The Happy Writer by Marissa Meyer is a warm, encouraging guide that helps writers rediscover joy in the creative process by balancing productivity with self-compassion. Through practical advice and personal insights, Meyer reminds authors that success comes not just from word counts, but from cultivating happiness in their writing life.
I’ve read two different fiction series by Meyer – The Lunar Chronicles and Renegades – and they were fantastic. This is the first non-fiction book I’ve read by her and I was not disappointed.
I was just expecting advice on keeping motivated to keep writing, but Meyer covered so much more when it comes to the writing life. She goes from inspiration to getting published to keeping motivated to write the next book.
I learned a lot from every short chapter in the book, but I was especially grateful for her words about working with agents, editors, and publicists. I’m so used to only reading books on just the writing craft – how to write scenes, how to style sentences, how to use just the right word, etc. – I rarely get much advice on marketing a book or working with publishers.
The best part of this book is Meyer’s conversational style. It’s a quick ready, but I got a ton out of it. Definitely helpful for both beginning and advance writers.
I am also reading Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters by Mary Kole, and I haven’t finished it yet. I took her online course, Crafting Dynamic Characters. This book is a deep dive into the subject of interiority, that is a much more detailed analysis.
To be honest, the book feels more like a reference tool, which is not a slam. It’s just not a light read. It’s excellent for what it is: chock-full of examples of interiority from contemporary literature. I will take my time on this one. It delves into the psychology of humans, so I’m learning a lot about that as well.
My recommendation is to take the course first if you, as a fiction writer, are interested in mastering your characters’ interiority. It lays an excellent foundation for this aspect of the writing craft.
Andrew M. Friday 
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