Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share [Mark Cecil, practical matters]: On writing multiple books before writing the one that got published + the genius trick that kept him going Ep 1104
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
[Mark Cecil, practical matters]: On writing multiple books before writing the one that got published + the genius trick that kept him going Ep 1104
This week I’m talking with author and journalist Mark Cecil. Mark’s debut novel BUNYAN AND HENRY, OR, THE BEAUTIFUL DESTINY, a retelling of the folk tales of Paul Bunyan and John Henry, has just come out. (The book was named one of the most anticipated books of 2024 from Goodreads, while Publishers Weekly called it “boisterous and a fun romp with plenty of substance.”) Mark’s articles have been published in LitHub and Writer’s Digest and he’s taught classes on writing and publishing for Grub Street and the Writer’s Loft.
Despite these accolades, Mark had a long, tough road to publishing and he’s learned some really valuable lessons along the way, which he generously shares in a very inspiring way.
We covered:
How Mark is inspired by trying to contribute to a mythology that is uniquely American, and what that means
The six other manuscripts Mark wrote that didn’t end up getting published, and how he dealt with that long road
How he knew he had stumbled on the right idea at last
The genius thing he told himself that helped him keep going despite multiple rejections
How a very frustrating question from an editor launched him on an odyssey of learning the art of storytelling that ultimately led him to the idea of his debut novel
Why he seeks to write every damn day, despite how he’s feeling about himself and his work
How he’ll write anywhere, despite the external–and internal!, conditions he finds himself in
How sports, whether he’s playing, coaching, or watching, helps keep him mentally healthy
Visit Mark at markcecilauthor.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
View all episodes
By Kate Hanley
4.8
104104 ratings
This week I’m talking with author and journalist Mark Cecil. Mark’s debut novel BUNYAN AND HENRY, OR, THE BEAUTIFUL DESTINY, a retelling of the folk tales of Paul Bunyan and John Henry, has just come out. (The book was named one of the most anticipated books of 2024 from Goodreads, while Publishers Weekly called it “boisterous and a fun romp with plenty of substance.”) Mark’s articles have been published in LitHub and Writer’s Digest and he’s taught classes on writing and publishing for Grub Street and the Writer’s Loft.
Despite these accolades, Mark had a long, tough road to publishing and he’s learned some really valuable lessons along the way, which he generously shares in a very inspiring way.
We covered:
How Mark is inspired by trying to contribute to a mythology that is uniquely American, and what that means
The six other manuscripts Mark wrote that didn’t end up getting published, and how he dealt with that long road
How he knew he had stumbled on the right idea at last
The genius thing he told himself that helped him keep going despite multiple rejections
How a very frustrating question from an editor launched him on an odyssey of learning the art of storytelling that ultimately led him to the idea of his debut novel
Why he seeks to write every damn day, despite how he’s feeling about himself and his work
How he’ll write anywhere, despite the external–and internal!, conditions he finds himself in
How sports, whether he’s playing, coaching, or watching, helps keep him mentally healthy
Visit Mark at markcecilauthor.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More shows like Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
View all
TED Radio Hour
21,996 Listeners
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
38,718 Listeners
The Ramsey Show
38,999 Listeners
The Moth
27,200 Listeners
The Book Review
3,871 Listeners
Pod Save America
87,135 Listeners
The Daily
112,482 Listeners
Pod Save the World
24,690 Listeners
Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
5,121 Listeners
Throughline
16,245 Listeners
Meditative Story
3,080 Listeners
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
4,546 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics: US
2,212 Listeners