Writing Promises and Accountability Sisters: Allison Hong Merrill's First Pages Tips
More than a contest, a supportive community
Allison Hong Merrill
Allison Hong Merrill grew up in Taiwan and arrived in the U.S. at age twenty-two as a university student. She writes in both Chinese and English; both fiction and creative nonfiction. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has won the inaugural Sandra Carpenter Prize for Creative Nonfiction (partner prize to First Pages Prize), the Grand Prize of the 2019 MAST People of Earth writing contest, the 2019 Segullah Journal writing contest as well as many honors in many other awards. Her debut memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops (She Writes Press, 2021) launches this September. Here she reflects on her writing process and the positive mindset that fuels her success.
When reading a book, I like to see the hook, setting, character, and conflicts of the story set up within the first few pages. So I make sure to offer my reader the same gift.
Originally, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops was written in a nonlinear structure. But several of my beta readers suggested that I revamp the entire manuscript and change the narrative into a chronological timeline, so I did. It was a huge undertaking. The manuscript went through twelve full revisions. On average, each pass took two weeks. And when I say, "I revamped the entire manuscript," I mean I even changed the title. It went from Grafted Mandarin to Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops because the new structure is in ninety-nine short sections. But even after this major overhaul and subsequent edits, the first ten pages remained unchanged from the first draft to the published book. It’s because the inciting incident, setting, main characters, and conflicts of the story are established within those pages.
“I learned that I became a starter wife from a light switch.”
When writing a book, I like to do the following:
1. Imagine my book adapted into a film, then I write scenes and dialogue as if describing them from the movie.
2. Do book research and save images on pinterest.com to create a mood board for reference. For a visual person like myself, this method works really well.
3. I make myself a different writing-related promise and a reward every week. Notice this is not a goal; it’s a promise. A goal is for reference, a promise is to be kept. Some examples of my promises are: write an hour every day, revise a chapter, create social media content. If I keep my promise that week, I reward myself. My top three rewards are: watch a movie, buy a cute notebook, sleep in on Sunday morning. If, for any reason, I fail to keep my promise, then I give myself a second chance in the following week to restore my integrity and try again. Sometimes it’s necessary to promise myself to practice the art of self-care. I’ll take a week off from writing to recharge my creative energy. I work with five other writers as accountability sisters. We check in every Saturday evening for a Champagne Moment to support one another and to celebrate everyone’s victory.
4. I’m a memoirist. To dive deeper into my memory, I keep a tin box of NIVEA crème on my desk. Its distinctive scent takes me back to my childhood years and, from there, I get to explore the past and find inspirations for my writing projects. Smell triggers memory. If you’re writing about your past, please consider keeping something (lotion, soap, shampoo, perfume, scented candle, essential oil, etc.) on your desk with a scent that reminds you of the olden days.
5. Because I’m a visual person, instead of setting a timer on my phone, I flip over a sixty-minute hourglass on my desk to help me stay focused on one-uninterrupted-hour of writing.
If you’re an un-agented writer, please consider entering First Pages Prize. This is more than a contest; it’s a supportive writing community. The writers, editors, and committee members I met through First Pages Prize became loving friends who continue to walk the writing journey with me and cheer me on. Enter First Pages Prize and be a part of this incredible community, so I can be your friend and support you too! ;)
Lastly, my memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, that won me the title of the inaugural winner of Sandra Carpenter Prize for Creative Nonfiction as a partner prize to First Pages Prize, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Please take a minute to check it out. Thanks!
