Wendy Wunder: Be Grateful for the Edits

Wendy Wunder has an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. She is the star-reviewed author of Probability of Miracles and The Museum of Intangible Things. When not writing, she often works as a rogue librarian and is currently a bookseller at Porter Square Books in Cambridge. She lives in Boston with her husband, daughter and two quirky pets, but will remain ever-faithful to her Jersey roots. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

Wendy Wunder

In this interview, Wendy discusses the process of wanting to both apologize for and document the circumstances of being Gen Z with her new contemporary YA novel, Mysterious Ways, the impact of COVID on her writing process, and more.

Name: Wendy Wunder
Literary agent: Joelle Hobeika
Book title: Mysterious Ways
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release date: August 27, 2024
Genre/category: YA Contemporary
Previous titles: Probability of Miracles and Museum of Intangible Things
Elevator pitch: Mysterious Ways is about a girl who thinks she’s god and tries to save the world, since the world so desperately needs saving right now.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I was working with Gen Z kids at a school and raising a Gen Z kid of my own and noticing the barrage of circumstances we’d handed down to them that were creating a perfect storm of anxiety and of knowing too much. Climate change, the phones, social media, gun violence, the 24-hour news cycle, hate, the rat race that is college admissions, the pressure to be liked and likable. So, I wanted to testify to it, document it, really, but also apologize for the mess they’re inheriting.

At the same time, I wanted to help them find their power. I truly believe they will lead us out of this into a hopeful, beautiful future. And I think that is ultimately the trajectory of the book. It’s hopeful and funny.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This book has been in two separate files on my computer for about eight years. I started it in two different voices and couldn’t decide which one to go with. I finally landed on Maya and sold it on spec to Wednesday Books in 2019. It took me a long time to finish after that, because I got very sick with COVID and couldn’t get my energy back. My brain wasn’t working … I almost lost hope, but somehow, plodding along, I eventually found the story after the third or fourth draft. Thanks to the patience of my agents and editors, Mysterious Ways is a book and not still just a Word Doc.

The idea didn’t change necessarily, but my editor, Sara Goodman, helped me to find the story and make it bigger. I needed license to go for it and try to make it about more than a girl struggling to fit in at high school. When she gave that to me, I saw the light.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I was surprised that there were SO many rounds of edits from different folks in different facets of the business. It made me grateful to have completed an MFA. I don’t think you need one. But that training really helped me to have confidence in knowing which edits to keep and which edits to discard. You have to let go of your ego and be grateful for the edits that are improving the book. You also have to be confident enough to discard the edits from people who aren’t seeing your vision.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I am a “discovery writer,” which means that the writing process is a constant surprise—lol. I don’t have an outline but write to discover the story and understand my own mind. The benefit of this is that if you are surprised, then the reader will be, too! The downside is that you can sometimes write yourself into corners and need to back out with your tail between your legs and find a new path forward. Which can be frustrating and take a lot of time. George Saunders is one of my favorite discovery writers and he describes this process brilliantly in his newsletters and his book, A Swim in the Pond in the Rain.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they’ll see themselves and each other, and I hope they’ll laugh.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Read. Write. Be tender and brave. (I read that somewhere and I don’t know who said it, but it’s the best possible combination of virtues) Think deeply for yourself. Be wary of sloganeering (even from your echo chambers). Don’t lose your sense of humor. Read. Write. Don’t worry about publishing. Repeat.

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