Are You Talking About Me?

Last week a writer friend, Maria Toth, posted an author interview on her blog. It was about me! I was honored when she asked me a couple weeks ago if I would consider being the subject of her first such interview on her new blog. I am as yet still unpublished, so I was surprised and a little embarrassed, but I said yes. When I read Maria's piece on Wub2Write, I was impressed by her obvious interviewing expertise. You can tell she spent some time as a journalist. I just found it hard to believe that she was writing about me!

I also realized once again how lucky I am to have found such a great circle of fellow writers. I'm a member of three wonderful critique groups--Invincible Ink, Books Born Here, and "the Monday Group." The advice and encouragement the members offer is invaluable, and I grow every time I am with them. Together we celebrate our successes and mourn our rejections. When one person attends a conference, everyone benefits; notes are shared, updates on agents and editors are passed along, and we regularly loan new kids' books, craft books, and books on tape. Even when I have nothing of my own to read, I try not to miss a meeting, for there is much to be learned from listening to the other writers who do. Critiquing, like the act of writing itself, is a skill that takes time and effort to develop. I firmly believe that good writing doesn't happen in a vacuum. If you don't have a writers' group, join one or start one of your own. It's a critical part of the process.

Oatmeal or Cheerios?

One hot Tuesday night last July (as I sat with my critique group shivering in the sub-arctic chill of Panera Café) someone mentioned that the Cheerios picture book contest deadline was looming. General Mills sponsors a family literacy program called “Spoonfuls of Stories,” and each spring they put a miniature paperback picture book (written in both English and Spanish) inside 3 million specially-marked boxes of Cheerios. I thought, “What the heck?”

Submissions are open only to unpublished authors (I’m highly qualified in that arena!), must be 500 words or less, and have strong read-aloud appeal for young children. My favorite story I’ve written to date, Bear Cub’s Pizza, seemed to fit the criteria—short at 250 words and written in verse. So I kissed it good-bye and put it in the mail. Then the waiting began. But eventually life took over, and I forgot all about it.

My phone rang one morning in mid-October as I was eating breakfast (oatmeal, by the way, not Cheerios, but don’t tell anyone). The caller ID said General Mills, and my first thought was, “Now these *!#*&! solicitors are even calling at breakfast.” But I answered—reluctantly and with obvious annoyance in my voice. It was a perky young woman.

“Is this Nancy O’Connor?”

I said, “Y-e-s-s-s,” very suspiciously. How did General Mills know my name? My phone number is unlisted.

“Did you submit a story to the Cheerios contest?”

Well, you’ve never seen anyone do a faster about-face than I did at that moment. She went on to say that it was her pleasure to inform me that I was one of two runners-up (out of 8,000 entries) in the contest. Pending my completion of some legal paperwork, I would be receiving a check for $1,000, and Bear Cub’s Pizza would be posted on the Cheerios website in the spring. The grand prize winner (alas, not I) would be receiving $5,000 and a publishing contract from Simon and Schuster. Still, I was thrilled.

Then the young woman swore me to secrecy until General Mills made the public announcement in March, 2011. That’s a long time to keep such good news secret, but I promised. I only told my critique group colleagues, a few friends, and my immediate family. The check arrived just before Christmas and added to the joy of the season. In February I provided a photo for the website and was told that the press release would go out on the wire services March 22nd. Check out the contest website at http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spoonfulsofstories/author-contest. The following day, March 23rd, I posted my news on Facebook—along with the photo of the box of Cheerios (no more oatmeal for me!) containing the winning picture book from last year, How Do You Hug a Porcupine?, by Laurie Isop.

But the excitement hasn’t stopped there. The other day I received an email from a stranger who asked, “Are you the Nancy O’Connor who wrote Bear Cub’s Pizza?” I almost said, “And who wants to know?” (I’ve got to stop being so suspicious.) It was a NYC literary agent! When we talked last week, she said she loved the story, and she asked me to send her everything else I had. I did, of course, and now the waiting begins again. Will she like my stuff? Will she offer me representation? Will I one day join the ranks of published authors? I’ll keep you posted.


In the meantime, here's the little guy I hope to make famous someday, joyriding after lunch in his red Buick Skylark convertible.