James Wade

How did you become a writer?

It was probably a clustering of things. I like to read, to listen to and tell stories, and I grew up around a lot of characters in East Texas. I have an ego, all writers do-- how else would we convince ourselves that someone needs to read what we have to say? There's also so much pain and poetry in the world, I can't help but be affected by it. And at the end of the day, like many Americans, I have terrible health insurance and writing is cheaper than therapy. 

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

I believe Cormac McCarthy is the greatest writer to ever live, and I don't think the race is very close. I also love Flannery O'Connor, Walt Whitman, Larry McMurtry, William Faulkner, and Thomas Wolfe. I'm influenced a great deal by nature, as well as by textbooks on philosophy, geology, and astronomy. 

When and where do you write?

I have a home office with a desk by the window. I write best in the mornings, before the day has beaten me down. I also write at the dinette in my travel trailer, when my wife and I are on the road as we often are. The routine is pretty simple: coffee, read a few paragraphs from a writer I admire, then dive into the work. I equate reading good prose before writing to a musician tapping their foot before beginning to play. Reading is an excellent way to get "in rhythm" when you sit down to write. 

What are you working on now?

I just finished the third novel in my three-book deal with Blackstone Publishing, so right now I'm weighing a handful of different ideas before beginning novel number four. 

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

I haven't suffered from writer's block, but certainly I've faced writer's indecision on several occasions. A novel takes months, or even years, to write-- so, I get a little apprehensive when it comes time to start a new project. I want to be sure I choose a story and subject that keep me interested. If you get bored writing something, the reader will likely be bored reading it. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Joe Lansdale, a fellow East Texas writer, told me to write every day. I believe his exact words were, "put your ass in the chair." That philosophy works well for me, because I respond better to routine. Stephen Graham Jones once said in an interview that he tries to read so much fiction that he has no choice but to vomit it up. I abide by that principle as well.

What’s your advice to new writers?

Try to make a habit out of writing. Waiting on inspiration or waiting for perfection are two things that can kill the desire to write. Write as much as you can, especially on days when you don't feel like it. You may find that forcing yourself to write on a "bad" day will result in good writing. If not, at least you flexed your self-discipline muscles. You have to self-motivate. You also have to have thick skin. You'll get rejected. You'll doubt yourself. That's okay. Cut yourself some slack. Be kind to yourself and be kind to everyone else you meet in this industry. You never know when you'll need someone's help, or when your support might make the difference in someone else's career. 
Bio: 

James Wade lives and writes in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter. He is the author of the novel, All Things Left Wild, as well as numerous short stories. He is a winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest, and a finalist of the Tethered by Letters Short Fiction Contest. Before his fiction career, James spent time as a journalist, water conservation lobbyist, and a legislative director at the Texas State Capitol.

A.J. Jacobs

How did you become a writer?

Partly by design, partly by luck. I graduated from college with a degree in philosophy. There weren’t a lot of jobs out there for philosophers. But one of the few skills I did possess was the ability to (sort of) put a sentence together. So I tried freelance writing for small newspapers. Eventually, I worked my way up to magazines and books. 

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

Among my favorite writers: Bill Bryson, Anne Lamott, and David Sedaris. Also, my high school English teacher Mr. Bender, who always says that I am the second-funniest writer he ever taught. The first is Simon Rich, who is indeed a genius and far funnier than I am. I’m happy to get the silver medal. 

When and where do you write? 

I once read that Hugh Lofting, the author of Dr. Dolittle, wrote his book while in the trenches in World War 1. It’s an amazing and inspiring story.  A skill, to be able to write anytime, anywhere, even in the worst of circumstances. Sadly, I fall far short. I wish I had Lofting’s discipline. Unfortunately, I have trouble writing unless I have three or more hours of uninterrupted quiet. I need at least half an hour just to get into the flow. I often write with the knowledge that the first half hour’s output will be total junk, but with the hope that it will get better. 

What are you working on now? 

I’m writing a book about my love of puzzles. All kinds of puzzles – crosswords, riddles, jigsaws, you name it. I’m exploring whether thinking like puzzle-solvers can help us solve the really big problems, like climate crisis and tribalism. For research, my family and I went to Spain a few months ago and competed as Team USA in the World Jigsaw Puzzle championships. We had a blast, despite being trounced. The Russians won – they are a jigsaw force of nature.  

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? 

I often have trouble getting started. One useful strategy: Just start writing. I’ll write about anything – the broccoli pizza I had the night before, the sparrow on my windowsill. I know I’ll never use this writing, but just the feeling of my fingers tapping on the keyboard gives me some momentum. And eventually I feel confident enough to start writing something that I hope will be usable. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

My friend who used to write for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart told me he likes to surprise himself in his writing. Which seems weird. How can you surprise yourself? You’re the one writing the words. But I’ve come to understand it a bit, and I find it hugely helpful. You sort of let your brain off its leash and let it go down weird rabbit holes. Often those rabbit holes will be dead ends, but sometimes they’ll lead to little treasures. 

What’s your advice to new writers?

Get accustomed to rejection. (Advice I’m still trying to follow myself). When I started out, I’d send out 100 article ideas to magazines and newspapers, and maybe one would get the go-ahead. Nowadays, my hit rate is higher – but I still get rejected a lot. It’s just part of the job. You don’t have to embrace it exactly, but you have to be okay with it. 

A.J. Jacobs is the author of the new book Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey in which he thanks every single person who had a role (however small) in making his morning cup of coffee possible. ajjacobs.com, @ajjacobs.

Bobi Conn

How did you become a writer? 

In middle school, I wrote a story for a creative writing assignment and took it very seriously – I ended up writing more than required and spent a lot of time thinking about all the details. From then on, I loved to write as much as I had always loved reading. I enjoy writing academic papers and creative pieces equally, which came in handy at school. I gave up on the idea of being a “real” writer for a while after I graduated from college, but found the need to write was too intense to ignore. I decided to get a master’s degree in English, with an emphasis in creative writing, and my career as a writer finally took off.

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

I love the writing of Gabriel García Márquez – magical realism is a beautiful genre that aligns in interesting ways with my experience of childhood. I found Frank McCourt’s memoir, Angela’s Ashes, to be an excellent example of a heartbreaking story that is rendered into beautiful art, which is what I wanted for my own memoir. Several teachers had a positive influence on me as a writer, but one in particular was my English teacher as a junior in high school. She encouraged me as a writer and tried to convince me to make better choices about life in general. I still have one of the papers I wrote for her class. I think her believing in me before I could believe in myself, was really important for the foundation of my identity as a writer.

When and where do you write? 

I prefer to write at night, after I feel like I’ve taken care of my family and home. That’s when it’s easiest for me to shut out any lingering distractions and focus completely on writing. Right now, I have my desk in my bedroom, but I prefer to have a home office where I write. I think it’s helpful to have a space that my mind primarily associates with creative work. When I go into a dedicated physical writing space, it’s easier to enter the psychological space I need to be productive.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a novel that will trace the lives of multiple generations in a family from eastern Kentucky. This book focuses on the experiences of the women in the family, and it explores generational, cumulative trauma, while also looking at the ways our ancestral history can shape our individual identities. Some of the characters and events I incorporate into this novel will be loosely based on the lives of my family members. I was inspired to write this book when I thought about my great-grandmother’s experiences as a young mother during the Great Depression, and how my great-grandfather, who was a moonshiner, made choices that impacted her greatly. I imagine my great-grandmother could not express the devastating impact some of his choices had on her, or how she felt about her own life, and so I wanted to write something that, in part, conveys the story she may have told if she could. 

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? 

I don’t think of it as writer’s block. When I have a hard time getting in the zone, I see it as letting my mind get in the way of the words – in other words, that’s when I’m overthinking, rather than writing. When that happens, I just write whatever I can, even if I know it’s not good and I won’t keep it, because that gets my mind’s words out of the way and creativity can flow again. I also recognize that sometimes, my creative mind is still working in the background and isn’t ready to bring everything to the foreground. At those times, I give myself permission to do something else – go for a walk, work on a puzzle, even watch television – and set a time to return to writing. By the time I sit back down to write, I’m usually ready to go.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

William Faulkner’s advice to “kill all your darlings” comes to me often. I think a lot of writers, myself included, become attached to things we have written, or even the ideas behind them, and doing so stands in the way of creating something that transcends ourselves. While editing my memoir, my editor once told me not to let the lyricism of a sentence get in the way of writing something that would be clear for the reader. I realized she was right, and that I was so excited about the beauty of the words, I forgot to consider whether they would mean anything to my readers. I had to “kill my darling” – sacrifice something I wrote (that only served myself) and became overly attached to – in the interest of telling a good story for my audience.

What’s your advice to new writers? 

It’s important to get an outside perspective on your writing, but not all perspectives are equally valuable. A good editor will “get” you and have passion for the work you want to create. They will help you understand your writing and how to accomplish your goals, and they will provide an invaluable bridge to your audience. A good editor will also give you constructive criticism, which writers need to become better. Be open to feedback from a good editor and in my experience, a phone conversation sometimes helps clear up misunderstandings that can occur when you’re communicating back and forth to resolve comments and questions.

Bobi Conn was born in Morehead, Kentucky, and raised in a nearby holler, where she developed a deep connection with the land and her Appalachian roots. She obtained her bachelor's degree at Berea College, the first school in the American South to integrate racially and to teach men and women in the same classrooms. After struggling as a single mother, she worked multiple part-time jobs at once to support her son and to attend graduate school, where she earned a master's degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. In addition to writing, Bobi loves playing pool, cooking, being in the woods, attempting to grow a garden, and spending time with her incredible children. Her debut memoir, In the Shadow of the Valley, was published in May  2020 (Little A).