EP.08 - Navigating a 9 to 5 and Publishing a Book with Teresa Wong

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Teresa Wong is the author of the graphic memoir Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression. I’ve known her for over 20 years and was thrilled to interview her about her copywriting career, the process of creating her first book while working at her day job, why graphic narrative is her medium of choice, and why THIS was the story she wanted to tell.

I’m your host, Karen Styles, Career + Life Coach and owner of Flow + Fire Coaching. Ready to create your Intentional Career? Schedule a call with me.

Teresa Wong is the author of the graphic memoir Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression, a finalist for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and longlisted for CBC Canada Reads 2020. Her comics have appeared in The Believer, The Rumpus, and Event Magazine. She teaches memoir and comics at Gotham Writers Workshop.

Interview Highlights:

[01:30]  How Teresa’s day job in copywriting is different than creative writing.

[04:40]  Where did the idea for Dear Scarlet come from? How did having 3 kids impact / inspire the way it was written? How did that impact the writing of a graphic narrative?

[8:20] Teresa asks an illustrator to help her with this project, and his reasons for saying “No, you have to do this.” She Googles “how to make a graphic novel” which actually helps a lot. 

[14:00] Karen asks, why tell THIS story, even though you’ve experienced other intense life things (like a house that burnt down and your husband’s stroke) among other major life challenges you’ve had?

[17:00] Karen shares how Dear Scarlet made her feel seen and understood, despite not being a mom or dealing with post-partum depression.

[18:11] How the support and belief of other people helped in the bumpy road to getting published, how long publishing takes, and how sharing a manuscript feels like exposing yourself.

[24:00] What encouragement Teresa would give her past self.

[27:20] Why graphic narrative is NOT easier to write than prose.

[30:28] What is Closet Dispatch? Why Teresa decided to write a Substack newsletter during the pandemic, why she wanted to talk about clothes and her relationship to clothes. Teresa & Karen share past and present thoughts about Celine Dion.

 [41:43] Teresa’s career crushes.

[46:20] How becoming an author has (and hasn’t) changed Teresa’s career. Why she’s kept her day job and has more jobs than ever before. An upcoming job that will be a big change - Writer in Residence at the University of Calgary.


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