Sober Influencers, Quit Lit, and Hybrid Publishing

And what the heck they have to do with each other

Last week, I attended the Kauai Writers Conference, which was incredible. I’m currently trying to sell my third book, a novel, and it’s a whole new process compared to nonfiction. I had dozens of conversations with authors about our respective writing and publishing histories and backgrounds, and I thought I’d also peel back the curtain a bit for my lovely readers.

with my friend Celeste at KWC

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I was 4 years old - look at my handwriting!

When I was 5, I skipped a grade in school. I remember my Kindergarten teacher hugging me and telling me I’d be in first grade the next day, and I was like, “Ok, bye!” as if I wouldn’t see her in the hallways at the same school for the next five years. I’m sure there was a discussion about it between my parents and the administration, and my mom said she talked to me about it, but that’s all I remember. Long story short, I was one of those “gifted and talented” kids of the 80’s. It wasn’t until a decade or so later that educators and psychologists began realizing it wasn’t a good idea to place academic success over emotional maturity. By the time I was 16 and a senior in high school, it was a little too late to backtrack.

Smart (not Scottish) Little Emily

ANYWAY, I was praised for my writing skills throughout my schooling, but I didn’t pursue it as a career; there was enough writing throughout college, and I always kept personal journals. I also had a habit of writing letters to people to air my feelings and then throwing them away before sending them, and later, I would do the same with emails. Beyond that, I didn’t necessarily have an interest in being published.

Then, I got sober, and writing became therapy for me.

I was 10 years old. Fun fact: as a teenager, we partied in Rimini. I hope we cleaned up our trash afterward.