Lori Mulligan is a Center writer and personal essayist who recently completed a Bookings session to self-publish a short collection of her work. Here, she shares a bit about her creative process and what publication feels like.
Six questions about the book Lori proofed, published, and platformed in six weeks
Congratulations on self-publishing your book, Lori! Tell us a little about it.
Sister Shorts: Me & Lee is a humorous collection of short stories about my older sister, Lisa (Lee), and me. It is a quick, delightful read packed with humor, heart, and sibling antics. If you’ve got a sister—or just love a good laugh—you’ll find these stories irresistibly relatable.
How did you come up with the idea for this collection? What made you want to write about you and your sister?
Since I’ve had so many funny experiences and adventures with Lisa over the years, I started writing short stories about us for a humor writing course I took with Stacia. The stories were well-received [in the class and at the Center’s monthly community-building Zooms], so when the Bookings class was established, Stacia and I discussed self-publishing a collection of about 10 stories about my sister antics. So I did! And I’m very excited to now have a book for sale on Amazon.
Share with us a little about your writing process.
Unlike many authors who prefer to write in solitude and quiet, I prefer the hustle and bustle of a nearby Starbucks coffee shop. I’m able to block the noise of customers while intensely writing, but I enjoy the ability to talk to regulars when I take a break. And the instant access to coffee doesn’t hurt, either!
I’m a fairly quick writer. Once the overall idea gels in my head, I can usually prepare a short essay in about an hour. I guess I know when an idea is about to become an essay when I think I have a relatable topic, and for my humor writing, one that I think has potential to be funny and resonate with most people.
What was the best or most fun part of putting together this collection? The most challenging part?
Hands down the best part was working with Stacia. It felt like a real collaboration. She not only did a line-by-line edit of the collection, but she took the reins and ran with the publication production process. Thanks to her, I now know what a “gutter” margin is!
The most challenging part was a bit of burnout towards the end. I had worked on the individual stories for several months prior, then did a more meticulous deep dive during the Bookings class. By the end, I thought I couldn’t bear to proofread the collection one more time, yet thanks to Stacia’s encouragement, I did.
But the overall positive experience of self-publishing far outweighed the mild burnout. I’m already working privately with Stacia on my first detective thriller and plan to take another Bookings course to self-publish that novel when the time is right.
What did you learn in the process of making this book and putting it out into the world?
I learned that, while I experienced some burnout, the process wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, especially with Stacia to guide me through the process. When I actually saw the book live on Amazon, I felt quite an adrenaline rush and was very proud!
Where can readers find you and your book?
You can find my book on Amazon by searching by name or title or by this following this link. I hope you will read it and leave a review—especially if it is a good one!
If publishing a book is one of your goals as a writer, but you’re disenchanted by the thought of going through the traditional publishing process–query letters, agents, submissions, and so much waiting–then it might be time to take matters into your own hands and self-publish. Learn more about Bookings, a six-week guided self-publishing session for writers with a short manuscript-in-progress.