In today's episode we look back at one of our best episodes of the year. Dani Shapiro has made her living as a writer for more than 20 years. In this interview we have an in-depth discussion about working artists and what it takes to master the craft of writing.

Highlights:

Why there are many trajectories to creative careers
Dani's early exposure to working artists
The importance of living and rebelling
Why Having a story to tell matters so much
Getting back to callings of our youth
How a new generation values of quality of life
Why Dani left New York for a quiet country life
What it truly means to live a creative life
How some of the great things in life happen accidentally
The importance of exposing yourself to great artists
Some incredible insights on the best way to start your day
Slowing down your mind by reading physical books
Making meaning from loss by telling a resonant story
The self doubt that every single writer faces before the page
Memory and imagination as engines for storytelling
Being responsible with our gifts as writers
When you feel misunderstood and wounded as a writer
The reason you can't hand lack of craftsmanship
Why authors are increasingly responsible for their book's success
The role that talent plays in your ability to succeed as a writer

Resources

Still Writing: The pleasure and perils of a creative life

Goodbye to all that: Writers on loving and leaving New York

Dani Shapiro is the bestselling author of the memoirs Devotion and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, One Story, Elle, The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, and has been widely anthologized. She has taught in the writing programs at Columbia, NYU, The New School and Wesleyan University, and she is co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy.

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The Best of 2014: Mastering the Craft of Writing with Dani Shapiro

The Unmistakable Creative Podcast

The Best of 2014: Mastering the Craft of Writing with Dani Shapiro