Lessons in Writing and Publishing with Author, Jacqueline Kopito
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About this episode:
I'm so excited for today's episode because our guest, Jacqueline Kopito, is a twin and has made that the cornerstone of her work. Her new book, TWINTASTIC, is about a set of twins who receive magical powers and use them to save their parents' struggling restaurant. Our conversation is perfect for aspiring authors and those who want to hear more about what it's like being a twin.
Topics Discussed:
More about Jackie's book, Twintastic, and why writing this book was important to her
Jackie's advice for anyone going through the process of writing and publishing
One of Jackie's most memorable moments as a twin
The biggest lessons that Jackie has learned from going through writing and publishing
About Jacqueline:
Jacqueline Davidson Kopito received a B.A. from Syracuse University and a Master’s in Corporate and Public Communications, with honors, from Seton Hall University. She has written numerous articles for TWINS Magazine, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and local newspapers. Her fiction book, TWINTASTIC will be released on Oct.5,2021. An identical twin herself, when Jacqueline is not binge-watching Netflix, talking to her sisters (and Mom & Dad), and practicing qi gong, she loves talking and writing about all things twin related. Jacqueline lives in Short Hills, New Jersey with her husband and her two boys.
Resources:
Click here to read a raw, unedited transcript of this episode:
Melanie Barr [00:00:05] Thank you so much for joining us today, Jackie. Please tell us who you are and about your book twin tastic and why writing your book was so important to you.
Jacqueline Kopito [00:00:18] [00:00:18]Hi, Melanie. [0.3s] I am Jackie Davidson Capito, and I wrote a book twin tastic [00:00:25]and it was it's about two. [5.0s] It's about a set of twins [00:00:33]and [0.0s] Alex and Jordan and I couldn't be more different. And Jordan likes fashion and art, while Alex likes reading and science. And one day, while cleaning the attic, the twins come across a diary, an old old diary that once belonged to their great grandmother Rose. And the next thing the twins know the magical powers once possessed by them now have been passed on to the twins. So suddenly, only using their thoughts, Alex and Jordan can communicate with each other and move objects, [00:01:04]and [0.0s] they decide to use [00:01:05]their [0.0s] secret powers to help save [00:01:07]face [0.0s] their parents struggling restaurant. Otherwise, their family could be out on the street, and at the same time, they deal with the daily grind of middle school. First crushes Mean Girl and using their powers. They have a bake sale and jaw science contest and tutor their friends. And will this be enough to rescue the restaurant and save their family from ruin? [00:01:29]So [0.0s] there's a lot that I talk about also [00:01:32]like [0.0s] dealing with the exploration of the family, dynamic trust friends. [00:01:38]You know how [0.3s] in middle school your friends are always changing and the consequences of misuse of power?
Melanie Barr [00:01:45] And why was writing twin tastic important to you? Because you are a twin yourself, [00:01:50]right? [0.0s]
Jacqueline Kopito [00:01:51] I love being a twin and my twin, and I have a very strong connection. [00:01:56]And [0.0s] I used to write for the twin magazine [00:02:00]like [0.0s] twins stories, but I wanted to write something fiction. And I thought 00:02:06 [0.0s] adding magic to it would be more fun. [00:02:09]So slowly my book evolved, and it's how it came about it. [6.0s]
Melanie Barr [00:02:16] And I have girl boy twins, and I can't wait to buy the book to read it to my daughter because [00:02:20]often at night, she'll [0.9s] one time she actually asked me. She said, Mom, do girls have more friend problems? Are boys, [00:02:26]you know, [0.1s] as she's starting to get older and go through these exactly the way she's not quite sure how to handle it. And [00:02:33]then [0.0s] she loves [00:02:34]the spy, [0.1s] anything like kids spy. So I'm sure she's going to love it. And then my son to bringing in the magic will [00:02:41]probably [0.0s] draw him [00:02:42]him into [0.3s] into the book as well. Have you enjoyed the process of writing and becoming an author, and do you have advice for anyone going through the process right now of writing and publishing?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:02:55] I enjoyed writing the book very much. It's definitely a journey 00:02:58 you'll, you know, [2.2s] you get feedback, you'll have to revise, you keep on revising, then you have to look for a publisher or a literary agent. [00:03:09]And so it's a it's a long [2.6s] it's definitely a long process. But I would say, just keep at it, keep going and don't get discouraged because you can't take it personal. There's a lot of rejection involved [00:03:23]and [0.0s] because you never know what people are looking for and then eventually 00:03:28 [0.0s] it will click.
Melanie Barr [00:03:29] How was the writing process for you? [00:03:31]Did you? [0.2s] I read that you wake up some days and you're really inspired and you're there all day and then other days, [00:03:36]you know you need to kind of. [1.0s] I think that's the same in any creative process, though. I think some days you feel really inspired and creative, and other days you [00:03:44]maybe [0.0s] need to wait it out until that moment comes back.
Jacqueline Kopito [00:03:47] Exactly. Yes, some days I would wake up and I would certainly be writing until [00:03:52]like [0.0s] six o'clock, and then I would have no energy to make dinner. 00:03:55 [0.0s] And then I couldn't get back to [00:03:57]like [0.0s] writing some more after dinner. Other days I was, [00:04:01]you know, [0.2s] I would put in an hour or two and then I would go for a car ride, maybe listen to some music and then get me inspired and come back and write some more. Mm-Hmm. What is your
Melanie Barr [00:04:11] what is one of your most memorable moments as a twin yourself?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:04:16] Well, I love being a twin, [00:04:18]and it's a, you know, she's [1.6s] it's a built in best friend. And, you know, we're always there for each other no matter what. And she always tells me the truth. 00:04:29 I mean, [2.0s] there's so many memories. I guess the one thing that [00:04:36]really. [0.0s] I guess I could tell is we really feel each other's pain. And the one story I have is that when my sister had breast cancer three years ago and she's completely fine now, 00:04:52 [0.0s] I woke the day of the surgery. I woke up with the most excruciating pain ever, like pain that I've never had in my entire life. It was. And it was on the left side and it was. It was horrific. [00:05:07]And then later on that and [1.5s] I never even asked my twin, What side was it? And I said, Was it the left side? And she said, Yeah, I said I woke up to excruciating pain. It was bizarre. And I know you always hear [00:05:20]like [0.0s] these crazy twin stories. This is [00:05:22]like [0.0s] a crazy twin story. [00:05:24]And so then and then she [3.7s] and so all went well, and then she had radiation for the entire summer. And during the entire time of radiation, I felt a sensation of 00:05:38 like [0.5s] a [00:05:39]warm, [0.0s] tingling feeling [00:05:41]on my chest. [0.4s] And then she called me at the end of the summer and said, It's done, I'm finished. Everything's all good. And I said, wonderful. And after that, I never had that sensation again.
Melanie Barr [00:05:53] So interesting because you do hear those stories of twin betrayal, each other's pain. And I have an experience that with with eyes, there are seven. So, [00:06:02]you know, [0.1s] they're not quite that stage where they're going to communicate every feeling, but it's going to be interesting to see. And are you and your sister different or are you alike in certain ways?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:06:13] I mean, we're very much alike in a lot of ways. 00:06:16 She's a social worker. She's a great listener. (UM) I don't know if I have much patients like her to listen as well as she does. But the thing you know, [10.1s] we're also very we're also very different. 00:06:29 [0.0s] We went to two different colleges and it kind of just happened, [00:06:34]you know, [0.1s] she wanted a small school. I wanted a larger school. I went to Syracuse. [00:06:39]So [0.0s] and I think that was important because we were on our own. Although, you know, we spoke a lot. But, [00:06:45]you know, [0.2s] then I had my group of friends and she had her, said a friend. So it was a good decision.
Melanie Barr [00:06:50] It's interesting to see with twins how they're so close and have some similarities and in other ways they can be so drastically different.
Jacqueline Kopito [00:06:59] Yes, but [00:07:00]you know, we like going we also my sister and [3.4s] I, I think we're more alike than different, though we also think alike. 00:07:07 I'll give you an example. Like, for example, my [3.9s] it was my mother's birthday not too long ago, and she lives in Connecticut and I'm in New Jersey, and we both went to our own card stores with [00:07:19]like [0.0s] a thousand cards to choose from. And we both sent my mother the same card and my mother calls us up. And she said, You know, you said the same card as your sister. And it's just
Melanie Barr [00:07:32] amazing, amazing, I can see how things like that would happen, and, [00:07:37]you know, [0.1s] from day one, they've had a partner in crime, [00:07:40]right? [0.0s] Like I look at other kids and they're modeling the older one, [00:07:44]right? [0.0s] And there was a little boy outside the other day. It was kind of clinging to his dad's leg and I thought. And he's three and I thought mine, that three would never have done that. They all looked at each other and ran off together because they've always had [00:07:55]someone [0.0s] somewhere to be with the which is a wonderful thing. [00:07:59]It's a really good thing. [1.0s]
Jacqueline Kopito [00:08:00] It is. It is actually a really wonderful thing. You know, in new situations growing up, I never had a worry because I always had my twin. And yeah, [00:08:10]it was. It was. [0.7s] It's great, you know, also in school, like in high school, we also switched classes, [00:08:17]did you? [0.3s] Which is also the advantage of having an identical twin. I know your boy and girl. [00:08:23]Right? So [0.4s] which kind of came in handy? Yes. So love it. [00:08:31]So how was [1.0s] she had an English quiz and to study for? And I had a study [00:08:38]like [0.0s] a study hall. And so and she had biology, and she was like, I really need to study later on for my English class. So I said, OK, I'll go to biology for you. And meanwhile, I had biology earlier in the day, [00:08:52]and I'm not a science person, [1.1s] but I'll go for you. And so I did. And so I had to [00:08:58]buy [0.0s] biology classes that day. [00:09:01]I love it. [0.5s]
Melanie Barr [00:09:02] I love it. That's so fun. I've actually heard of that, but never talked to anyone that actually, you know, I love that. Is there something that going through the experience of writing and publishing has taught you?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:09:17] [00:09:17]Just to keep [0.5s] just to keep focused and to keep moving forward. And there's just a lot of rejection. But just to keep at it, [00:09:27]just to keep at it, I would say [2.3s]
Melanie Barr [00:09:30] what gave you the courage to move forward with writing the book? I imagine [00:09:34]beginning [0.0s] in the beginning, it can be a bit daunting. What gave you the courage to say, I'm going to do this?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:09:42] Well, actually, in the beginning, it wasn't daunting. It was actually, like, really fun. I love writing. I looked forward to it every single day and then it just got where it got difficult for me was to try to get connected to a publisher and to a literary agent. And [00:10:02]then you know [0.3s] what they're looking for. So then you know, you have to rewrite and edit and then, [00:10:07]you know, [0.1s] it's a lot of moving forward yet then taking another step back. So. That is it's it's just definitely a journey.
Melanie Barr [00:10:17] I see that would be the areas where you say, keep going, keep your.
Jacqueline Kopito [00:10:21] Yes, yes, [00:10:22]yes. [0.0s] He keep sending out your query letters. And just just keep at it.
Melanie Barr [00:10:29] And when can we purchase?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:10:32] [00:10:32]Oh, OK. So [0.8s] it's [00:10:34]out and [0.6s] on Amazon October 5th, it came out. So it's available and good times. Books is the publisher [00:10:45]there [0.0s] in New Delhi, India, and 00:10:49 I think [0.2s] it's for tweens ages eight to 12 years old. And I think everyone will really enjoy it. [00:10:57]Nice. [0.0s]
Melanie Barr [00:10:58] Congratulations. That's great.
Jacqueline Kopito [00:11:00] Thank you. [00:11:01]Thank you. [0.3s]
Melanie Barr [00:11:02] Magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business. That brings us joy. What is one tip that you can leave with us today about how you find and live your joy?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:11:14] [00:11:14]Well, [0.0s] my joy is my family and my friends, and [00:11:19]I guess [0.2s] business wise, I like to connect with people. I like to hear their stories and learn from people and evolve [00:11:31]and. Yeah. [3.0s]
Melanie Barr [00:11:36] Thank you so much for joining us today, Jackie, can you please tell our listeners how and where they can find you?
Jacqueline Kopito [00:11:43] [00:11:43]Oh, absolutely, [0.3s] they could find me on my website at Jacqueline Capito. [00:11:49]Dot com w w w Jacquelyn Capito Capito. Dot com. [6.3s] And they could also find me on Facebook. Jacqueline Davidson Capito. Or Instagram. And I also have a YouTube channel answering 00:12:08 [0.0s] many questions that twins or parents might have at Jaclyn Capito to an expert and author. [00:12:16]And [0.0s] some [00:12:17]of those [0.1s] videos just deal with like should twins dress alike, should they go to the same college? 00:12:26 You know what, if you know our twins jealous of each other, [2.7s] so I answer a lot of those types of questions.
Melanie Barr [00:12:34] [00:12:34]Yeah, that's interesting because we've we are twins were together in (UM) preschool, but we decided to separate them when they went into elementary school. And I think that was probably the best decision for I mean, girls and boys are naturally kind of going to have different friends. I mean, they have the same friends, but also different brands, too. But that was that was the best decision for us. [21.3s]
Jacqueline Kopito [00:12:56] [00:12:56]Oh, absolutely. I mean, when I was growing up, we weren't even allowed to be in the same class, except in kindergarten. Hmm. And that was really it. So I think that's important. You know, this way they can make their own friends. [12.7s]
Melanie Barr [00:13:10] [00:13:10]Mm hmm. Absolutely. Thank you for joining me, Jacqui. We're we're we're done. [5.9s]
Jacqueline Kopito [00:13:17] [00:13:17]Okay. Oh, great. OK, thank you. Oh, OK. Thank you for joining me. Thank you. Thank you. [8.0s]