If you enjoyed the Writing for the Long Haul series, head over and check out Cynthia Leitich Smith’s new Survivors series, where well-established writers talk about career endurance as a writer for children and young adults. When I started out, publishers seemed reluctant to take chances on new voices. And in the pre-Potter industry, there […]
Writing Survivors: A New Series Read More »
New York Times bestselling author April Henry started writing in 1989 and published her first book a decade later. She joins the long haul series today to talk about rejection, career hard patches, and the one thing she believes long-haul writers need more than anything else: the tenacity to never stop writing. Do you want
April Henry on Rejection, Dry Spells, and Tenacity (Writing for the Long Haul Series) Read More »
Kate Gilmore had already had careers in theatre and as a legal secretary before she came to writing fiction in her fifties. She joins the long haul series today to talk about her winding path that led her to a professional writing career—and the ways in which that path has continued to wind since then. Although I
Kate Gilmore on Perseverance and Writing at Midlife (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
Children’s book veteran Kelly Bennett has been publishing picture books and children’s nonfiction for a quarter century. She joins the long haul series today to discuss something many writers think about: when (and how) to quit–and when (and why) not to. ReTIRED and Better for It! I’m honored Janni invited me to discuss Writing for
Kelly Bennett on Quitting Writing (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
National Book Award-winner Pete Hautman has written everything from science fiction to mystery to romance, for everyone from teens and pre-teens to adults. He joins the long haul series to talk about another of the reasons writers write, even if we only admit it to ourselves. The Next Book I Write Will Save My Life
Pete Hautman on the Book that Will Save Us (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
Elena Acoba has been writing and editing newspaper articles, marketing pieces, web copy, and other business communications for more than three decades. She joins us today with a non-fiction writer’s perspective on what it means to write for the long haul, and on something writers in all genres seek to do: touch readers’ lives. When
Elena Acoba on Touching Reader Lives (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
Steve Miller sold his first story in the 1970s and, with his wife and collaborator Sharon Lee, has been building a career around words ever since. Today he joins the long haul series to talk about the many threads that can go into a writing life and about centering that life around the work we
Steve Miller on Building a Writing Life (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
Sharon Lee has been publishing for more than three decades, both on her own and with her collaborator and husband Steve Miller. Today she talks about the dangers of letting others tell us whether or not we have a career — and, perhaps more importantly, of assuming we’re alone when they do. I’ve wanted to
Sharon Lee on Remembering We’re Not Alone (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
Emmy-award winning writer Betty G. Birney has had highly successful careers as an advertising copywriter, children’s television writer, and writer of children’s books. She joins the long haul series to talk about one thing each of these careers has taught her in turn: the need to never stop challenging ourselves. It’s Up to You to
Betty G. Birney on Seeking New Challenges (Writing for the Long Haul series) Read More »
The Writing for the Long Haul series is on vacation this week. See you next Monday! Previous Writing for the Long Haul Posts – Nora Raleigh Baskin on making deals with the writing gods – Sean Williams on unpredictability and luck – Deborah J. Ross on writing through crisis – Sharon Shinn on
Writing for the Long Haul on vacation this week Read More »