How to Write Books on 90 Minutes of Sleep (And Still Get Published) | Eugene Myers
What does it actually take to become a published author?
In this conversation, Holly sits down with award-winning author Eugene Myers to talk about writing under pressure, creative discipline, publishing realities, and how to build a sustainable writing career while balancing a full-time job and family life.
Eugene built his career the long way. Querying agents. Surviving years on submission. Attending Clarion West. Writing through burnout. Auditioning for Scholastic series. Meeting tight deadlines. Revising on limited sleep. And continuing to publish consistently across middle grade, interactive fiction, and major media tie-in projects.
This episode goes far beyond writing tips. It’s about resilience. Community. Professional generosity. Imposter syndrome. Productivity systems. Creative identity. And what publishing actually looks like once you’re inside it.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it even possible to build a writing career without quitting my job?” this episode will give you clarity, structure, and honest encouragement.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
How Eugene landed his first literary agent
What being “on submission” for years really feels like
How Scholastic opportunities opened unexpected doors
What auditioning for a major series looks like
The Clarion West experience and how it transforms writers
Why drafting fast matters more than drafting perfectly
The TK placeholder strategy for maintaining writing momentum
How to manage overlapping book deadlines
The difference between drafting and revising energy
How to balance writing with a full-time job and parenting
Why community and generosity matter in publishing
The mindset required to stay in the game long term
We talk about:
00:00 Introduction + Meet Eugene Myers
02:00 Writing with an AlphaSmart and eliminating distraction
06:00 From pantser to structured outliner
10:00 Auditioning for Scholastic and landing the Ruby series
13:00 Writing media tie-ins under tight deadlines
16:00 Querying agents and selling a first novel
18:00 Draft fast, revise later philosophy
20:00 The TK placeholder strategy
22:00 Early reading influences and sci-fi foundations
25:00 Clarion West and leveling up as a writer
29:00 Publishing culture, networking, and professionalism
33:00 Managing multiple projects at once
35:00 Writing with a full-time job and family
37:00 Word count goals and interactive fiction challenges
39:00 Creativity under exhaustion
40:00 Slush reading and editorial perspective
Connect with Eugene
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ecmyers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flipthecoin/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ecmyersvids
Books: https://site.andrewsmcmeel.com/the-stream-team-pre-order-giveaway / https://holidayhouse.com/book/gamers-1-attempting-connection/
Website: https://ecmyers.net/
Connect with Holly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holly_hughes_intuitive/
Get Holly’s book here: https://hollyhughesintuitive.com/my-book/
Website: https://hollyhughesintuitive.com/
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