KEYNOTE: How to Not Be Miserable On Your Writing Journey
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Matthew Landis teaches middle school history outside Philadelphia, where he seeks to make the past come alive in not-boring ways. He is a closet HALO fan, and can sometimes be found reading novels adapted from that video game. He is blessed with an amazing wife and two kids, and hopes to one day write a book that moves people like Lev Grossman, Jo Nesbo, or Ron Rash have moved him. His debut YA novel, 
T. James·Thanks, Matt, wonderful advice (and guilty as charged 🙂 )!
- Matthew·
My pleasure!
- Julie·
Great Key Note! I found myself nodding in agreement with all of that. Thanks, Martin. Good Luck with your new book.
- Julie·
Martin!? Ooops. Good Luck, Matthew!!
Great message. Thanks, Matthew!
“Don’t give up on your dream, but don’t give yourself to your dream.” What a great motto!
I think the idea that you must give your entire life to a specific dream/aim is a really American one. It’s a version of the bootstraps myth; if you try hard enough, if you allocate every ounce of your energy towards one thing, you’ll eventually pull yourself up to success on the sheer strength of your own will. Conversely, if you don’t succeed, it’s your own fault for not wanting it enough. I agree with Landis that this isn’t a healthy way of approaching writing, which is a fickle and flawed industry at its best. But it is hard to deprogram myself of that myth after a lifetime of believing in it.
I also kind of agree with what he tries to say about social media. Comparing yourself to other writers and their journeys will just lead to more angst.
- Betty·
Very interesting, even inspiring. I plan to read your books mentioned in your intro. Social media can become a huge problem.
- Lisa·
Thanks for keeping it real, a great keynote. Good luck with your next book.
- Lisa·
One more thing… this idea could be applied to almost every significant role we have in our lives. It reminds me of motherhood (or parenthood) since it can feel so all consuming, especially at first. When I became a first time mom, I read somewhere: “Motherhood is a role, not a being.” The same applies to being a writer.
- Matthew·
I couldn’t agree more. The desire to make any identity or pursuit our “everything” is at the core of this—writing just seems so readily more dangerous, as it requires a sort of all-consuming thing, like motherhood. Great analogy.
- Liz Edelbrock·
This was a great way to start my day. Thanks Matt !
- Rita·
How long did you do your social media fast Matt? I really enjoyed your talk, it’s what I needed to hear right now.
I wonder if part of that desire for traditional success is the desire to find an audience? Part of being a writer is for myself, to express the stories that won’t stay quiet, but I confess I find it satisfying to have those stories heard and taken in by others. That said, I’m nodding along here, it’s so easy to get caught up in the frenetic industry side of things. This was a great message and reminder–thanks Matthew!
- Matthew·
Kathy I would agree that a desire to be known and liked is a big piece. Many great writers secretly craved fans, and due to market demands we almost have to pander at some point. Nobody wanted my space vampire book, even though I thought it was awesome…
Best of luck in your journey, go get ’em!
- lorraine·
Great message to start the day. Your books sound clever and fun. Just kindled the first one. Can’t wait to read it.
- Matthew·
Yes! Thanks Lorraine, my pleasure. Hope you enjoy LEAGUE, and give PRIVATE NOBODY a try if not!
- Sandy Perlic·
I agree with Lucy, above, that this is great advice: “Don’t give up on your dream, but don’t give yourself to your dream.” When we let this dream consume us, we may not be appreciating all the other good things in life (or our own progress with writing, actually) as much as we could. Food for thought on this chilly February morning…
- Matthew·
Indeed Sandy—food for thought forever eternity. Glad it hit home, hope it alleviates some of the anxiety of your own journey. Go get ’em, enjoy the rest of the conference!
Such great advice. This resonates with me on my own publishing experience. We have to find our significance in who we are…that we are enough already. What we do and the successes we may or may not have are just icing or lessons to be learned along the way. Thanks for sharing your heart!
- Carol·
Yes, Matthew. Great message. I too, love, “Don’t give up on your dream, but don’t give yourself to your dream.” You are lucky to have teaching and your family to keep you balanced.
- Matthew·
Thanks Carol—and it’s never easy. I find that often, in heavy editing seasons especially, the balance is challenged. That which I think is ultimate (writing) is always ready to take time, when that which is really ultimate get sideline. May we learn to correctly orient this.
Have a great conference, wish you all the best in your writing.
- Leanne·
Great to hear from another teacher. I’m in my 23rd year in the classroom teaching English (either middle grade or high school), and I actually love the combined nature of these two career paths. (I watched this during my prep period!)
- Melissa·
This was the exact message I needed to here! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
This was perfect–the exact thing I needed to hear, really. Thank you so much. (And your new book sounds cool-will check it out!)
- Holly·
Great message! Balancing family, work, and writing can be a challenge for anyone at any stage. The League of American Traitors has been added to my shopping list. Thank you for the insightful keynote!
- Phyllis·
Matthew, the more I think about your keynote, the better I feel. I have, of late, been in a panic over my query letters and getting to that next level. It’s frustrating to feel that the query is more important than the actual manuscript. Your similar panic and then words of wisdom had quite a calming affect. Thank you. Good luck with your new book!
Phyllis - Christina·
Had to work yesterday but am taking some time to dive into what I missed on day 1. I enjoyed your opening keynote Matthew. I’ve always wanted to write. I guess I’m wondering how you manage teaching full-time and writing books? I am a full-time k-5 librarian. As it pertains to social media, I fell hard for its pull. I do need to take a break from it more regularly because of its addictive nature as you mentioned. I haven’t really used it to network with other writers yet but have used it more so to make meaningful connections to other educators who love to read, as well as authors that I enjoy and that my students do as well. For that aspect, it has been great.
- Mary·
Wow! What great advise. And exactly what I needed to hear!
Hi Matthew, I really enjoyed your talk also. Like the other writers’ comments I nodded as you spoke. I agree with your social media point. It does consume a lot of time and zaps energy. It’s time I could spend writing or doing other fun things. I’m going to set a few boundaries after listening to this. Thanks!
My brother recommended I may like this blog. He used to be totally right.
This post actually made my day. You cann’t believe just how a lot time I had spent for this info!
Thank you!- Laurel·
Thanks very much! I was thinking about this yesterday, telling myself that I always go faster when I go slower. Sometimes ambition disguises itself as inspiration and derails us. Susan Kaye Quinn has a lovely metaphor about “exploring your creative landscape” that feels like the opposite of so many linear publish-y goals. “What kind of technique or story would you like to try out next?” is much more enjoyable then “How can I get this book written faster?” Where can we find the link to the study you mentioned (and to your own books)?
Thank you Matthew. Not sure, though, how not to be obsessive about a life goal. I’m not built that way. But will try and figure out something that might fit as close as possible, for the sake of my sanity and those around me. Great job on this topic and congratulations on your success 🙂
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