In Keep Calm and Query On , Luke Reynolds discusses his journey as a writer with all of its bludgeoning defeats and small triumphs. Against the backdrop of life abroad in York, England, these reflections on living and writing pulse with hope, wisdom, and conviction. Luke's journey as a writer is accompanied by 14 interviews he has conducted with powerful and prolific authors, including Jane Smiley, Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket), George Saunders, Lindsey Collen, and David Wroblewski. They discuss their worst rejections, their first publications, what keeps them motivated, and why they believe in the power of words.
I cannot even begin to say how happy I am that I won this book in a giveaway!
Right now, I'm only an aspiring writer. I write in my spare time hoping that one day, something will come from it. This book was there to say, "Hey, no matter what happens, it's all worth it because you're doing something you love." And it manages to do that, most of the time, in a way that isn't totally corny. In the future, when I'm a (fingers crossed) accomplished author, this book will still be 100% relevant to my life and experiences. It's incredibly varied for how short it is--any kind of road block (or stage) in the life of a writer is addressed somewhere in the pages of this book. I will probably re-read this over and over to just remind myself that I'm doing the right thing. Reynolds truly comes through the pages, with personal stories of success and failure and life, to say, "You can do it!" and he enlists other great writers to back him up every step of the way. An absolutely invaluable read that's more like sitting down with a friend and chatting than anything else.