A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I have sold my first picture book biography! IT BELONGS TO THE WORLD is a biography of Frederick Banting who discovered insulin. It will be illustrated by Janina Gaudin, known online as Miss Diabetes, and published by Clarion.
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I’ve been writing for kids for about seven years now. The Courage to Create community has helped me have patience when things were going slow, and I always remind myself “It Takes the Time it Takes.”
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
As a fiction writer, I’m very nervous about how my first nonfiction work will be received. But CTC has helped me remember to have pride in my work.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight now that your YES is here?
Oh, what a low point I was having! I was actually lying in bed, a bit depressed in the middle of the afternoon, certain my writing career was over, when my agent called with this offer. I had been struggling with a couple R&Rs and I had to remember that It Only Takes One Yes!
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Just keep doing the work. I wrote this manuscript during the pandemic and I really pushed myself to keep going on hard days as I knew I needed to keep the creative juices flowing. As Bethany has taught me, you can’t control if someone will publish your book, but you can control if you write a good one.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
“Focus on the GOALS. Milestones happen on their own.”
Lisa Katzenberger is the author of IT WILL BE OK and NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY. She is a Writing Barn instructor and serves on the Board of Trustees of her local public library. Connect with Lisa at www.lisakatzenberger.com.
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