By Leondina Dankese
Write to write to write. Writing isn’t just a job or a hobby — it’s a passion. But the world of writing can be daunting, whether you’re a beginner or experienced. To offer insight, I spoke with Cape Cod Community College’s newest English professor, Daven McQueen, for advice on writing and getting published.
McQueen, author of “The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones”— available at Wilkens Library — has extensive experience in both writing and publishing.
They have been writing since childhood, inspired by a love of reading. In kindergarten, McQueen became excited about storytelling, and they wrote their first novel in second grade — a 10-page mystery about girls solving the case of a dognapper, heavily influenced by “Nancy Drew” novels and other mysteries. They have been writing ever since.
McQueen shared two key pieces of advice for writers:
● Write a lot. “The only way you get better is through practice.”
● Find a writing community. “There’s a myth that writers are recluses who do everything alone, but I think community is really important.”
For those looking to get published, McQueen offered these tips:
● Research agents by finding out who published your favorite books.
● Don’t be afraid to ask people questions about writing and publishing.
● Submit work to literary journals — poetry and short stories are great starting points, and the process provides valuable feedback.
● Remember, publishing is an industry that decides what gets published, but “it’s not the end-all, be-all of writing.”
● Keep writing.
McQueen has also faced burnout. While writing their MFA thesis — a novel’s first 100 pages on a tight deadline — they became so exhausted they needed a long break. To combat burnout, they suggest writing something just for yourself.
For final words of wisdom, McQueen encouraged writers to embrace the challenges of the craft:
“You know, writing is a really weird thing, and it can feel like a task a lot of the time; it can feel frustrating, it’s challenging. But I think what is really wonderful about writers and what writers should remember about themselves is that they are really, really skilled at observing the world around them and not just representing that in their work but just having an overall deep sense and clarity of the world around them, and I think as you continue to write and find community with other writers that feeling only grows, and that’s like the most important thing to … hold onto.”
