For many writers, the dream begins with a story, a pencil, and the courage to send words out into the world.
For Donna Marie Merritt, that dream began when she was ten years old and submitted her first manuscript, a book about community helpers. The answer was no, but the dream stayed.
Looking back, Donna Marie’s message to her younger writer self is grounded in patience, persistence, revision, and the joy that comes from creating because writing makes you happy.
Here is her letter to her younger writer self.
The Letter
Dear Donna Marie,
You are ten years old. You have just received your first rejection. You were so sure the publisher would want your book about community helpers. Your mom even typed it before you mailed it so it would look professional.
I’m sorry to say this is the first of many rejections. You will be in your 30s before your first book is published. Thirties? Yep. I know it seems like an eternity and that you feel you will be absolutely ancient by then.
But honestly, you need that time to define and refine your craft. You begin by publishing poems in college and then magazine articles and short stories.
And you read. You read and you read and you read. You figure out what you like and don’t like. You pay attention to words and sentence structure, to plots and characters you can’t stop thinking about. You pick up on the patterns and rhythms of language.
You learn to revise. When you were ten, your first draft was your last draft. Not so anymore. You’ve discovered that writing is hard work and impossible to get it the way you want on the first try. And you love that. You’re up for the challenge.
Guess what else. You’re rich and famous! Ummm . . . okay, you’re not. You work a full-time job and write whenever you can squeeze in the time. But you don’t mind. Making money and being recognized were not the reasons you submitted that first manuscript, right? You wrote that story because it made you happy to create it, especially the part about the mail carrier because you looked forward to letters from your pen pals.
You still write with a pencil because that’s how you slow down and do your best thinking. But your mom doesn’t type it on a typewriter when you’re done. You type it yourself on a computer. And you don’t put your submissions in an envelope and mail them at the post office. You email them to your agent. One thing that hasn’t changed is that it usually takes months and months before an editor replies—and it’s still usually a no. But that makes the yeses even better.
I’m so proud of you. You stuck to it. You’ve had 24 books published. You have the best agent in the world who “gets” your first middle grade novel and is talking it up to publishers. She believes in you and I believe in you.
Good job, Donna Marie. I’m glad you didn’t give up.
You are a writer.
Love,
Grown-up Donna Marie Merritt
About the Writer
Donna Marie Merritt is the author of 24 published books and continues to write for young readers. Learn more about her work at donnamariebooks.com.
