On Wednesday June 23rd, we’re interviewing Dallas Woodburn, who is the author of two collections of stories and a forthcoming novel. She is also the founder of a nonprofit youth literacy foundation, Write On!, that encourages kids to discover confidence, joy, self-expression and connection through reading and writing. She can be reached at www.writeonbooks.org.
Dallas’s Passioneer Q&A
SO: Your definition of “passion” – your “WHY” for being on the planet?
Writing is my passion – I feel most alive when I am writing and sharing my writing with others. I can’t imagine what I would be doing if I were not pursuing a career as an author! I believe writing can touch people in incredible ways. One of my favorite things is hearing from a young person who is inspired to follow his or her passion after reading one of my stories.
SO: Your biggest passions for serving others, and how you’re expressing them (include hobbies, volunteering, if you wish)?
In a recent national assessment conducted by the National Literacy Institute (NLI) of fourth-grade students, 13% reported never reading for fun on their own; an additional 16% only read for fun once a month. I think this is a travesty. Reading has brought me so much excitement, confidence and has opened so many doors for me, including a tremendous college education and a career that I love. Writing and reading have given me so much fulfillment and self-confidence, and opportunities that I never would have been given otherwise – like traveling to New York to be a guest on The CBS Early Show when I was writing a column for Family Circle magazine. I feel other kids should be exposed to writing and reading as well, to encourage their self-confidence and self-expression. When I published my first book, There’s a Huge Pimple On My Nose, in fifth grade, the teachers in my elementary school asked me to talk to their classes, and then I spoke to other classes throughout the school district. I still enjoy talking to kids about writing. At the beginning of my talk, I ask the kids if any of them are interested in writing, and usually a few shy hands raise. In contrast, at the end of my talk when I ask the same question, nearly all hands raise. Many students tell me they didn’t know that kids could be writers. They didn’t know writing could be fun.
I started “Write On! For Literacy” in 2001 to encourage kids to discover confidence, joy, a means of self-expression and connection to others through reading and writing. My website www.writeonbooks.org features writing contests, book reviews, fun writing prompts, and more. I organize and teach fun writing camps for kids and award scholarships for young writers. I also hold an annual Holiday Book Drive to collect and distribute new books to disadvantaged kids — more than 11,000 books have been donated to date.
SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in expressing your passions for serving others and how you’ve addressed them?
There aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do! I sometimes tend to stretch myself too thin and take on too many projects at once, and then not be able to give anything the attention it deserves. Thankfully, I’ve been paired up with a great mentor through this wonderful organization called Youth Venture, and she has helped me organize and streamline Write On! into a much more focused organization. She helped me write a mission statement, create defineable and achieveable goals, and move forward on the projects I care most deeply about. I have learned the importance of prioritizing and delegation!
SO: They say that when you do what you love, the rest follows. What has been your experience of prosperity, as you define it?
I try to live my life by John Wooden’s saying: “Make each day your masterpiece.” To me, “prosperity” is living by this mantra. What makes up a masterpiece for you? For me, a masterpiece day is one that includes everything I love most: my family, friends, writing, beauty, and giving to others. I also think it is very important to have balance and to be “prosperous” in all are as of your life: your relationships, health, career, community endeavors.
SO: The biggest lesson that you’ve learned in making the leap?
Following my passion has taught me not to be afraid to take risks. Take the initiative when you have an idea and make it happen yourself rather than letting fear and doubt make you wait. Because, why wait? Take small steps towards your dreams, and small steps can snowball into amazingly big opportunities!
SO: The biggest keys to your success (e.g., talent, quality, skill, etc.)?
I was fortunate to discover my passion and dive into my writing career at such an early age because I wasn’t afraid or self-conscious about my writing. I think as we get older, we tend to lose that child-like pride and confidence in ourselves and our work. I published my first book when I was in fifth grade. I wasn’t afraid of rejection, so I sent my book out to anyone and everyone I thought might read it. Sure, I didn’t hear back from a lot of them. But I did score reviews in The Los Angeles Times, Girls’ Life Magazine, Cosmo Girl Magazine, and others. Many terrific doors were opened for me because I wasn’t afraid to hear the word “no.” I try to hold on to that child inside myself and live fearlessly.
SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?
My parents and my younger brother, Greg, are my absolutely biggest fans. I am truly lucky to have been born into such a phenomenal support system. My dad is also a writer, and he is the first person who reads my work – his feedback and encouragement are invaluable. I remember when I was little, he would let me type out stories on his computer once he had filed his column for the day – how special that was! I also have had amazing teachers who have been very encouraging of my love of writing. I remember in second my teacher, Diane Sather, had me read one of my stories to the class. I got such a burst of joy from sharing what I had written with others. In college, I met other students my age who also loved to write and they remain close friends. I also was able to take a fiction writing class with Aimee Bender, a writer I have long admired, who turned out to be one the most kind, creative, and generous people I have ever met. I feel very lucky to now call her my mentor and friend. I think when building a support system, it is important to find people who will be honest with you but who also believe in you deeply. No matter what happens, I know I have a safety net of love that will catch me. That is freeing in the best way.
SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?
Rejection is something that everyone has to deal with. As a writer, I joke that I could wallpaper all four of my bedroom walls with all the rejection letters I have received from editors! The important thing is not to take it personally. When I get a rejection letter, I first read the comments to see if there is any advice I can glean or ways I can improve for next time. Then, I submit my story or essay or article somewhere else. It took me more than a year to find my literary agent. A year of rejection, rejection, rejection – until finally, I found my perfect match. My agent understands my writing and has faith in my career. I just had to have the patience and perseverance to find her!
SO: What’s your next big milestone?
In August, I’m moving from California to Indiana to enter the graduate school program at Purdue University for fiction writing. I feel so honored to have been accepted to such a great program, and I know I am going to grow enormously as a writer during my three years there. I am looking forward to bringing Write On! to my new writing family and plan to start a Holiday Book Drive and Young Writers Camp at Purdue.
