My first beta reader was a high school student. She impressed me when one of her comments was “show, don’t tell.” I laughed because for 12 years I was using this exact phrase when teaching my third graders to write. I was so happy that this high school student was getting the same great education in writing I was giving my students. Little did I know, this isn’t just a phrase to teach kids, it is something authors have to think about constantly.

As I look back, there are other things I thought we just taught to young kids first learning to write. Now that I’m practicing what I preach, writing and querying agents, I’m finding so many lessons about writing as an adult that we learned from our elementary teachers.

Lesson 1: Prewriting is Essential

I am an ideas person. Usually I wake up with an idea for a new thing to try in the classroom, or an idea for a story. Sometimes they come to me as I’m falling asleep, in the shower, or driving. Ideas are not the difficult part of writing for me. But as I sat down to write my book about three girls that learn they are next in line to be the Three Fates, I was a mess.

I started by taking notes; about the characters, the setting, the important plot points. And as I sat down to record my stream of consciousness, a story really started to take shape. So often after we have students think of an idea for writing, we have them jump right into drafting. They are missing this first important step to just brainstorm. It can be done in many ways; a stream of consciousness, graphic organizer, or list, but had I skipped this step, my idea would still be just that–an idea.

My next step was to start an outline. I set mine up as a spreadsheet and started outlining chapter by chapter. At this point, there were lots of holes to fill, but organizing it this way made it easier for me to find them. I never did this with my students prior to my own writing experience. I do now, and I find that their stories are much better.

Lesson 2: Write What You Know

While many students might enjoy the idea of writing a fiction piece, it is often harder for them. Every year, I start by teaching through personal narrative. I find when kids are writing about their lived experience, the ideas come easier and fit together better. Then they can concentrate on honing their writing craft.

I found the same true for myself. My first manuscript, THE WISHING WILLOW, is a contemporary fiction story about a boy whose wishes made while under a weeping willow tree start to come true, but always in unexpected ways. It’s a story of friendship, self identity, and resilience.

It also takes place in rural Wisconsin. For those of you who know me, you know this is a very familiar setting for me. I grew up visiting my extended family in a little farming town outside of Green Bay. While writing the setting, I pictured that place. So many of the adventures my characters go on as they discover the secrets of the environment, are true based off of mine (or my relatives) experiences. I could fill a whole post with the parallels. Maybe I will!

Lesson 3: You are never “done.”

My favorite is when a student comes to me after working on a story for 30 minutes and says they are done. I proudly flash them the air quotes and say, “You mean, you’re ‘done’?” That always confuses them. I have to explain, that they might be done with their first draft, but that is just the first step.

It took me seven summers to finish my second manuscript; 4 to write the first draft and 3 to revise to the point where I felt I could start to query. I still know an agent and editor will have suggestions for making it even better. I can’t wait for the feedback! One of my favorite phases of this journey was having feedback from beta readers. I learned SO MUCH about myself as a writer- my strengths and weaknesses. I know I am a stronger writer now thanks to their constructive feedback. Reading their work and giving them feedback too, was another great learning opportunity and empowered me. This reminded me how important peer feedback is for my students too.

The Most Important Lesson

Getting published is hard. There is competition. There is hard feedback. There is rejection. But the most important lesson I’ve learned through all this is to not give up. Each criticism is an opportunity. There is always more to learn, more to do. I will continue to read successful writers’ work and learn from their example. I will continue to build this platform and to develop myself as a writer. I will continue to research agents, take workshops, and continue to write until I, too, am a successful author. I will continue to work. I will continue to dream.