At a writing conference held October 12 and 13, 2018, I interviewed three authors who served on the speaking team. We discussed all things writing, like their writing challenges, their writing process, and their advice for writers. All for you!
Today, I bring you the first of the three: a conversation with Shawn Smucker. We discussed his work as a cowriter, ghostwriter, and novelist, and our discussion took place just before release day for his nonfiction book Once We Were Strangers.
Shawn Smucker is the author of the novels Light from Distant Stars, The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There, as well as the memoir, Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find him online at www.shawnsmucker.com.
Resources:
- Light from Distant Stars, Shawn’s 2019 novel
- Building a Life Out of Words, Shawn’s free e-book chronicling his first year trying to make a living cowriting
- Shawn’s website: shawnsmucker.com
- Shawn on Instagram: @shawnsmucker
- The Day the Angels Fell [affiliate link, which means I will receive a small compensation at no charge to you if you click through to check it out and purchase]
- The Edge of Over There [affiliate link]
- Once, We Were Strangers [affiliate link]
- Favorite books Shawn has re-read to analyze and learn (all affiliate links):
- All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr [paperback]
- Home, by Marilynne Robinson [Kindle ebook]
- Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson [paperback]
- Lila, by Marilynne Robinson [Kindle ebook]
- Gilead, Marilynne Robinson [Kindle ebook]
- A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving [paperback]
- All podcast episodes
Want quick fixes to improve your writing style?
Sign up for the FREE course, Make Your Sentences Sing: 7 Sentence Openers to Add Music to Your Prose.
Great interview! Very motivating and encouraging.
I’m so glad you took time to listen *and* to comment, Kristy! Thank you. Now keep going! 🙂
What a fantastic interview! Thank you, Ann, for bringing Shawn onto your podcast. And tell him “thanks” for his encouraging words of wisdom. I’m going to “Just keep going”.
Shawn loves to encourage writers, as do I. Yes, keep going, Jessica. Keep going!
Thanks for doing this interview! I just made the decision this year that I would make writing a part of my life and see where it takes me. This interview as well as everything on your podcast is very encouraging for me. I truly appreciate. I was in a place where I didn’t know where to start; so this was awesome to hear.
Trina, it was a joy to interview Shawn and I’m so glad you found it encouraging as you step into your writing life. Read, write, and enjoy the process! Thank you for taking the time to listen and come back here to comment. I wish you the very best in the days, weeks, and months ahead!