Shop Talk: Wanda Morris Tears Through Those Yellow Legal Pads and Blue Pilot G-2 Gel Ink Pens

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The first time I met Wanda Morris, we talked, in depth, about body odor. I won’t go into the details, but it was the sort of conversation that sticks with you.

The same is true of Wanda. 

She’s a bestselling author, a lawyer, and a mother of three. Wanda’s stories mirror her life. They’re infectious and down to earth. Above all, they’re real.

Readers and critics agree. 

Wanda’s work has won numerous awards. She’s received praise from every major media outlet. And, if that weren’t enough, her first novel All Her Little Secrets was recently optioned for a limited series starring Emmy-award winning actress Uzo Aduba.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to talk shop with Wanda. 

Eli Cranor: So, you’re a lawyer. When did writing become a thing?  

Wanda Morris: I have always loved writing and dreamed of writing books. But I tamped down the desire for a host of reasons. One day, I was in a meeting at work where I had been disrespected, and it hadn’t been the first time either. I went home that night and wrote the first scene of what eventually became the opening of my debut novel. But it was a long and jagged road from writing that first scene to becoming a published author. In the 13 years it took me to get there, I had a baby, got sick, got well again, and amassed over 90 rejections. The straw that nearly broke the proverbial camel’s back came when I participated in an agent showcase as part of an online mentoring program. Over 20 agents requested to see my manuscript—and every single one of them rejected it! After that particularly disastrous round of rejections I was ready to give up. Then I realized I had paid money to attend a pitch event months before. I didn’t want to waste my money so I decided to attend the event and give it one last try. I did and that’s where I met my agent, Lori Galvin. I was on the verge of giving up and here I am, three books into this crazy, exciting, wonderful ride. I tell unpublished writers to keep going because you never know how close you are to a “yes.”

EC: How has your “day job” shaped your writing process? 

WM: I was already telling stories in my day job as a lawyer. It’s a different format–trying to persuade a jury or a group of business executives—but storytelling nonetheless. But as a writer, I’m not limited in the facts I can convey to the reader. I get to make up the facts, which makes this form of storytelling deliciously enjoyable. Lawyers are also accustomed to meeting deadlines and giving attention to details. Both things I use in my work as a novelist.

EC: Do you write every day? 

WM: I try to, but I also have a family and I want to make sure I’m being a good wife, mom, sister, friend so there are some days when I don’t. But every day, I do something related to writing, whether it’s actually writing, outlining an idea, reading or simply thinking about my writing.

EC: Has the mega success of your first two books impacted your writing? If so, how have you combatted this? 

WM: I consider writing a business. As with any business, you must manage your time and your projects. I make sure I reserve time for the core of my business—writing. Sure, I’m a lot busier with book promo and events, but I’m not complaining at all. I love what I do!

EC: When you are working, do you aim for a daily word count? 

WM: I don’t aim for a specific word count or a specific number of writing hours. That would put too much pressure on me and get all into my head. Instead, I make sure I’ve got my butt at the desk, and am working productively. That means working with focus and without distractions. I am an early riser and I do my best writing in the morning hours. 

EC: What are the tools of your trade? 

WM: I’m a dinosaur! I start all my first drafts in longhand. I use yellow legal pads and blue Pilot G-2 gel ink pens. After I get a sizable portion of the manuscript done, usually 10-15 thousand words, I transfer that into the computer and move forward. When I have a manuscript of at least 40-50 thousand words, I print it out and start handwritten revisions on that document with a red Pilot G-2 ink pen. It is the most ridiculous and inefficient process, I know, but somehow it works for me. I think this harkens back to my days as a lawyer, interviewing witnesses and taking meeting notes on yellow legal pads. I’ve tried going straight to the computer to write a first draft and I wind up staring at a blank screen for hours. 

EC: Always happy to find authors who work longhand. You’re now officially part of the club. Next question: when do you write? 

WM: I I work better in the early morning hours. A lot of times, I’ll get up before everyone else in the house so that I can write uninterrupted. My brain is usually fried by 5 or 6 o’clock.

EC: Do you have any rituals you return to that get you in the mood to write?

WM: I have to have a cup of tea and natural light.

EC: Do you outline your novels? Just dive straight in? Or do some combination of the two? 

WM: I think I’m a bit of both although I lean heavily on the plotter side. I start a book idea with a very loose outline. I’m talking 2-3 pages. I know a few of the major plot points. From that I start to write. I never know how my books will end until I start writing and am about mid-point in the manuscript.

EC: When you’re done with the first draft, what does your revision process look like? 

WM: If I’m not on a tight deadline, I will let the manuscript sit for a week or so and marinate. It’s constantly rolling around in the back of my brain so that when I go back to it, I have plenty of ideas to flesh out. If I’m on a tight deadline, all bets are off. I’m in the manuscript until everything is tight. I do use beta readers. The number of revisions I do has resulted in the partial loss of innocent trees (aka the use of yellow legal pads) and tanks of blue and red gel ink! I revise until the book feels right to me—that the characters are in a good place and the story in my head has made its way onto paper in a coherent, and if I’m lucky, emotionally satisfying way.

EC: Do you read certain books for inspiration prior to writing? 

WM: If you count the Bible, yes. 

EC: Best advice for writers just starting out, especially when it comes to the actual act of writing/developing the habits necessary to craft a novel-length manuscript. 

WM: I think every writer has to figure out what works for them personally. When I was unpublished and desperately searching for an agent, I got so much advice on what you “should” and “shouldn’t” do—always write every day, only write when you’re inspired, always plot, never plot, etc. It was mind-boggling and often conflicting. So I tend to shy away from absolutes when giving writing advice. The only thing I do encourage newer writers to do is to read A LOT and read outside your genre. Reading is the best way to learn the craft of writing because you learn what a good book sounds like. You learn what works and doesn’t work when it comes to pacing and characterization and dialogue. Everyone eventually finds their stride.

EC: Finally, WHY do you write? 

WM: I guess I write to untangle those things that take up space in my head and my heart. By that, I mean that I write about topics that make me mad and sad and hopeful and enlightened. It is more than cathartic for me. Writing is an intellectual and emotionally charged experience that helps me sort out the world we live in.

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