My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, whose latest novel, Mutual Interest, has been described as a witty and joyful, queer Edith Wharton in gilded age New York.
Today, we talk about:
the most important benefit of having writer friends or critique partners
finding the belief in yourself that you can write a full-length novel
the difference between publishing a debut novel versus a sophomore novel, including whether it was easier to write a book the second time around
why she chose to hire a freelance publicist, and so much more.
I hope you enjoy the show!
Video version: Click on the video above to watch now
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Audio version:
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» Past podcast episodes live HERE.
Want more of Olivia?
You can find Olivia on Instagram—including her tour info—and you can pick up a copy of her new novel, Mutual Interest, anywhere books are sold!
I really enjoyed this interview--but (or rather, and!) it got me thinking...one thing I've noticed--and I think it's especially true for women--is that we often deny ourselves the joyful IMPERATIVE of celebration. I used to think that was something women of my generation did because we were often the only women in the room in a sea of men, and had to keep proving ourselves. But in listening to this interview, I realize it's just as true today. (I mean, good lord, Evelyn--TEN BOOKS! Pause. Breathe. Pop the Kombucha! )
I also think it would be great to host business classes for creatives-that sort of model out what reasonable investments in their business MIGHT look like. For example, I was just listening to a friend of mine's podcast (she was on Shark Tank years ago and now offers advice for people starting businesses)--anyway this episode was on creating a cost efficient team of virtual assistants. And I'm wondering if writers have access to those sorts of tools? Anyway--that's just me randomly thinking out loud...
And finally--prepare yourself for a really DEEP observation--I love that necklace you were wearing, Evelyn. 😁
gosh, I LOVE the idea of business classes for creatives. I wonder what the most effective way to do that would be?
Thank you about the necklace! It's a black pearl that Tom bought me on our honeymoon in Tahiti, so it's very special to me. Thank you for noticing it!
As for celebrations, I agree 100%! I didn't used to celebrate enough. I think that women tend to downplay their accomplishments. But now I try to remember what a big task (and win) every stage of writing a book is. In that vein, last month I baked a cake for myself when I finished my zero draft! Nothing fancy, not even frosting, but a really great rich chocolate cake that made me happy.
I love, LOVE! black pearls. And very special! As for the class…I’ve been thinking about it all morning…And I think the place to start would be to create a survey and ask creatives what THEY think they need. This would not be a “how to grow your business”—but how to think about your creative endeavors as you would if you were an entrepreneur selling a product. Because really, committing to your art in a professional way is no different from any other entrepreneurial pursuit. So in part, maybe it starts with a mindset shift….hmm…..I will keep pondering…….
I love this so much. It’s part of the reason I started the podcasts—I was having all these great business conversations with writers in private settings, but there wasn’t a place to share them publicly with other writers who might benefit from them!
I’m going to think of this as well. Let’s keep this brainstorm going!
Let's for SURE keep this brainstorm going!
Such a great interview, I learned so much from both of you listening to this. i'm not a novelist (currently a cookbook author, but I dip into memoir) but I believe we can learn so much from each other's publishing stories. The writing process and publishing journey for all authors across genres can be so solitary if not for great podcasts like this.
oh my gosh, thank you, Sarah! This made my heart swell. I'm so glad you enjoyed this episode and I completely agree that there's so much to learn from all publishing stories, regardless of genre!
(Speaking of cookbooks, though, if you're interested, there are podcast episodes with Danielle Walker and Caroline Chambers, if you haven't already seen them!)
Another interesting interview, thanks Evelyn!
Btw, how do you create such an attractive split screen on your interviews?
Thanks, Kristin! For the software, I use Riverside.fm, which automatically makes the split screen for me. (It also gives other layout options, like showing only the speaker on fullscreen). You can use Riverside for free for a certain number of hours (I'm not sure how many); I have a subscription because I film a lot of podcasts!
Thanks Evelyn! 🙏🏻