E607 - Kimberly Sullivan - How to Cultivate Your Passion for Writing and Turn it into a Rewarding Career

Hacks and Hobbies - Passion to Profit Stories

In this episode, we get to speak with Kimberly Sullivan.

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US.

She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and The Historical Novel Society and has published one short story collection, Drink Wine and Be Beautiful, and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves, In The Shadow of The Apennines and Rome’s Last Noble Palace.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Tune in to discover how you can cultivate your passion for writing and transform it into a rewarding profession.

Our Guest

https://kimberlysullivanauthor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyinrome/ Hacks to take away

1. Finish Your Novel: Kimberly emphasizes the importance of completing your novel rather than endlessly agonizing over it. While it's natural to strive for perfection, she suggests reaching a point where you're satisfied with the work and ready to move on to new projects.

2. Avoid Writing by Committee: While seeking feedback and advice is valuable, Kimberly warns against the pitfalls of writing by committee. She advocates for maintaining confidence in your authorial voice and making executive decisions about your work, rather than letting multiple opinions dilute your creative vision.

3. Release Your Work Into the World: Kimberly compares sending your novel out into the world to sending a child out into the world. Once it's published, readers will interpret it in their own unique ways, which may differ from your intentions. She advises authors to embrace this diversity of interpretation and not to take it personally.

4. Embrace Voracious Readers: Kimberly highlights romance and science fiction readers as particularly voracious and dedicated. Writers in these genres often produce multiple books per year to meet the demand of their enthusiastic fan bases. Learning from their prolific output and engagement with readers can be valuable for any writer.

5. Learn from Master Writers: Kimberly recommends learning from master writers in various genres, such as James Patterson, R.L. Stine, and Steve Martin. Each writer brings unique insights and techniques to the craft, whether it's Patterson's prolific output, Stine's skill in children's horror, or Martin's expertise in comedy.

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