What challenges did you have in
the beginning, and how did you push past them to continue?
Insecurity, a short attention
span, and three young children were big obstacles to overcome. I decided to sacrifice sleep for a few months,
and it worked brilliantly. My own fears
were a little harder to shake off. I
finally decided that I didn’t want to be that eighty-year old woman on her
deathbed lamenting how she never took a chance or a single gamble.
How do you balance writing and
being a very busy person?
3 cans of Red Bull a day. And Cocoa Puffs.
When did you know your writing was
good enough?
I don’t believe any writer ever feels
her stuff is “good enough.” Writing
requires a knowledge of language, emotional subtlety, and the human
condition. Most writers are extremely
sensitive and tend to absorb criticism, or even perceived criticism. One
must develop thick skin in order to keep at the craft. When that fails? I recommend calling someone who thinks you’re
fabulous. Like your mom.
In all honesty, I actually do read
each one of my planned columns to my mom over the phone before I turn them over
to my editor at Chicago Parent. If I can get her to laugh, I know it’s a good
one. If I hear her say more than once,
“I don’t get it,” I know I need to start over.
Moms are the best.
What gave you the courage to make
your writing public?
Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Who do you write for primarily;
yourself or your readers, and are there some pieces you work on that are for
your eyes only?
My style of writing is definitely
reflective of my readership. I do not
weigh down my essays with anything terribly controversial, deeply personal, or potentially
divisive. I feel my “job” as a humorist
is to provide some fun, laughter, and commonality to the human experience. Bob Newhart once pointed out that it would be
ridiculous to create a rift in an audience for the sake of a single joke. I am honored that my readership is so
wonderfully diverse. As a humorist, I am
let off the hook for taking sides on serious matters. While I certainly have opinions on such
subjects, you will rarely see them in my writing. Funny trumps all. The other, more serious stuff gets hand-written
into my journals. Good luck trying to
decipher those! I’ve got the handwriting
of a 1st grader.
What would the top three pieces of
advice be for those who are working towards getting published?
First, writers need to write. A lot.
They don’t need to share every last word, but the only way to improve
one’s work is to practice. There are also
many phenomenal writers out there (far superior to me) who hold desperately to
the notion that the universe will somehow discover their enormous talent. It is the biggest mistake a writer can
make. Submitting articles and
manuscripts to agents and publications is just as important as the actual
writing. It only takes one “yes,” but
one needs to plan for a thousand “no’s.”
Lastly, I cannot stress enough the value of networking. Meeting people in the industry, listening to
the needs of editors, and developing relationships with other writers provide a
wealth of information and direction for pursuing publication. And the bonus? The people you meet along the way are usually
pretty neat.