Maggie just tells it like it is...or could be. The thing that resonated most was "stop apologizing." It's entirely freeing to just be who I am, and I've learned that this is revealed most fully from deep listening, discernment, and response.
Dan & Maggie - I love this post/interview! Thank you for sharing it.
It's such an interesting thing what swerving outside your lane or putting time into a newer skill you've not developed before does. It often raises an understandable amount of trepidation hopefully mixed with a fair bit of excitement and curiousity as well.
Now, the problem, or I should say "a problem of living" often happens when the trepidation overshadows the excitement and or anticipation and we put away the pen and crawl back in bed, so to speak, without intending to keep writing. To chill out or rest is understandable. It's when it becomes the habit or mode of operating that is a bit more tricky to say the least.
At any rate, another post well worth unpacking ~ and another book I want to read - because it sounds like it will keep me out of bed and in my head in a healing-writers sort of way.
I love Maggie Smith and her work. When I logged in to see your post today, I was astounded. What a deep interview with a deep person--which I love. Thank you for sharing this, Dan. So much wisdom here, so much of what I've been mulling over myself for a long, long time as a writer who pivoted from a very niched audience to a broader one. It means a lot to hear the perspective of those who have attained commercial success, too.
So many great thoughts: "Talk Louder and Stop Apologizing," which I can see as a new book title. I like how Maggie described her "scrappy" style of writing--catch as catch can..."the world is my office." Yes! And permission to live life. I started out as a flutist and spent hours in a practice room, but I also spent hours doing other things when I should have been practicing, and today, I write about all those "other things." Thanks for a great interview, Dan.
Great interview. This, in particular, hit a nerve:
>>That book was like an armoire in front of a doorway and I could not leave the room I was in until I wrote the book. Like it was, it was like a piece of furniture was keeping me in this weird head space because I was ruminating so much over the experiences I write about in that book. The only way to get to write other books was to clear that one out of the way.
So my memoir was the book I had to write so I could stop thinking about that. Put a form to it, put a shape to it, get it out of here, my head, and onto there, the page and, and then, leave it behind. There's a version of me who lives in that book who doesn't really exist anymore. That woman who wrote that book is not me. She's me several years ago and she still lives in the book. I had to leave her behind there. Thank her for her service.<<
Thanks for posting this, and I can't wait to purchase her new book. Reading this piece, what struck me in particular was the idea of "swerving outside your lane" -- or trying something different in your writing or artwork. For years, I've focused solely on lifestyle essays and usually write about "home and family" topics on my personal blog. But I wanted to take more risks here on Substack and started sharing political opinion pieces that I couldn't publish in my usual newspaper or magazine markets.
It felt scary to make that shift -- and there are other risks in making a "swerve" like that. Not that I abandoned my other "safe" writing. But I think the challenge has been good for me, and I needed to find a way to express a different part of myself. Thanks again for a thoughtful post.
This was such a lovely conversation! I now feel like I’m in good company with the way I tend to write — a sentence here, a few there, and sometimes one sentence leads to loads of paragraphs and a post or potential chapter in a book. There are also TONS of snippets in Notes in my phone that may never be looked at again or used for anything, and that’s okay. I also gained some incredible perspective and freedom with regard to a past manuscript I wrote and chose not to push forward. Thank you, thank you. I’ll be adding Maggie’s book to my read list!
This was such a rich, honest conversation. The armoire metaphor hit hard — I’ve carried projects like that too, ones I couldn’t move past until I wrote them out of me. I also really felt the reminder to stop apologizing for promoting your work. As someone trying to build something meaningful from scratch, that one line alone was worth the listen. Thank you both for showing what creative stamina really looks like — not polished, but persistent.
Loved this interview. I loved the armoire metaphor. That’s exactly how I feel about my current big project.
I also loved the bit about swerving outside one’s creative lane. Today, I decided to post a poem as a voiceover reel on IG & FB. I have literally never made a reel on any platform or read my writing aloud on social media, but wanted to share my poem and figured that may be the best way to do it.
I was shocked how nervous I felt about posting it. I felt super awful for like an hour after just fearing what others may think. But guess what?! I survived 😆 And, I got a lot of positive feedback and literally no negative feedback. It was so scary, but I had to remind myself that it was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t unsafe. I was okay. And I was 😊
Dan, thanks so much for this conversation. Such a great chat! I appreciate it.
Aw, thank you so much Maggie!
Maggie just tells it like it is...or could be. The thing that resonated most was "stop apologizing." It's entirely freeing to just be who I am, and I've learned that this is revealed most fully from deep listening, discernment, and response.
Thank you Mark!
Dan & Maggie - I love this post/interview! Thank you for sharing it.
It's such an interesting thing what swerving outside your lane or putting time into a newer skill you've not developed before does. It often raises an understandable amount of trepidation hopefully mixed with a fair bit of excitement and curiousity as well.
Now, the problem, or I should say "a problem of living" often happens when the trepidation overshadows the excitement and or anticipation and we put away the pen and crawl back in bed, so to speak, without intending to keep writing. To chill out or rest is understandable. It's when it becomes the habit or mode of operating that is a bit more tricky to say the least.
At any rate, another post well worth unpacking ~ and another book I want to read - because it sounds like it will keep me out of bed and in my head in a healing-writers sort of way.
Thank you so much Bronce!
Dan,
I love Maggie Smith and her work. When I logged in to see your post today, I was astounded. What a deep interview with a deep person--which I love. Thank you for sharing this, Dan. So much wisdom here, so much of what I've been mulling over myself for a long, long time as a writer who pivoted from a very niched audience to a broader one. It means a lot to hear the perspective of those who have attained commercial success, too.
Thank you Jeannie!
So many great thoughts: "Talk Louder and Stop Apologizing," which I can see as a new book title. I like how Maggie described her "scrappy" style of writing--catch as catch can..."the world is my office." Yes! And permission to live life. I started out as a flutist and spent hours in a practice room, but I also spent hours doing other things when I should have been practicing, and today, I write about all those "other things." Thanks for a great interview, Dan.
Thank you Polly!
I really needed this today to remind me why I am writing. Thank you!
Aw, thank you Polly!
Love this and love both of your work so much. What a power duo!!
Thank you Brooke!
Great interview. This, in particular, hit a nerve:
>>That book was like an armoire in front of a doorway and I could not leave the room I was in until I wrote the book. Like it was, it was like a piece of furniture was keeping me in this weird head space because I was ruminating so much over the experiences I write about in that book. The only way to get to write other books was to clear that one out of the way.
So my memoir was the book I had to write so I could stop thinking about that. Put a form to it, put a shape to it, get it out of here, my head, and onto there, the page and, and then, leave it behind. There's a version of me who lives in that book who doesn't really exist anymore. That woman who wrote that book is not me. She's me several years ago and she still lives in the book. I had to leave her behind there. Thank her for her service.<<
Yes!!!! I’ve listened to those lines so many times already. Thanks Lisa!
Thanks for posting this, and I can't wait to purchase her new book. Reading this piece, what struck me in particular was the idea of "swerving outside your lane" -- or trying something different in your writing or artwork. For years, I've focused solely on lifestyle essays and usually write about "home and family" topics on my personal blog. But I wanted to take more risks here on Substack and started sharing political opinion pieces that I couldn't publish in my usual newspaper or magazine markets.
It felt scary to make that shift -- and there are other risks in making a "swerve" like that. Not that I abandoned my other "safe" writing. But I think the challenge has been good for me, and I needed to find a way to express a different part of myself. Thanks again for a thoughtful post.
Yay! Thank you Cindy.
That’s so true
all we need to do is sit down.
We don’t have to even time ourselves.
Just get in the chair be still and start writing.✍️
Thank you Denise!
Thanks Denise!
This is a great conversation! 💛
Aw, thank you Allison!
This was such a lovely conversation! I now feel like I’m in good company with the way I tend to write — a sentence here, a few there, and sometimes one sentence leads to loads of paragraphs and a post or potential chapter in a book. There are also TONS of snippets in Notes in my phone that may never be looked at again or used for anything, and that’s okay. I also gained some incredible perspective and freedom with regard to a past manuscript I wrote and chose not to push forward. Thank you, thank you. I’ll be adding Maggie’s book to my read list!
Thanks Pamela!
This was such a rich, honest conversation. The armoire metaphor hit hard — I’ve carried projects like that too, ones I couldn’t move past until I wrote them out of me. I also really felt the reminder to stop apologizing for promoting your work. As someone trying to build something meaningful from scratch, that one line alone was worth the listen. Thank you both for showing what creative stamina really looks like — not polished, but persistent.
Thank you Anton!
Loved this interview. I loved the armoire metaphor. That’s exactly how I feel about my current big project.
I also loved the bit about swerving outside one’s creative lane. Today, I decided to post a poem as a voiceover reel on IG & FB. I have literally never made a reel on any platform or read my writing aloud on social media, but wanted to share my poem and figured that may be the best way to do it.
I was shocked how nervous I felt about posting it. I felt super awful for like an hour after just fearing what others may think. But guess what?! I survived 😆 And, I got a lot of positive feedback and literally no negative feedback. It was so scary, but I had to remind myself that it was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t unsafe. I was okay. And I was 😊
Yay! Thanks Breeann!
Incredible interview, Dan and Maggie!
Thank you K.!
Awesome interview!! And she has a Boston Terrier girl like myself made her even more special! ❤️🐾
Thanks Ann!