So I Wrote a Book

Left a good job down in the city

Workin' for the man every night and day

But I never lost one minute of sleepin'

Worryin' 'bout the way that things might've been

Yes, I quit a good job as a psychology professor to follow my aspiration to be a full-time writer and consultant. It was brave. I am known for bravery. But I am not insane. I could do this because my husband has a well-paying job that can maintain us during this time. Neither of us grew up with wealth, and we can live on his salary for a while. But I am not Tina Turner either; I am losing sleep.

Even with this advantageous and privileged situation, I live in perpetual terror that I have made a terrible mistake. No one wants my book, and I have wasted time and money on a fool’s errand. But the only way out now is through, so here I am.

The book:

Hillbilly Rising is a 51,500-word hybrid memoir and self-help book based on the experiences of my large family from the mountains of Virginia and informed by my training as a psychology professor. Each chapter begins with stories from my life told from my point of view, during different stages of my life, ranging from ages 3 to 50 years. I then interpret these stories through Seligman and Peterson’s Values in Action framework, psychological research on thriving, and the values of hillbilly culture. Chapters conclude with reflection questions and practical suggestions to help readers process and apply the principles discussed.

It sounds dry, but the book isn’t. I am still working on that description!

I started writing bit by bit, starting in October 2024, while I was still working as a psychology professor. I got serious in June 2025. I still had my house to clean. Errands to run. Family to cherish. Meals to prepare. Cats to cuddle. Books to read. People who needed me. I wrote in stretches, often at the public library. When in the zone, I could pull six-hour sessions. But most of the time, I would break the day into two-hour blocks. It was easiest when I was home alone. Hardest when I had others vying for my time.

I had an initial sense of what I wanted to say.

This is how my family raises children and approaches the world and this is what is good about it. My vivid personality and intensity have resulted in stories that are fun.

I started with the stories. I just wrote. Stream of consciousness. Descriptions of people. Moments in time and what I thought they meant. I spent a lot of time just thinking. Then writing down those thoughts. I paced. I went on car drives, and then stopped and pulled out my laptop to note the ideas. I have never been short of things to say. I had to let it pour out and then figure out how I might organize it.

The discipline and stamina I learned in graduate school were helpful. But having a PhD teaches you something else as well. In a world where everyone is in the top 5% of intellectual ability, it comes down to who works the hardest and is luckiest. So work hard, and if it does not work out, then it just wasn’t your lucky day.

Possible chapters emerged. I started sending things to friends and posting things on Critique Circle (www.critiquecircle.com). This was invaluable. Critique Circle is an online community where fellow writers critique your work, and you return the favor if you can. Honest reviews made my writing better. I got into a groove where I was alternating between writing a new chapter and revising the previously posted chapter. The specter of “You have completely upended your life” loomed as motivation to keep working. But I could not deny that the work made me happy.

The book evolved substantially during this time. Many writers struggle when faced with criticism. Academia gives you thick skin. Publishing academic articles and giving academic presentations is brutal. Your writing and ideas have to withstand an almost sadistic level of criticism. There are plenty of professors who cannot stand it. They take it too personally. If you can persevere, then you learn to love critical review, because it is the only way you are going to make your work better. There is a common saying about writing, “You must kill your darlings,” meaning that it does not matter if you loved a bit of your writing, if it does not serve the story, then it must go. I have no darlings. I am enchanted with the workings of my own mind, and I love to write, but... It’s not personal. It’s business.

I revised, re-wrote, re-organized, and re-structured. I sent it to new people and repeated the process. I ground away at it until I felt it was ready.

It is ready.

Now what?

(Stay tuned for: Erin Tries to Figure Out What Literary Agents Want)