Team YOU--Who's On Your Team? by Yamile Saied Mendez

The original A-Team

With back-to-school, it's also back to sports! It's not only [American] Football taking over your weekend, but the beautiful game (AKA Fútbol, or soccer if you must) is also back in full force. I'm thrilled that FC Barcelona and Rosario Central are back to the pitch, and I have such high expectations for these two teams. Too bad all I can do to help my teams is cheer for them while I watch on TV (except for the one blessed time I went to Barcelona, and that one time twenty years ago when I was back in Rosario for a game). 

Maybe because I love team sports so much, I've always been conscious of the people around me, my team.

I hated group projects in school, but I'm not talking about this. 

In my mind, the people that help me in my writing journey are more like the characters of the A-Team show I loved watching as a child. I don't remember much of the show other than each character had their specific role in the group, and they were all equally important. 

So what are the roles of the people that should be part of your A-Team? 

They are alpha readers, beta readers, accountability partners, critique partners (group), writing coach. 

Alpha Readers

I wrote my first manuscript during NaNoWriMo, and after tying The End I was ready for a reader (I know, I know. I shiver at the thought now too). One of my best friends is an avid reader, and she volunteered. After she was done, she didn't cut all communications or move to another state/country (shocking. I know. She's a true friend). She offered me great feedback, from a reader's perspective. 

When I was ready to type my second story, she wanted to read as I wrote. She then became my alpha reader. This has forever been one of the best experiences of my writing life. Every morning, I'd send her what I had written the night before. She's text me her reactions as she read. Or sometimes a few days would go by between my sending her new material. She wasn't a writer, so she didn't expect me to read any of her material. She asked all the right questions about my story and characters, helping me notice plot holes, inconsistencies, etc. It was so helpful that the first draft of that book wasn't as terrible as my NaNoWriMo draft had been.  She expected me to send her new pages at least a few times a week, and she was extremely positive and encouraging. During a first draft, you want to know if the story is working, and she was the perfect person for this. 

Beta Reader 

A Beta Reader is someone who reads a partial or full manuscript and offers you feedback on it. The feedback may vary from structural comments, line edits, cultural/ethnic representation. Usually beta readers swap manuscripts, or in the case of sensitivity readers or editors, they need to be compensated for their time. 

Accountability Partners

Accountability partners don't always read each other's pages. They mainly hold each other accountable to goals they tell each other at the beginning of the week. A friend and I would text our goals every Sunday night, and then each day at the end of the day, we'd report our what we'd done to accomplish that goal. Knowing that my friend was waiting for my text pushed me to get to work instead of making excuses. 

In  Done and Done: The Power of Accountability Partnering for Reaching Your Goals, Anette Lyon and Luisa Perkins (accountability partners themselves) explain how this kind of partnership can be one of the best strategies for your team. 

Critic Partners/Groups

Critique Partners and Groups dynamics vary from relationship to relationship. Some meet online. Some meet in person every week at the same time, once a month, every other month, etc. They'll read a full manuscript at a time, read everyone's ten pages ahead and come to the meeting prepared to discuss (like a workshop), or read right there on the spot and offer feedback. Some people belong to more than one writing group and love it. Others can't commit to the workload of reading so much material every week/month. 

Writing Coach

A writing coach could be a mentor or an instructor. You can hire someone to both hold you accountable to your goals, and who'll give you feedback on your manuscript and walk you through your writing problems. 

 You could also find this amazing kind of mentor through contests such as Pitchwars, in which aspiring writers are paired up with a mentor, and for two months they work on revising a manuscript for an agents' showcase. 

The We Need Diverse Books organization also offers a mentorship program. Check it here. 

But the most important quality in any of your team members is that they'll be cheering for you. Yes, sometimes there will be some harsh love involved, but mostly, there will be a lot of encouragement and cheering. 

What kind of members do you have in your team? Share in the comments!

REACHING UP by Joanna Roddy

Photo by Charles Sharp, courtesy of wikimedia commons

You've heard it before: writing is a solitary endeavor. 

Except that it doesn't have to be.

I mean it's true--no one but you can sit in that chair (or walk on that treadmill, if you're Paul) and write all the words. But don't the great story-tellers sit vigil with us when we do? Don't great lines, great moments in treasured stories echo back to us, even as we create something new?

Yet there's something to be said for reaching out to flesh and blood writers who are further along the path. Call it reaching up. 

My first experience of this was when a member of my writing group met a local author and pitch expert and invited her to meet with us. The author did a pitching clinic, shared her writing journey, and offered writerly advice. We paid her for her time and brought yummy snacks, but we definitely got the better end of the deal. We've done this several times now with local authors who've crossed our paths. They've always been thrilled to do it and the experience has always been invaluable.

When I hit a wall with my first novel, I gathered my courage and asked a couple of authors I know (one a friend, the other an acquaintance) if they would be willing to point me toward good resources. Both kindly offered to meet with me and talk things out, and both took time to close read some of my manuscript. I was blown away by their generosity. The perspective they offered both from their own journey as well as the experiences of other authors they knew set me off in new directions that breathed life into my work and my discouraged writer's soul.

I know that these examples sound a little like lucky happenstance, but I think you can cultivate these opportunities. How?

-Keep your eyes open:  Brainstorm the sage wisdom you already have around you. A beloved writing professor from college? A local author? A friend of a friend? What about the worthy organizations in your area, like SCBWI or a local Writer's Association? Not only do many of these groups offer critique circles, they have seasoned writers at the helm who are passionate about bringing writers together! Even Craigslist can have writing group opportunities.

Joy had an article a few weeks ago discussing the power of mentorship and the willingness of this Middle Grade community to support each other. Don't underestimate the power of your online world to connect you to people willing to take a personal interest in your work. Look for places you might be able to submit your query or first page for critique, or reach out to a favorite blogger. 

-Be ready, be brave: The second step is being open to reach out to these people when the opportunity or the need arises. The danger for many of us is to assume that we would be a drain on the other person, so we shut down the idea before we've even asked. We must be brave and mentally open before the chance meeting or the deep dark funk, otherwise we'll hesitate and miss it. 

-Don't act entitled: On the other side of things, we need to be careful not to accost someone for their expertise. Utilize tact and respect for their time. Don't assume, demand, or make the other person feel obligated. A key phrase to use: "Can you point me to a resource who could help me with ___?" (whatever your need may be). This gives them a chance to offer to help you if they can, or to kick the ball down the field a bit, but still get you closer to someone who can help you.

-Be willing to pay: It should go without saying that people like literary agents, book doctors, and professional editors should not be approached for personal input unless you are their client--be willing to pay them or query them through their preferred channels. 

Writing is hard and often lonely, but most successful writers will tell you they had key players who helped them along the way. You won't know who yours are until you're willing to reach out and find them. 

I'd love to know: Have you experienced helpful input from other writers and how? 

What kind of help would you most like to see our community offer? Query/ first page critiques? Mentoring opportunities? Local meet-ups? We'd love your ideas!