It’s been an eventful time for romance writer Sarah T. Dubb. Last year she published her first novel, “Birding with Benefits.” She also sold the rights to it and on Sept. 27 it’s going to appear in movie form on the Hallmark Channel as “Adventures in Love and Birding.”
On top of that, she is this quarter’s writer-in-residence at the Douglas Quincie branch of the Pima County Public Library.
“The writer in residence program is a great example of the way our library system really fosters community,” she said. “It’s a longstanding program and I’m really honored to have my name now included with people who have participated. For me, it’s just one more really awesome thing that our library does and I’m just really excited to be a part of. And it’s supportive of our local writers.”
The writer-in-residence program provides anyone, both writers and those who think they might be interested in writing, a half an hour of a published writer’s time for a consultation. Participants do not have to have a manuscript; they can come for advice on how to get started. They can also be experienced writers who might need advice on how to overcome a particular writing bump. Whatever the question, Dubb is there to help find the answer.
Here’s how her half hour goes: “I start every half hour really getting a sense of how the person coming in to talk with me wants to spend their time,” she said. “I feel like that’s their time and I really want to respect it and I want to make sure we get to do what they want.”
She said they can get more done in half an hour than anyone would think.
“I have been surprised by how much we can cover in that time,” Dubb said. “I think that a lot of it relies on folks being ready to just jump in and that can be very scary.”
Dubb herself knows firsthand how hard it can be to show her work. Who knows how they’ll react and what they’ll say?
“I really admire the vulnerability and bravery of people who have come in,” she said. “They’re walking into this room with me. They don’t know me. Our writing logs are often very personal.”
Writers might feel better about showing their works to Dubb when they know she’s no stranger to rewrites.
“I will say I rewrite a lot, so I feel like I wrote about five books in the process of writing ‘Birding with Benefits’ because I rewrote it so many times,” she said. “For folks interested in participating, I would just let them know people of all writing levels and genres are welcome and I really like to acknowledge to people when they participate that it really is an act of bravery for them to show up and to trust me and to dive into conversation,” she said. “I want folks to know that I am a welcoming person for them in that vulnerability.”
Of course, the free program is popular, so anyone interested should sign up as soon as possible. Reservations open one week ahead of each available date, so Dubb said to register the second they open.
Dubb’s next novel, set to hit bookstores in December, is called “Honey Bee Mine.” It’s a romance that takes place in upstate New York.
A consultation with writer-in-residence Sarah T. Dubb
WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 13 (with the exception of Oct. 9). Each 30-minute reservation must be made a week in advance.
WHERE: Quincie Douglas Library,1585 E. 36th Street
INFO: library.pima.gov/writer.
“Preserving Joy Through Your Writing Journey” Workshop
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 18
WHERE: Woods Memorial Library, 3455 N. First Avenue
INFO: Registration required: library.pima.gov/writer
“Writing Romance: Romance Beats, Pacing and Conflict” Workshop
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 8
WHERE: Quincie Douglas Library,1585 E. 36th Street
INFO: Registration required: library.pima.gov/writer