Wendy McClure:
I'm Not the New Me
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For Wendy McClure, author, editor, poet, blogger, and CWIP’s May speaker, the last few years seem to have been about balance—both on and off the scale. Her first book, I’m Not the New Me, a witty and honest look at our diet-obsessed culture, was published in 2004. Her second book, The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan, is a collection of parodied Weight Watchers recipe cards and will be released this month. During her evening with CWIP, McClure shared her own recipe for the success she has found: decide what interests you and give it a voice.
McClure shared passages from I’m Not the New Me, including tales of joining the '80s-themed Women’s Workout World and her experiences reading children’s book manuscripts at her current day job at Albert Whitman & Company in Morton Grove. The book was published in 2004, but its creation was a long time in the making. The book actually began as a collection of entries on a Web site she launched to talk about her experiences and reflections on her weight-loss battle. Edgy, funny, and truthful, McClure’s passages explore real issues everyone can relate to and appreciate. Armed with an MFA in poetry from the University of Iowa, McClure finished her program jobless, and said that she actually found her first position by “accosting” a CWIP member with her resume in the elevator after a networking event. In her spare time, McClure became a blogger—first for www.televisionwithoutpity.com, a site of snarky recaps of popular television shows, then on her own site, www.poundy.com, the online journal where she shares her thoughts on weight, life, and America’s Next Top Model, of course. McClure revealed that there is no magic formula for getting a book published, although she admits that she had a gimmick that helped her: a collection of old-time Weight Watchers cards she had posted that raised awareness of her site. She advised the audience that this is not a necessary ploy and that the key to any endeavor—from creating your own online journal to writing and publishing a book—is finding a niche. “Don’t worry whether it is important or not. The most important thing is to find something you’re interested in,” she said. “That obsession makes it happen—start with what you love.” Melanie Zanoza is a freelance writer and editor, and currently works as a production editor in the children's department of Publications International, Ltd., a publishing company in Lincolnwood. Contact: melanie.zanoza@gmail.com. |
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