Beautiful Writers : A Journey of Big Dreams and Messy Manuscripts--with Tricks of the Trade From Bestselling Authors

". . . often funny and entertaining." —Publishers Weekly “I own every writing book ever written, and Linda Sivertsen has done the near-impossible: given writing itself a personality . . . Her stories are cinematic, hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfect—with energy and punch, so often lacking in nonfiction.” —Terry McMillan, #1 New York Times bestselling author From the host of the Beautiful Writers Podcast comes a heartwarming, how-I-made-tale from a working writer you’ve never heard of, and inspiration and advice from the legends you love. This book gives aspiring writers and seasoned literary veterans a look into the lives of iconic authors and answers the burning question, “How did they do it?!” As a young writer in Los Angeles, Linda Sivertsen was hungry to be more like her literary idols. Fame and fortune seemed to happen so easily—and so fast—for them. But how exactly did these bestselling authors bust through all the obstacles and deliver, day after day, year after year, book after book? When her questions remained unanswered by multiple how-to guides, despite how her writing career was now thriving, Linda decided to go straight to the source: her favorite storytellers across numerous genres. So, Linda co-created the Beautiful Writers Podcast, where she began interviewing authors for the secrets behind their careers—and, without realizing it, began building a platform of eager listeners who wanted to learn from their shared idols. With more than two million downloads, Linda’s podcast has since become a bright beacon of inspiration for writers at all stages of their journeys. Now, in Beautiful Writers: A Journey of Big Dreams and Messy Manuscripts—with Tricks of the Trade from Bestselling Authors, Linda shares—and expands on—the best of advice and storytelling from the podcast and follow-up interviews with literary greats, including: Terry McMillan Cheryl Strayed Tom Hanks Van Jones Jenny Lawson Steven Pressfield Elizabeth Gilbert Anne Lamott Mary Karr Seth Godin Abby Wambach Martha Beck Marie Forleo Lee Child Patricia Cornwell Dean Koontz Maria Shriver Dr. Jane Goodall Sabaa Tahir Tomi Adeyemi Ann Patchett Dani Shapiro Danielle LaPorte Tosca Lee Joy Harjo Deepak Chopra Wrapped around the page-turning, magical, and wonderfully relatable account of the highs and lows of her own career writing bestselling, award-winning books for herself and others, these stories from the trenches are packed with suspense, laugh-out-loud humor, and raw honesty. Their passion and wisdom will help aspiring writers avoid common pitfalls and energize career authors with a treasure trove of writing insights from their peers. Beautiful Writers is a love letter to reading, writing, and to everyone who reads and writes. It’s the book Linda wished she had when she was starting out. Beautiful Writers will become the evergreen companion for creatives everywhere. Write on! 'I own every writing book ever written, and Linda Sivertsen has done the near-impossible: given writing itself a personality... Her stories are cinematic, hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfect—with energy and punch, so often lacking in nonfiction.'—Terry McMillan, #1 New York Times bestselling author'A page-turning beach read doubling as how-to. Magic.'—Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and blogger at The Bloggess'An engaging manual that offers writing advice with a big, broad, sunny worldview... fans of Sivertsen's podcast will devour this companion volume.'—Kirkus ReviewsInternational Impact Book Award WinnerImagine you're at a dinner party with some of the most successful authors of our time.'Book Mama'and Beautiful Writers Podcast co-creator Linda Sivertsen is the host. As she shares her story of the many hilarious, outrageous, and practical things she did to launch her bestselling writing career, your favorite writers chime in with their own anecdotes, leaving you enlightened and newly inspired. The wisdom in these pages will nourish anyone who appreciates the art of storytelling and dreams of living a creative life.Part coming-of-career memoir and writing success how-to, sprinkled with gems of celebrity author advice (taken from Linda's Beautiful Writers Podcast and follow-up interviews), Beautiful Writers is a love letter to reading, writing, and publishing—the book she wished she'd had when starting out. In it, she shares—and expands on—the best of advice and storytelling from her podcast and follow-up interviews with literary greats, including: Terry McMillan Cheryl Strayed Tom Hanks Van Jones Jenny Lawson Steven Pressfield Elizabeth Gilbert Anne Lamott Mary Karr Seth Godin Abby Wambach Martha Beck Marie Forleo Lee Child Patricia Cornwell Dean Koontz Maria Shriver Dr. Jane Goodall Sabaa Tahir Tomi Adeyemi Ann Patchett Dani Shapiro Danielle LaPorte Tosca Lee Joy Harjo Deepak ChopraThis heartwarming, how-I-made-it writing memoir from a working writer you've never heard of with inspiration and advice from the legends you love will help aspiring authors avoid common pitfalls and energize career writers with a treasure trove of writing insights from their peers—the details you don't often hear but make a world of difference.Destined to become the evergreen companion for creatives everywhere, Beautiful Writers answers the burning question: “How do they do it—day after day, year after year, book after book?” The paths vary wildly, but Linda's faith in dreams never does. “If you have the ache, you have what it takes,” she says. “Writing is hard for everyone, but the results are often magical. Trust your desire. We did it—birthed our books into the world. You can too!' "I own every writing book ever written, and Linda Sivertsen has done the near-impossible: given writing itself a personality . . . Her stories are cinematic, hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfect—with energy and punch, so often lacking in nonfiction." —Terry McMillan, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A page-turning beach read doubling as how-to. Magic." —Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and blogger at The Bloggess "An engaging manual that offers writing advice with a big, broad, sunny worldview . . . fans of Sivertsen's podcast will devour this companion volume." —Kirkus Reviews 2023 International Book Awards Winner & 2023 Firebird Book Awards "Speak Up Talk Radio" Winner Imagine you're at a dinner party with some of the most successful authors of our time. "Book Mama" and Beautiful Writers Podcast co-creator Linda Sivertsen is the host. As she shares her story of the many hilarious, outrageous, and practical things she did to launch her bestselling writing career, your favorite writers chime in with their own anecdotes, leaving you enlightened and newly inspired. The wisdom in these pages will nourish anyone who appreciates the art of storytelling and dreams of living a creative life. Beautiful Writers is a love letter to reading, writing, and everyone who reads and writes. It's the book Linda wished she had when she was starting out. In it, she shares—and expands on—the best of advice and storytelling from her podcast and follow-up interviews with literary greats, including: Terry McMillan Cheryl Strayed Tom Hanks Van Jones Jenny Lawson Steven Pressfield Elizabeth Gilbert Anne Lamott Mary Karr Seth Godin Abby Wambach Martha Beck Marie Forleo Lee Child Patricia Cornwell Dean Koontz Maria Shriver Dr. Jane Goodall Sabaa Tahir Tomi Adeyemi Ann Patchett Dani Shapiro Danielle LaPorte Tosca Lee Joy Harjo Deepak Chopra This heartwarming, how-I-made-it writing memoir from a working writer you've never heard of with inspiration and advice from the legends you love will help aspiring authors avoid common pitfalls and energize career writers with a treasure trove of writing insights from their peers—the details you don't often hear but make a world of difference. Beautiful Writers is destined to become the evergreen companion for creatives everywhere, answering the burning question, "How did they bust through all obstacles to deliver, day after day, year after year, book after book?"