Always: Talk Soon
The process and practice of writing (and living) in all its messy glory, once a month, for free.
Currently: In Process
For paying subscribers, two additional monthly newsletters:
-a behind the scenes look at my working process (currently drafting a novel)
-In Process With… where I ask writers such as T Kira Madden, Abby Rasminsky, and Emily Nemens how the work is going and they graciously give us the truthful answer. 2025’s lineup includes Laura van den Berg, Emma Copley Eisenberg, Kat Chow, and more!
Previously: Revision Season
The view from deep inside my novel revision. You can start that series here.
Hi, I’m Danielle Lazarin. I'm the author of the short story collection Back Talk. I have over two decades of experience as a practicing writer, and with that, my share of successes and challenges; much of this newsletter is about the process and practice of writing (and living) in all its messy glory.
I believe strongly in transparency and in loving what you love, if that’s August or Billy Joel or using office supplies to imagine you have control over things. I sometimes recommend books or interviews or other things I’m currently obsessed with.
After Back Talk, I completed a novel—but it didn't sell, and I wrote about that here. I have a entirely different novel I voluntarily put in a drawer before that. Right now I'm working on a (yet another!) novel, and many short stories. I sometimes write flash fiction—shorties, as I like to call them—and essays. I've collected a lot of rejections at this point. I've been in workshops since I was 16 years old; I'm now 46. I have an MFA in Prose from the Helen Zell Writer's Program at the University of Michigan, and a BA in Creative Writing from Oberlin College. I write and teach and coach fiction. More about me and my work is here.
I’d be thrilled to have you as a reader.
And I’d been even more thrilled to have you as a paying subscriber. Of course you don’t have to pay—maybe you’re annoyed at the idea of paying even, or maybe you just want a little convincing? Here goes! Why pay for a subscription?
You want to know what it’s like to be a writer from someone who’s going to show you the inside of process in all its messy glory so you know what it’s really like, not what the internet or movies or the hope you’ve held on to since you were a small thing might lead you to believe.
You want access to all the archives, including Revision Season.
You understand that though reading is an everyday, free pleasure for many, writing itself is work. You believe art has as much value as 2-3 fast casual lunches out a year. (These are NYC prices, but still, I think you know what I mean). While many people would unquestionably say art has value, the scenario is often this: writers write and don’t get paid. We write on faith, sometimes on spec, and sometimes, our book is used to train AI without our permission or compensation. I’m not the first person to say that exposure is not accepted at any grocery store. Right now this newsletter is 7% of my current income but you know what’s wilder? Straight up writing is currently 1%, and has been for years running. I wish I could say I’ve had a year where I've made more than I did working for a non-profit back in 2005. I wish any of these numbers were exaggerations. For most of us, it is hard to make a living from writing books, or short stories, or essays. The more I have to take on jobs that are not writing books, the fewer books I can finish. If you’re invested in my work as a writer, I’d appreciate your support in the times I’m not getting paid for that work, and more specifically, for the work I am doing in the writing and publishing of Talk Soon right now.
Psst: If you’d like a subscription but cannot currently afford one, email me at backtalklazarin at gmail and I’ll comp you six months or a year, no questions asked.
