#amwriting With Jess & Kj

Whenever I see a writer on social media incessantly talking about their own work, their own book, and their own launch, the thing that comes to mind is this: “They’re not being a good literary citizen.” Being a good literary citizen is, among other things, showing up for the community you are a part of, uplifting other writers, and doing what you can to make sure that all voices are heard. We often think that the time to help others is after you’ve made it, but in this episode I’m talking to a writer who is doing this in a big way before she herself has made it into the spotlight. For years she has volunteered at the Thrillerfest conference – and this year, she was asked to become a paid director of the event. I think you’ll find her story inspiring. Links from the Pod: Thrillerfest Samantha Skal, Book Coach Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series starts with Death in the Family During the pandemic, there was an explosion of people who wanted to write memoir, and many of those writers are now struggling to