Authors Behaving Beautifully

 

Who are the authors who have inspired you in how you conduct yourself as a professional writer? This is not so much the creative/writerly side of them (but could be) but how they navigate their career, and the publishing industry in general. What do they do that you find inspiring or interesting?

 

Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

A lovely sentiment. And one that presumes a real interaction.

In theory, behavior betrays character. What people say is one thing; what they do is another.

I’m not convinced.

We all wear masks to survive—one for work, one for family, another for fans. These aren’t about hiding who we are; they’re about preserving what’s left. Because people, even well-meaning ones, take and take and take. We’ve all seen what happens to those who give until there’s nothing left. Think of actors who implode under pressure. Think of your Uncle Al, quietly laid off after 30 years. Another casualty in the Ledger of Life.

Writers, by nature, are observers. We live slightly outside the crowd. And even when we read someone’s work, we don’t really know them—not through interviews, not through their Twitter feeds, not through a dazzling debut or a beloved series.

So who inspires me—as a professional in this strange and exhausting business?

It’s not always the prose. It’s how they show up. How they move through the literary world.

Here are a few.

 

Writers Who Lead by Example:

 

Ursula K. Le Guin stood for writers’ rights. She fought for literary integrity over commercial convenience. She reminded us that the soul of the work matters—and that writers are not commodities.

Roxane Gay isn’t just a sharp essayist and cultural critic; she’s generous. She amplifies new voices, offers blunt, real advice, and practices what others only tweet about.

Alexander Chee is open about the machinery of publishing. He demystifies it without discouraging you. That honesty is rare. And it’s a gift.

Carmen Maria Machado doesn’t just write brilliantly—she uses her platform to celebrate queer and BIPOC writers. She pays forward her success with grace and enthusiasm.

Colson Whitehead balances sharpness with sincerity. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but he never forgets the people coming up behind him. His generosity is as deliberate as his sentences.

Brandon Sanderson has built an entire ecosystem for aspiring writers. His BYU lectures are freely available. He talks openly about money. He invests in other writers’ futures—without making it about himself.

 

Kindness Is Contagious (and Career-Saving):

 

Looking back, my own career has been shaped by that same generosity.

I was invited to The Back Room author series by Karen Dionne and Hank Phillippi Ryan, thanks to Cheryl Head and Stephen Mack Jones—two incredible writers—who championed my novel HUSH HUSH. Hank, by the way, is a legend in crime fiction and a tireless supporter of other authors. Whether it’s through Jungle Reds, Career Authors, or First Chapter Fun, or a quiet word of encouragement at conferences—she shows up.

Speaking of which… let’s talk blurbs.

 

Blurbs: The Most Awkward Currency in Publishing:

 

For readers, blurbs might seem like breadcrumbs. A teaser. A sprinkle of praise.

But getting one? That’s another story.

Writing a book is hard enough. But after you’ve poured your soul into it, you’re expected to approach someone—often a stranger—and say, “Would you mind telling the world my book is pretty?”

Not ordinary. Not ‘It’ll do.’

You want Magnificent. Unforgettable—if they’re feeling generous.

But really, you’re Oliver Twist, sending an email into the Void, asking someone to hold your book-baby and say it’s worthy of love. It feels creepy. It feels desperate. And when someone actually does blurb you? You remember it forever.

The late M.J. Rose gave me my very first blurb. I’m convinced it’s because I knew the name of her dog, Winka. (You never know what makes the connection.)

 

Meet Your Heroes—At Least Once:

 

They say don’t meet your heroes. But I did.

Years ago, I met Walter Mosley at Crimebake. I doubt he remembers me, but I started writing crime fiction because of Easy Rawlins and Mouse. He was candid—painfully so, and funny—about hustling to get his non-Easy Rawlins work published. Nobody paid attention to him, he said, until President Clinton name-dropped Devil in a Blue Dress.

The truth of publishing is often quieter than the myth.

 

FINAL WORD:

 

There are no guarantees. You can behave beautifully and still be forgotten.

Or judged unfairly. Or ignored entirely.

But kindness matters.

The writers who’ve impressed me did more than write great books. They behaved well, they showed up, and they gave back.

The world—and the industry—needs more of that.