Contact me at:
dedradavis03@gmail.com
https://www.dedradaviswrites.com
About Me—Why I Write
I have always been a writer.
But I’m a “late-in-life” writer. I graduated in 1988 with a journalism degree but never wrote professionally because of confidence.
Also in 1988, I wrote four picture books. I queried one story—once—the old-fashioned way by snail mail. I received a rejection and filed all four picture book manuscripts away, along with my dreams.
I finally found my confidence and began writing for a Waco paper in 2014, at age 48.
My love for writing and life ignited.
In November 2018, I wrote my fifth picture book manuscript. After that, I joined SCBWI and began learning everything I could.
Since January 2019, I have been chasing my dreams again—writing and revising my children’s books.
I now have over 15 manuscripts, and I’m revising many more!
November 2021, I participated in NaNoReMo and started my fifth novel. I finished my YA in March 2022 and began revising. I’m proud that I finally finished my first novel! I began querying my YA romance novel in May 2023 with multiple POVs featuring a ghost.
I aim to find an agent for my career and publish my manuscripts.
- My favorite two words these days—fail forward!
- Published YA author Kelis Rowe nominated my YA novel for the 2023 Austin SCBWI Cynthia Leitich Smith Mentorship Award.
- I won the 2021 SCBWI Austin Carmen Oliver On-the-Verge Scholarship Award.
- I reside on the board of the book-gifting program—Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Waco. It’s an honor to bring Dolly’s reading program to Waco’s children.
- I’m a member of SCBWI and Bethany Hegedus’ Courage to Create.
- I’m a member of two critique groups and exchange manuscripts regularly with three individuals.
- I attend many SCBWI conferences and webinars, and Writing Barn courses every year, as well as Courage to Create and Highlights Foundation webinars.
- Featured in Amanda Davis Big Kids Writing for Little Kids
- Featured on Tiny Triumph Co’s Tea Talks.
- I participate in Storystorm, #PBChat, ReFoReMo, RIVISIONweek, NaNoReMo, Twitter pitch contests, and writing contests and challenges.
- I’m God-fearing and husband-loving, with three beautiful thirty-somethings.
- I live and love in Waco and enjoy discovering our small urban town that seems to grow and change daily. After living 20 minutes outside Waco since 1998, we moved our empty nest to Castle Heights, my favorite neighborhood in Waco, seven years ago.
- My goal in life and writing is to grow and push myself daily, over-the-edge stuff. And to encourage others while traveling the road to publication.
Featured In
- In 2014, I started as a freelance writer for The Hometown News and The Groove Magazine, both in Waco. Three years later, creativity was a stronger drive, so I started freelancing for magazines, online and print, and blogging here.
- I worked as a Contributing Writer for Taylor Magazine, based in London.
- For six years, I contributed regularly Waco Moms Blog.
- For the last six years, my quotes have been published in Hello Day Planners.
- I’m published in Unread Magazine, Holl and Lane Magazine, Modern Texas Living, Taylor Magazine, Culture Trip, Unread Magazine, Victoria Lee Magazine, The EveryGirl Journal, Wacopoint, Everything Home Magazine, and The Outfitter.
Guest Blogs
I have articles posted on Arrows and Awe blog, Crystal Stine’s blog, Dianne Leigh’s blog, For Every Mom, Be You and Thrive, and Letters from a Good friend blog.
While I love writing blogs, my priority has been children’s books for the last four years. I am writing, revising, learning, and researching children’s books. I am also querying agents and failing forward.
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