Though when I began writing letters to Dana, and then my Facebook friends, there was zero thought of a future book, the profound impact of living the story made me completely committed to sharing it.

Amy Weinland Daughters – 11 July 2022

The Back Flap

When Amy Daughters reconnected with her old pal Dana on Facebook, she had no idea how it would change her life. Though the two women hadn’t had any contact in thirty years, it didn’t take them long to catch up—and when Amy learned that Dana’s son Parker was doing a second stint at St. Jude battling cancer, she was suddenly inspired to begin writing the pair weekly letters.

When Parker died, Amy—not knowing what else to do—continued to write Dana. Eventually, Dana wrote back, and the two became pen pals, sharing things through the mail that they had never shared before. The richness of the experience left Amy wondering something: If my life could be so changed by someone I considered “just a Facebook friend,” what would happen if I wrote all my Facebook friends a letter?

A whopping 580 handwritten letters later Amy’s life, and most of all her heart, would never, ever, be the same again. As it turned out, there were actual individuals living very real lives behind each social media profile, and she was beautifully connected to each of those extraordinary, flawed people for a specific reason. They loved her, and she loved them. And nothing—not politics, beliefs, or lifestyle—could separate them.

About the book

What is the book about?

Dear Dana is the story of me reconnecting with my old camp pal, Dana, on Facebook. Though we hadn’t had any contact in 30 years, when I found out that her 15-year-old son Parker was battling cancer, I became inspired to write the pair letters.

When Parker passed away, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just kept writing Dana. Eventually, she wrote me back and we became pen pals. We shared so much, exclusively in writing, that our connection became life changing. It left me wondering – what if I wrote all my Facebook friends a letter?

Dear Dana weaves the narratives of the two letter-writing campaigns into one story filled with grief, hope, unity, and love.

When did you start writing the book?

I wrote the first several chapters of what became Dear Dana just after penning the last of the 580 Facebook letters in April of 2017.

How long did it take you to write it?

I worked on the first draft of the manuscript from April of 2017 through the first part of 2019. It was then that I realized I needed help. Not only was the story so meaningful to me personally – meaning that I needed someone to help me get out of my own trees and see the potential readers’ forest – but how was I going to best weave the narratives of the two letter writing campaigns into one cohesive story?

That’s when I hired a brilliant story editor who kept me on track as I wrote the second draft of the manuscript from January through June of 2020.

Where did you get the idea from?

Though when I began writing letters to Dana, and then my Facebook friends, there was zero thought of a future book, the profound impact of living the story made me completely committed to sharing it. The herculean effort associated with writing and then getting the book published was all done in the name of spreading hope, unity, and love.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Given that Dana and I have developed an extremely close friendship since we reconnected, the parts of the book that recount the experience of losing her son Parker and then her grief were beyond difficult for me to write.

Even though there is so much pure hope associated with the narrative of Dear Dana, I will never be on board with a complete celebration of the story because much of it is based on my dearest friends’ ultimate tragedy. It’s something she’ll have to grapple with, every single day, for the rest of her life. Because of this, there will always be a layer of hesitancy and/or guilt for me where this book is concerned.

What came easily?

At my core, I’m a person who finds herself quite humorous. That means the easiest writing for me is when I think I’m being funny. While Dear Dana is thought-provoking, sad, and, again, oozing with hope, it also offers a healthy dose of humor. For that, I am quite pleased.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Given that it’s a memoir, all the characters in Dear Dana are from the world of real. And that’s true even though I refer to each of the recipients of the Facebook letters (52 of these exchanges are featured in the book) mostly by their “letter number” – the chronological identifier for each dispatch. Each person’s subsequent anonymity doesn’t trump their realness.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Even though we don’t write in the same genre, I am a big fan of David McCullough. I love how he takes a subject like history and makes it so personal, breaking down the academia and using words to paint portraits that leave you feeling like you know the individuals he writes about. His non-fiction reads like historical fiction.

Do you have a target reader?

While I’m sure many authors feel like their book is for EVERYONE, I do believe that there are elements of this story – connections, relationships, social media, love, hope, grief, etc. – that are relatable to, well, everyone. That said, even though one of my primary goals was to make the story completely inclusive, the faith element will connect more with someone who has any faith-based belief.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

The first step of my writing process is inspiration. This usually happens when I’m either walking or driving – both acts which I do while listening to music. Once the inspiring gets underway, I generally like to kick the idea around in my head for several days, or even weeks, before I sit down to write about it.

The writing happens organically, I sit at my computer and just let it all out in a Word document. I always try to start at the beginning with a solid opening line to build on. Then I’ll jump around, perhaps completing the final line before finishing up the middle.

Once I’ve got something on paper, I just continue to chip away at it, spending as much time as I can writing, rewriting, and then stepping away to let the words and ideas marinate.

When I feel “finished” the final step is using the “read aloud” function in Microsoft Word to listen to how my writing sounds. That’s where the final corrections are made.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Though I might write down bullet points I want to cover in a piece of writing, any outlining/pre-planning I do is either in my own head or in the actual document I’m working on. Rather than utilizing a physical piece of paper to jot down proposed chapter or section headings, I scroll down and type them into the document along with a quick blurb on what I’m planning on discussing.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

If I’m really on a roll and feeling it, then I absolutely wait until I’m finished to go back and edit. If I’m struggling, a lot of times I’ll edit as I go, which seems to help me find a rhythm where the writing gets easier.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I’m on and off with music – sometimes it helps me get my words out and other times it seems to distract from my process. If I do listen, I’ve usually got a tight deadline and I listen to inspirational music without lyrics. I find that trying to find my own words while hearing someone else’s is counterproductive.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes. While I did hear back from some of my targets, it was obvious that agents are completely overwhelmed with queries making it nearly impossible, unless you’ve got a proven track record in publishing or are famous, to get any serious interest.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

For my first book, You Cannot Mess This Up (She Writes Press, 2019), Indies were the only publishers that were genuinely interested in partnering with me. My second book, Dear Dana, did garner substantial interest from traditional presses but I decided to re-sign with SWP because I knew I’d have more control over how my story was told and, if it were to take off and make a splash, I’d ultimately have a better financial stake in it.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

She Writes Press has a professional cover designer who is amazing.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

After fumbling my way through the first book (a reference to my own part in marketing it, not that of the efforts of the very capable publicist I hired), I attempted to be more prepared with book number two. First, I educated myself and had a plan of what I needed to do. Then, I again hired a capable book publicist, but tried to approach it as a partnership rather than “what have you done for me lately.”

Thus far, the results have been great.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Even though the publishing industry is evolving, writers who are traditionally published are still considered “better authors” or “more legitimate” than those who partner with an indie or hybrid press or those who self-publish.

While we have to be real about the climate of the industry, we must push back against the assumption that a story told in a hard back book has more value than one presented in paperback or one available only electronically.

It is precisely why there are so many wildly popular original productions on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. The three major television networks simply couldn’t handle the sheer volume of great storytelling and therefore were overtaken – in terms of both quality and quantity – by a handful of what were once considered rogue start-ups that didn’t belong in the big leagues.

If you can get “traditionally” published go forth and share your story! But if you struggle to do so, or choose not to, go forth and share your story – PROUD of the fact that you are a real part of the wave of change that will transform the publishing industry.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the northern suburbs of Houston, Texas.

Where do you live now?

After long stints in England and Ohio, my family and I moved back to the Houston area – we are in the far northwest in Tomball, Texas – in 2019.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am an ordinary person who, in Dear Dana, gets to tell an extraordinary story. I’m not perfect and neither are my books.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just begun work on a humorous historical fiction idea that’s been bouncing around in my head for about a year. I’m excited about it!

End of Interview:

For more from Ms Daughters visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Get your copy of Dear Dana from Amazon US or Amazon UK.