I never didn’t want to be a writer. I sort of hate how trite that sounds, but it’s true. I never considered any other options, and I have no idea what I’d be doing if I weren’t writing.
What advice do you have for students who are looking to write for a living?
I’m terrible at this kind of advice! At the risk of sounding trite again, I always tell people to read as much as possible, write as much as possible, and foster meaningful connections with other writers and editors beyond half-assed “networking.”
What is something you wish someone told you about the industry when you were first starting out?
That it’s really unstable! I mean, I think everyone kind of knows that at this point, but it definitely caught me off-guard. I also graduated from college in 2008, which is commonly regarded as the worst possible time to have graduated college. That having been said, I’m worried that knowing how volatile the industry is would have stopped me from pursuing my chosen career. What if I’d panicked and taken the LSAT?
What was your first writing job? What did you learn from it?
The first time I got paid for my writing was at my college newspaper, the Daily Californian. What didn’t I learn from it? It helped me refine my voice as a writer, while also setting me straight about deadlines, libel, managing writers, and how to edit and be edited.
How do you deal with criticism on your pieces? (From readers, editors, etc)
Not well! No, I’m fine with criticism from editors — sometimes it stings, but I’ve had great editors, and I know they’re just trying to help me make my pieces better. It’s not personal, and I would never want to publish something that hadn’t gone through that editing process. When it’s from readers, I do my best to separate the good faith criticism from the bad faith criticism. The former, I take in as much as possible (I’m sensitive), and the latter I mute.
Which of your pieces are you most proud of?
I’m really proud of the deep dives I’ve done into my favorite cult movies: Drop Dead Gorgeous, Camp, Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2. It’s so important to me to take pop culture that has been disregarded and dismissed and to give it the kind of serious attention it has always deserved. I’m also glad that I’ve been able to highlight representation in theater in pieces I’ve written on Asian-American actors, trans actors, and actors with disabilities.
Do you have a favorite piece (not written by you) that you always go back to reread or a piece that you always share with other people? If so, what is it?
This is a really sad answer, so… sorry. I read a lot of advice columns — that’s low-key one of my favorite genres. The piece I return to the most is the infamously devastating Dear Sugar column “The Obliterated Place.” I have literally never been able to read it without sobbing. But there is so much warmth and compassion and emotional honesty in there. Yes, it’s incredibly sad, but it’s also a) great advice, and b) a level of empathy that I aspire to in most everything I write.
You can read Louis’ writing for Buzzfeed here.
Unsung Heroes 