AWE Professor Tara DaPra on Writing
Professor Tara DaPra finds herself in a position that many of us hope to be in someday. She is waiting for news from publishers about her book manuscript that has years of love and labor poured into it. She describes the worst part of the publication process as the silence. Instead of torturing herself with doubts, DaPra got proactive by starting a Substack account. Substack is a combination of a blog and social media platform designed for writers. It provides her with a space to write about what she notices. Her Everyday Epiphanies Substack, where she writes about her thoughts on everyday things she notices, helps clear her mind and gives her a place to write things she feels are meaningful.
DaPra believes that “if you don’t do the work, the ideas will leave you.” By maintaining space to write, she encourages her mind to continue creating. Her posts also provide a way to connect with readers. DaPra now has a growing number of followers, all able to engage with her writing. She encourages us to do the work and find small rewards along the way. Waiting for a grand prize at the end, she warns, can make the writing process unenjoyable. If we discover rewards along our publishing paths, we find the desire to continue the work.
DaPra never knew what she wanted to be when she was growing up and instead grew into her career as a writer and professor. She feels there is often pressure to make one’s career their whole life. Instead, she suggests keeping the writing meaningful to oneself first. For great advice and inspirational reading, I encourage readers to check out Everyday Epiphanies.