54 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL with historical ction for YA, especially with a rst-time, outof-nowhere, “older” author. at was discouraging. I began to research self-publishing, which seemed more challenging— and much less fun—than writing. And then I focused on small publishing rms. Finally, I began submitting my manuscript to any who were accepting my genre. ompson: I would get up early to work on turning my rst two years of blogging into a book. I got it done in time for the embassy’s holiday bazaar, and the ambassador kindly did a photo op of him buying a copy—autographed, of course. Now, I write about what I feel like writing, but mainly I recycle material from my blog. Blurb.com was set up for printing blogs, and I still publish my books with them; but I do the e-books through Amazon’s Kindle publishing house because Blurb no longer does e-books. I may switch to something else if I nd it easier. Wessel: How did being part of the Foreign Service community help during your journey? Buford: Many members of the FS community provided me with invaluable background information and moral support throughout my journey. Kiesling: My upbringing as a Foreign Service brat is fundamental to my experience of the world and my ideas about place and home. It is re ected in my rst novel and more explicitly in my second novel, Mobility, which follows a Foreign Service brat through her adolescence and adulthood. Monahan: I can’t say that the FS community helped per se, but the fact that I did not need to work full-time when we were overseas made the long hours spent on this questionable venture—constantly battling that internal voice asking, “Who do you think you are?”—feasible. ompson: Being part of the Foreign Service community is what started my book writing success. I had talked for decades about writing, but then when I got that request back in 2013, it unleashed the production process in me. Wessel: Did your Foreign Service life hinder your writing journey in any way? If so, how? Buford: No. Kiesling: No, since my Foreign Service life was essentially constrained to my childhood. Monahan: No, certainly not. I am not sure I’d ever have nished a novel had I been settled in the U.S. somewhere, working full-time. But—who knows? For a nonworking spouse, at least, I think the Foreign Service life is ideal for writing. ompson: Writing—no. Publishing—yes. Getting books cleared is di cult for me as a direct-hire active-duty employee. It depends very much on the whim of the public a airs o cer at the embassy. So far one out of three has been successfully published when overseas. Most of the time, it is not worth the months spent going around in a bureaucratic fug. I publish on home leave now. Wessel: What advice would you o er other aspiring Foreign Service authors? Buford: Write every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Kiesling: Starting a writing project feels very daunting, and it can take a long time before you get the con dence and momentum to really devote a lot of time to your writing. Give yourself a chance to express what you want to express, even if it feels miserable in the beginning. Monahan: When moving to a new place, my modus operandi is to study the local language, nd somewhere to volunteer, and check out writing opportunities. All these activities o er avenues to meet people and get to know a new culture. e downside of writing is that it can come at the expense of immersing yourself in a place and ultimately, ironically, make you feel cut o and lonely. To combat this and promote progress, it’s a good idea to stick to a writing schedule. at way you will be open to other opportunities when they come along without ignoring your writing. Getting this book written and published felt like giving birth to a manatee, but I am so glad that I persevered. People who live For a nonworking spouse, I think the Foreign Service life is ideal for writing. —Sarah Chapman Monahan
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