Sheplives

Last Summary Update: 02-08-2026

Wanda Hickey - Writing a book - Publishing
Airdate: Wednesday - August 18, 1971

WOR Show
Original Airing

(Redated from: Aug 1971)

audio

(NOTE ABOUT TIME REFERENCES: Since there are many different copies of shows out there from different sources, all time references are from the beginning of one single recorded copy, since various copies, depending on when the recordee started recording, had news at the beginning or shortened themes. The times would vary from copy to copy.)

First Spoken Line After Theme Ends

An important announcement - big, Big, BIG. . .

Show Description

Shep opens the show thumping on the first copy of "Wanda Hickey" which had arrived that afternoon after working on it for three years. He's trying to answer the 1,000s of inquiries he's received. Shep spends the show describing the process of writing a book and getting it published. He talks about writing in the first person - the "I" form and how fiction is semi-autobiographical in that it projects an image into what the writer has seen and experienced. It results in an amalgam form not of specific incidents, but of what could have happened in certain situations. The book was 3 years in the writing and once it it sent to the publisher it goes through a long process to get published. It is in the contract how many free copies an author gets - 6 copies. The book goes through a design process, where an artist designs the book itself. Bindings, color, paper, type, and the layouts of the pages. Another artist does the dust jacket. When it is all designed, it goes to the factory to be printed and 'built'. Decisions are made as to when it will be published - spring or fall and on what date. He mentions that there are writers and readers. Readers read, and Writers write but seldom read.* He thinks out a story before writing. He thinks out a beginning, a middle, and an end. Only then does he start writing. and once he's done writing, he's done and puts it out of his mind. He moves on to the next thing.

Comments

• He says he's a second baseman. In many other shows he mentions being a third baseman. *I remember in one show Shep (the writer) talked about his obsession with reading everything he could get his hands on. Even cereal boxes.

WOR ID

Time	Station ID (All times approximate)
13:51	This is WOR New York. . .

Commercials (All times approximate)

Time	Sponsor	Notes
31:05	Palisades Amuesment Park
31:43	Michelob Beer

Music (All times approximate)

Time	Music Title	Notes
02:02	Unknown - William Tell Overture