Thanks for sharing your story, look forward to more! I've been reading Kelly Bishop (aka Emily Gilmore)'s memoir "The Third Gilmore Girl" and it's fascinating...among many other things I learned that people say about movie/TV producers, they're wrong about everything. (Or something along those lines, I forget how she put it exactly). I thought, ah, just like publishers :D! So many different ways to be wrong in predicting what people will or won't want to buy and share and read...
Oh man, I relate to this so much: the recession, being unable to afford childcare, facing a wall of NO, questioning your vocation. Thanks for this encouragement.
I got a literary agent only to have it end without my book selling 😞 but I'm back on the horse, publishing on Substack, doing live storytelling, and plugging away on the next book.
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing. I’m not on track to write a book yet but I like reading about the process and learning.
It took me 2 years to find a job. Then I steadily made my way into jobs I want to be in. It will take me a few years to reach my goal, but the steady pace is worth it and I’m learning along the way. ☺️
I am so glad to read this (relieved!). For one, I also stayed home with my kids (even though it meant living off my husband's student loans) because my options were to either not making enough to afford childcare OR working at last 60 hrs a week and never seeing my family *sob*. But even still, my husband has also always believed my writing is worth it even if I don't ever make a dime off my writing. What a gift.
Loved reading this. I graduated the same year, into the same economic black hole, with zero ways to get into the industry no matter how hard I looked. It still boggles my mind how much times have changed since then! Thanks to the decentralizarion of the workforce from the pandemic (I can't exactly cheer over that, but I'm still guiltily grateful), I now get to work the dream job I wanted at 22. Only took 15 or so years. :P
Have you read L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet? She has a chapter on the day she quit writing as a 30-something mother. It's my very favorite. You must read!
Encouraging read, thank you Liz. As someone who graduated just six months before you down the road at Moody, I really appreciate your honesty about the challenging combination of writing aspirations, our generational moment in history, and marital/family life. I’m very impressed with your perseverance! It’s truly inspiring; I’ve managed to get six submissions out in the past six months, and it can be difficult to “justify” taking the time to keep up with that.
Thanks for sharing your story, look forward to more! I've been reading Kelly Bishop (aka Emily Gilmore)'s memoir "The Third Gilmore Girl" and it's fascinating...among many other things I learned that people say about movie/TV producers, they're wrong about everything. (Or something along those lines, I forget how she put it exactly). I thought, ah, just like publishers :D! So many different ways to be wrong in predicting what people will or won't want to buy and share and read...
Thanks for sharing! I hadn't heard much about her memoir, but it sounds like an interesting glimpse into the industry.
So inspired by you Liz!
Thank you, friend!!
Oh man, I relate to this so much: the recession, being unable to afford childcare, facing a wall of NO, questioning your vocation. Thanks for this encouragement.
I got a literary agent only to have it end without my book selling 😞 but I'm back on the horse, publishing on Substack, doing live storytelling, and plugging away on the next book.
I relate-- and in fact, that part about a lit agent and not selling is also part of my story. (Coming soon.) I'm SO PROUD OF YOU for writing anyway!!!
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing. I’m not on track to write a book yet but I like reading about the process and learning.
It took me 2 years to find a job. Then I steadily made my way into jobs I want to be in. It will take me a few years to reach my goal, but the steady pace is worth it and I’m learning along the way. ☺️
I get this! Keep going!
I am so glad to read this (relieved!). For one, I also stayed home with my kids (even though it meant living off my husband's student loans) because my options were to either not making enough to afford childcare OR working at last 60 hrs a week and never seeing my family *sob*. But even still, my husband has also always believed my writing is worth it even if I don't ever make a dime off my writing. What a gift.
Our husbands are both magical one-in-a-million men, sounds like. ❤️
That sure is how I describe mine 😊🩷
Loved reading this. I graduated the same year, into the same economic black hole, with zero ways to get into the industry no matter how hard I looked. It still boggles my mind how much times have changed since then! Thanks to the decentralizarion of the workforce from the pandemic (I can't exactly cheer over that, but I'm still guiltily grateful), I now get to work the dream job I wanted at 22. Only took 15 or so years. :P
Have you read L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet? She has a chapter on the day she quit writing as a 30-something mother. It's my very favorite. You must read!
Boy, I get it!!! That time was the worst time to get jobs. I'm delighted you have your dream job now.
Also I have read A Circle of Quiet (I think?) but do not remember that part! So obviously, I will need to reread. ;-)
Encouraging read, thank you Liz. As someone who graduated just six months before you down the road at Moody, I really appreciate your honesty about the challenging combination of writing aspirations, our generational moment in history, and marital/family life. I’m very impressed with your perseverance! It’s truly inspiring; I’ve managed to get six submissions out in the past six months, and it can be difficult to “justify” taking the time to keep up with that.
Aaron, I really get it. And btw, six submissions is worth celebrating! 🍾🥂 Regular celebration is what got me through so many hard years.
Well, when I was 12 I wrote a two-chapter Redwall fanfiction that still gets a comment or two every decade, so I feel pretty successful tbh.
(Looking forward to the second part)
Sounds like world-class success to me! Also my fam had just been reading Redwall together for the first time and WHAT A TREAT
Oh, isn't it delightful! I still enjoy all of his books so many years later. Enjoy.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Thanks, Sarah!
Thank you for sharing your story with us!
I truly love doing it. And since so many of us readers on substack are also writers, I figured, why not? ;-)