¡Go Big, Bigger, Biggest!

How do you choose a writing mentor?

This may be a controversial perspective. Who am I kidding? It is a controversial perspective.

YOU SHOULD PICK YOUR WRITING MENTOR BASED ON HOW INFLUENTIAL THAT AUTHOR IS IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

Swing as big as you can. Don’t hold back.

What writer do you admire most? Why haven’t you emailed her to start a conversation? What’s stopping you?

I recently started a new project I’m calling 58 Seconds of CuriAwsomeness. For it, I’m only emailing award-winning, top-one-percent authors. So far, I’ve scheduled a minute with Andre Dubus III—author of House of Sand and Fog—Anthony Horowitz, and Kristopher Jansma—author of THE UNCHANGEABLE SPOTS OF LEOPARDS.

These are authors whose books have changed my writing, enriched my craft, and bettered my prose, but they are also authors, whom if they took a shining to my work, have the access to unlock doors that are otherwise tightly fastened to me.

And they’re going to give me a minute out of their day to answer a handpicked question I ask. Do you see the power of that? Not only will I have the opportunity to speak personally with authors who are doing what I’m doing, but at a much higher level than I am, but I’ll have the chance, albeit a small one, to open a line of continued communication.

The Case of Nell Zink

You might not have heard of Nell Zink, but she’s published several novels with Random House. Yet, it wasn’t always the case that her writing career was headed to the Big 5. She’d failed to secure a literary agent despite many opportunities, and even small presses had shown no interest in her submissions.

Then her life was changed by a correspondence with an author you likely have heard of. His name is Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections an Oprah’s book club selection.

In an offhand comment Franzen emailed Zink, as a reaction to an email reply she’d sent him, he said, Nell, you should really try to publish your writing. It’s too good not to be on bookshelves. She replied that if he felt that way, he should connect her with someone who could get her words in print, and the rest is history.

Who Is Your Jonathan Franzen?

I’m certainly not telling you to go out and email Jonathan Franzen, and it’s a rare case when a relationship like Zink’s and Franzen’s blooms, but even if Franzen hadn’t connected Zink directly to the wetly throbbing heart of the publishing industry, she was corresponding with one of the most famous and revered novelists living.

For that alone, her writing would’ve forever been bettered.

And it all started because Nell sent a fan letter that piqued Franzen’s interest.

You never know what might awaken a champion to support your writing and push it toward the masses, but if you refrain from chasing the biggest names in literature because you’re just sure those authors will never reply, you do yourself a disservice.

Go big, and when you’re scared you've gone too big, go bigger, and when that feels futile, go the biggest.