Misty Wilson answers #13Questions in OA's Debut Author Spotlight

13 Questions shine Operation Awesome's Spotlight
on this
2022 Debut Author

Play Like a Girl by Misty Wilson

1- What is your favorite thing about autumn?

My favorite thing about autumn is the hoodie and leggings temperatures. I love the smell of fall and how pretty it is. It’s also the perfect coffee weather! Mostly, it’s the vibes!

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Read!

3- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I hope my book will evoke hope, joy, excitement, empathy.

Misty Wilson in 7th grade

4- Why did you pick football as the sport for your main character?

My book is a graphic memoir, so while I did play many sports growing up, playing football definitely had the biggest impact on my middle school years. I wanted kids to see an example of how following your passions and dreams, even when faced with adversity, leads to being the happiest, best version of yourself.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book in a sporty setting?

A picture with my husband, the illustrator of Play Like a Girl:


6- How do you support your fellow debut authors and have any of them supported you?

The ’22 debuts have an extremely supportive Slack group! We all support each other by preordering each other’s books, shouting about them online, listening to each other vent and cry, and offering each other advice. Many of them run our social media and create Most Anticipated lists, and as a busy mess of a human, I appreciate them more than they probably know.

7- Time to double-down on social media! What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
Also, can you please recommend a favorite #bookstagram account profile?

My twitter handle is @misty_wilson_ . For #WriterWednesday: shout out to @JessicaBurkhart , who has a new MG horse series coming out next summer, @literarilyjess , an amazing romance writer, and @LAPainter (who might not consider us friends because maybe I’m more of a crazed fan haha), hilarious author of my favorite YA novel, BETTER THAN THE MOVIES.

My favorite #bookstagram account is etraintalks, an awesome kid who loves talking about diverse books!

8- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

Because I still have a day job and two kids, writing is really my favorite (and only) creative activity. However, I do love binge-watching tv shows, and I read a ton—mostly middle grade and YA graphic novels, contemporary YA, and adult romance.

9- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?

I cannot possibly pick a single favorite book featuring a diverse main character! But a few favorites are HEARTSTOPPER, THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, IF THIS GETS OUT, WHAT IF IT’S US, and SWIM TEAM.


10- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? #WriteGoal #BucketList #WriterBucketList

The goal posts are always moving, and while it’d be nice to make bestseller lists and have adaptations (etc, etc) my biggest goal is to make enough money that I can be a full time author, writing things I’m passionate about.

11- What was the query process like for you?

The querying process was extremely quick for me. I sent out a batch of queries December 31, 2019. I started hearing back the next day. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing though, and ended up having to write an entire script and a four page outline in one night because I’d queried without those things. So while there was A LOT of learning and a lot of hustle, I had three offers and was agented by February 11, 2020.

12- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

If you had to choose one book knowing it was the only book you could read for the rest of your life, which book would it be?

13- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Play Like a Girl blurb: Debut author Misty Wilson chronicles her seventh-grade experience as the only girl on her town’s football team in this empowering graphic memoir about teamwork, friendship, crushes, and touchdowns.

Misty Wilson is the debut author of the middle grade graphic memoir Play Like a Girl, which earned a starred review from Booklist and was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Misty teaches by day and writes by night. She’s a voracious reader who also loves binge-watching television shows. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, David Wilson, illustrator of Play Like a Girl, and their two daughters.

twitter @misty_wilson_
instagram: mistywilsonwrites
tiktok: @misty_wilson_


Play Like a Girl by Misty Wilson