I had a highly embarrassing conversation today with a couple classmates in the school library, in which 1) I blurted out fanfiction recommendations, and 2) I admitted that I’m currently reading an entire YA fantasy series to avoid working on my nonfiction book.
Such a writer and reader am I.
Anyway, the polite and well-meaning questions of “How is your book coming along, Yara?” and “You’re writing a book? That’s so cool!” and “What’s your book about?” reminded me that I actually do have a book in progress. It has words and everything! I have interviews scheduled as early as this week, to add more stories from a lot more perspectives. So this is real, and even though it’s taking a long time, it’s happening!
I do not have a release date. I do not have a publisher, an editor, an agent, or even a frickin’ finished draft... yet. But I’ve been collecting stories and knowledge for a long time, and with the support of many incredible people, it’s coming together into a readable form!
So here’s what the project currently DOES include:
Step-by-step instructions for advocacy actions like making phone calls to Congress, writing a letter to the editor, running a face-to-face lobby meeting with an elected official, and more
Three parallel “where to get started” sections depending on your interests/needs: beginning kids and teens, experienced kids and teens scaling up their leadership, and parents.
Beginners will have tips such as choosing which issue to work on and an organization to start with, or what to expect for their first interactions with elected officials.
Experienced advocates will get tips about running meetings, setting up healthy group norms, storytelling, and more.
Parents will get tips about age-appropriate ways to introduce political advocacy to younger kids. I want the book to serve everyone under 18, not just those old enough to read my book themselves!
“What’s in it for me?” How being (healthily) engaged in political advocacy can be good for you
A 1,248 word rant I wrote one random afternoon in 2019 about how angry I get when youth activists are dismissed and ridiculed because of our age. I still haven’t deleted it from the draft because 9th grade me actually made some really valid points…
Anecdotes about my friends advocating with me!
One friend made her first call to Congress in 7th grade, and was horrified to realize the congressional aide who picked up the phone was an alum of our rival school. I thought it was funny.
In 2nd grade, my friends and I decided the recess monitors were too mean, so we drafted an agenda and requested a meeting with the school’s vice principal. They actually agreed and let us leave class to go have a lobby meeting!
Being strategic!
Some thoughts on why it’s still worthwhile to advocate even when your members of Congress already agree with you (or when they never, EVER will agree with you)- you’ll just need to adjust what your goals are
Should we work at the local, state, or federal level? (Spoiler: all of these are good, it depends on what you want to get done!)
Lobbying? Protesting? Election work? Social media? Let’s talk about them! (My opinion- all can be great options, just know what you’re getting into.)
Tips for balancing advocacy with daily life as a busy student
Powerful stories of inspiring advocates and activists, all under 18, from across the country (There may be some international stories, too! Still working on how to include powerful Model UN experiences and apply them to a book that’s very centered around the American political system…)
Some stories that are very specific to my high school (though they still make sense, and the lessons apply to everybody, or I wouldn’t put them in the book). The Newman Prize. Cloud Club. If you know, you know.
Hopefully, a helpful starting point for conversations around anti-oppression within advocacy groups. This book is intended to be a resource for advocacy beginners and experienced advocates alike, and I believe it’s just as important for newcomers to know what behaviors and accommodations to look out for as it is for the “leaders”.
My MOM’S expertise! :D
My mom is an expert in both training kids and teens to be effective advocates, and in writing a book about political advocacy. (changyit.com) I love working with her!
The power of handwritten thank-you notes.
Yeah, it’s a thing! If you send a thank-you to your member of Congress or a specific staff member in their office who helped you out, that goes a long way. If you thank others for taking action with you, they’ll want to do it again! I believe it belongs in my book about political advocacy, until an editor or somebody tells me to take it out.
So, to answer the questions from this morning, yes! I have a book in progress! When I actually stop to think about it as a whole, (instead of the stressful emailing, researching, outlining, and editing details) this is a really exciting project for me.
Shout-out to whoever at my school anonymously nominated me for the “most likely to write a book” yearbook superlative. Someday, I hope to live up to your high hopes. <3
P.S. You know whose book actually does have a launch date? Cynthia Changyit Levin’s AMAZING book “From Changing Diapers to Changing the World” comes out on March 8, 2022! Having read many different versions many different times, I can say with confidence that it is REALLY helpful & useful, very readable, and has a highly satisfactory number of stories in which baby, toddler, or small-child Yara is an assistant advocate to their superhero mom.
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