We love that returning attendees Emilie and Hillary decided to do this pre-conference interview together. It’s a testament to their teamwork! This writing duo will give a session all about writing with a partner called, “All Kinds of Weather, We Stick Together: How to Have and Be a Writing Partner.”
HMag: Tell us a little about your involvement in HippoCamp this year. What are you most excited to share during your panel?
EH & HM: We are thrilled to talk about how writing partnerships can be part of your own writing life. We believe in sharing concrete tips, not just talking abstractly, and we plan share our own experience of maintaining a real-life writing partnership for years.
Why do you love true stories?
HM: Everyone has a story to tell, but figuring out how and where and when to tell that story is a gift–and it takes a lot of hard work.
EH: You can’t make it up! The “truth is stranger than fiction” Mark Twain quote is exactly right – the experiences of ordinary people are extraordinary and fascinating.
What made you decide to participate in HippoCamp this year as a speaker? If you’re a returning speaker, how did your past experiences encourage to want to come back?
EH & HM: When we first agreed to be writing partners, our lives (both writing-related and otherwise) were markedly different from how they are now. We’ve learned a lot from the growth of the last few years, especially how to maintain creative collaboration across distance and during challenging personal times, and we want to share our strategies with fellow writers.
Share a fun fact with us—something attendees may be surprised to know:
EH: I once worked as a high-end dog walker to support my writing! As Nora Ephron said, it’s all copy. (Side note – those dogs had nicer digs and had visited more countries than I had.)
HM: I worked at a doggie-daycare during college. You could say that our writing lives would have gone to the dogs if we had committed to making the writing work.
Aside from preparing for HippoCamp 2018 (of course!), what are you working on? Any recent or upcoming projects/publications you can share?
HM: I’m really proud of this interview I did with my mother and sister about their experiences as nurses, for Lady Science (@ladyxscience).
EH: I published a memoir piece on inadequate postpartum care in America and was blown away by the number of readers who had similar experiences:
Since you’ll also be attending the conference, what are you most looking forward to learning or doing when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat?”
HM: I have learned so much in the past from speakers about the business of writing — marketing and submitting, keeping the momentum up — and I’m looking forward to learning more about that again this year.
EH: HippoCamp is my favorite writing conference because of the kind, welcoming nature of the organizers and attendees alike, so I’m really looking forward to talking with and learning from other writers throughout the weekend.
We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. If you live here or have been here before, what would you recommend to other attendees?
HM: On Orange has great atmosphere for breakfast!
EH: I’m a big fan of the Central Market, and anticipate eating many whoopie pies there.
What do you love most about working with your writing partner?
EH: Hillary is the queen of “doing the work.” Her day job is in social media, a 24/7 gig, but she is in the process of editing a manuscript and regularly publishing shorter pieces. It’s a huge inspiration to see all that she accomplishes as a writer. She motivates me!
HM: Emilie somehow managed to publish a piece within weeks of giving birth to the cutest baby in the state of Pennsylvania. Even with all she juggles, Emilie keeps her eye on the practice of writing, and on making time to write, in whatever form that might take. Her mindfulness about writing transformed my own approach to writing, and has kept me coming back to the page.
Thank you both for sharing!!
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