Beautiful Writers

 

Blurb:

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!

Thoughts:

'Beautiful Writers' is Sivertsen's memoir on writing. While her stories are entertaining and hilarious, they are also compassionate and insightful. The book also has advice from many writers in it. She has managed to intersperse that with some major events in the beginning of her writing career..

Sivertsen discusses a wide range of problems/questions you may face when you write. She describes how much hard work goes into bringing out a book—from conception to writing to editing to publishing to marketing.

You may not like Sivertsen's lifestyle or her writing method/process. For example, you may balk at praying for inspiration or consulting a guru. You may not appreciate her attitude towards some authors. You may not agree with some of the people she has quoted. You may not find definitive information on how to plan, write, or develop a plot.

However, whatever stage you are in your career—beginner, established writer—you will find some part of the book that speaks to you. Similarly, whichever page you turn to, you will find practical, relevant advice about some aspect of writing.