowledge.
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal?
I got my MFA many years ago. For some time after that I published short stories in little magazines that paid in copies, and wrote a starter novel that no one published. I was writing literary fiction, a genre that’s mostly read by other people writing literary fiction. During those years, a contract with a literary agent seemed like the most unlikely thing imaginable. It would have been like finding a unicorn grazing in my back yard.
Somewhere along the way, I conceived the idea of trying my hand at kid lit. I knew the deep impact that the right kid-lit book could make on the life of a child. (I clearly remember all the books that were important to me as a kid, from Beverly Cleary’s JEAN and JOHNNY to Robert Lipsyte’s THE CONTENDER.) What writer wouldn’t want her work to make that kind of difference? I came up with an idea that had potential and started working away. But I realized quickly that writing an MG novel wasn’t going as simple as just deciding to do it. Kid lit is a specialized genre with lots of fiddly bits. I was going to need help preparing my novel for submission. In a way, the courses I took through The Writing Barn—and working with Bethany one-on-one—were my second, informal MFA.
Talking to my new group of writing peers, I realized that finding an agent in the kid-lit world wasn’t like finding a unicorn. If you had a good manuscript and were smart and persistent, it could really happen. Still, that didn’t stop me from being stunned when it happened to me. I was gobsmacked and overjoyed.
What fears/hopes did you have before attending the WB class, intensive/or working with Bethany privately?
Probably about the same as everyone else’s. The hope: that someone else would find the novel’s premise promising and interesting, or even think it was good. The fear: that no one would like it, and that people would think my ideas were pedestrian or boring.
How did the atmosphere of The Writing Barn aid you in achieving this goal?
People at The Writing Barn want to help each other. They’re not into belittling each other’s ideas or tearing each other down. There was criticism, as there always is in any workshop, but it was extremely constructive. I also enjoyed meeting all the local writers, editors, and agents who dropped by. They had a lot of good advice and their stories were inspiring. Of course the Writing Barn’s online courses are great. They’re vital, and I make good use of them. But for me it was special to get on a plane and come to Austin. I loved unpacking my suitcase and getting out my laptop, knowing I was there to concentrate on my writing. I didn’t even have to make my own coffee or buy my own mini-sized candy bars. Writers need to be pampered now and then. We go through long spells where we don’t get a lot of validation. Plus, we work hard.
Have you made friendships/colleagues as well? How has that supported you?
The people who read your fiction, especially in its early stages, know things about you that most people don’t. If they are observant—and most writers are very observant—they know a lot about your weaknesses, your strengths, and the things you care about. So there can be bonds that form very quickly, especially when you respect each other’s work. Recently a woman from one of my online classes came to New York to visit her son and I met her for coffee in Grand Central Terminal. Within ten minutes we were having a personal, supportive conversation and by the time we parted outside the Kinokuniya New York bookstore two hours later we were friends. Writer buddies get invested in cheering each other on. A victory for one is a victory for all.
Why do you think attending workshops/classes is important to writers at all stages of their career?
One, all writers need feedback. I’ve never heard of one who didn’t. The most successful, brilliant writers you can think of are still afraid when they hand their manuscripts over to another person for that first read. Hearing that feedback, learning how to sort out the helpful bits from the non-helpful, and then rewriting in response is fundamental to creating your best work. I’ve never known a successful fiction writer who didn’t know how to rewrite. You might not love rewriting, but you need to learn how to do it.
Two, writing can be lonely. It doesn’t matter if you write in cafes or libraries (personally I can’t do that, because I’m a mutterer)—you’re working alone. You sit in a room pecking away on a keyboard or, worse, staring at a blank page. When you meet someone who gets your work, and respects it, and wants to help you improve it, it’s a wonderful thing. Having friends who know what writer’s block is like, or how it feels when you get negative feedback, or how amazing it is that you finally got an agent after years of effort—that’s crucial.
Three, writers are fun, they are smart, and they like to talk. Who wouldn’t want to know writers?
What is a takeaway you will carry with you far beyond this good news as you continue to build and develop your career?
That perseverance and hard work can pay off in the long run.
Any advice you have for writers/creatives having trouble staying the course in pursuing their goals?
For most of us, achieving some measure of literary success is not a quick process. You don’t prepare for a marathon the same way you prepare for a sprint. Get ready for a marathon and keep your eye on your long-term goals. Metaphorically, wear good shoes and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
As far as the daily work goes, I don’t have better advice than the words I once read on the Internet: “Write without fear. Edit without mercy.”
Cathy Carr writes fiction for both kids and adults. She has a BA and MFA and over the years has worked a wide assortment of jobs, from frying fast-food burgers to cleaning offices to writing software documentation. When she is not writing or looking after her family, she enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies, quilting, and spending time outside. She also likes to watch the surprising variety of wildlife that moves through her suburban yard, running the range from wild turkeys to hawks and from white-tailed deer to coyotes. Cathy lives in the New Jersey suburbs with her husband, their son, and a scrappy cat named Barnaby.