I hate small talk. I hate it. Years in the business world required me to be able to master it with clients. But I hated every moment of it.
My preference in communication is to get to the important stuff quickly and skip past the fluff.
Did I mention that I hate small talk?
So, as I’ve researched writing resources to hone my skills and knowledge, I’ve looked for those places where the writer gets to the point quickly. And stays on point.
Such is the website of Jane Friedman.
Jane has over 25 years of experience in a variety of areas in the publishing business. She has worked in academia, been on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, and been an employee of many of the leaders in book and magazine publishing.
She’s done a lot of stuff in her writing/publishing career. And she has stayed current with trends in the business, including the influence of AI and the digital age on writing/publishing.
All of this means that she has a vast amount of experience to share with us.
And I appreciate the way in which she does it. To the point, not sugar coated, not watered down.
With all that she has done, and could do, she has chosen the route of entrepreneur and freelancer. This frees her from any constraints placed on her by employers that may want to censor what she says and writes about the industry.
I commend her on that. It lets her skip the small talk and tell it the way it is.
She has written several books. Besides reading her blog, I’d recommend her book The Business of Being a Writer, which she will be updating in Spring 2025. It’s a good resource for those unfamiliar with what it takes to be a writer outside of putting the words of the story on a page.
Frankly, I don’t spend a lot of my time reading blogs. And when I do, I want to know that my time is well spent. I enjoy perusing Jane’s site. There is a lot of helpful information there.
And minimal small talk! 🙂