A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
Book sale! My MG novel, Sunchild, has been acquired by Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books.
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?
Ever since I turned in my second novel two years ago, I’ve been hoping that the publishing world would let me write a third. This may seem like a given, but it’s not. Sales numbers, reviews, and awards all play a roll in whether a two-time author gets to be a three-time author. In 2021, I started working on a pitch to my agent and writing the first ten chapters of Sunchild. CTC played a big role in helping me stay centered, focused on the right things, and gracefully patient as my agent submitted our proposal, wrangled over the advance, and nudged the contract through multiple delays.
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?
The mix of sweat and stardust in CTC content and the beautiful community of writers at every phase of literary life has given me a healthier perspective on my work. As I wrote my BIG WHY and worked with several of the beliefs, I realized that my creative life needs nurturing — I can’t run on empty. Being among writers, “talking shop,” and taking deep doses of mindfulness fills me up!
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
“I write to affirm the bright core of all of us.” This is my BIG WHY, and it is saving my sanity! I received a challenging edit letter on the book, so I have a thorough revision to do. It can be discouraging to dive back into a manuscript on which you’ve already worked so hard, but I’m making it through by focusing on my BIG WHY and breaking the task into smaller chunks.
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 not that your YES is here?
I signed up for CTC during a low time. I was “living the dream” with two novels out, but I was hitting a lack of motivation and a fatigue with pounding out a first draft. I was also having trouble “keeping my eyes on my own paper,” that is, not comparing myself to more prolific or more decorated authors. The CTC beliefs of “Compare/Despair” and “Creativity is not a competition” helped me so much! I’m finishing up this CTC cycle with a more playful approach to my writing and more joy about my creative life overall.
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?
Enjoy the words, the characters, and the worlds you create — the part you can control. Keep that joy alive even as you learn about the business of publishing and even as you reach milestones. Savor the milestones, but when the streamers come down, get back to the words; they can be your well of joy. Write the next project even as previous ones are coming to fruition, going on submission, or sitting on the back burner.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
Compare/despair is a sign WE CARE. Acknowledge it. Work with it. Let it LEAD US FORWARD.
Rebecca Balcárcel is the award-winning author of MG novels SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ! and THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY. She also co-edited and contributed to BOUNDLESS, a short story anthology by multi-racial/multi-cultural authors, now out. A Guatemalan-Anglo American, Rebecca loves popcorn, her kitty, and teaching her students as Associate Professor of English at Tarrant County College. Find Rebecca on YouTube as the SixMinuteScholar.
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