We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lyndsey Ellis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lyndsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Show-Me Stories, LLC was created out of a vision to help other creative thinkers and writers get their stories out into the world. It took me 12 years to finish and publish my debut novel, Bone Broth (Hidden Timber Books, 2021). While I had the formal education, the idea(s), and the will to explore the craft of writing, I didn’t always feel I had the confidence or the tools to sustain my vision as an author and communications professional. I want to ensure that other creatives and aspiring authors–especially Black women and those from underserved communities–don’t experience a ‘lack of’ mindset that inevitablythreatens to deter the pursuit of their dreams.

Lyndsey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a writer, editor, and teaching artist who’s passionate about exploring the influence of race, class, history and pop culture on intergenerational resilience in the Midwest. My debut novel, Bone Broth (Hidden Timber Books, 2021) was a Friends of American Writers Literature Award winner and selected as a first-year read at Maryville University for two consecutive school years. A past recipient of San Francisco Foundation’s Joseph Henry Jackson Literary Award and the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, I also enjoy editing prose for the journals great weather for MEDIA, The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose and Thought, and Scarlet: A Literary Journal, a subsidiary of Jaded Ibis Press. This year, I’m honored to be a Heartland Journalism Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis and a recipient of the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis’s Artist Support Grant.

As Founder of Show-Me Stories, LLC, I provide proofreading/ book editing, literary consultations, writing coach services, and craft-centered creative writing workshops to clients who want to develop their skills as creative writers and aspiring authors.

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Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2005, after completing my undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I decided to move to the San Francisco Bay Area for graduate school and further pursue the craft of communications and creative writing. Being on the west coast deepened me as a human in unimaginable ways. Even when life happened (ie lay-offs, failed relationships, housing and health issues, etc), the joys of self-discovery and community-building–intertwined with finding and honing my voice in creative writing–outweighed my challenges and made for an immersive experience.

But, after 12 years of being away, I grew homesick and increasingly aware of the soaring prices amid financial hardship that existed in California. In the middle of finishing my book, I decided to take a chance and move back to the Midwest in 2018, so I could be closer to family and increase the likelihood of building a comfortable life as I continued growing as a writer.

The second biggest move yet in my life was the hardest. It felt weird to uproot and become a St. Louisan again and this time, as a self-actualized adult. Still, the ‘step backward’ turned out to be the biggest blessing and exactly what I needed to publish Bone Broth which led to a downpour of creative and business opportunities that positively impacted the trajectory of my career. I enourage anyone faced with a similar life-changing choice as you navigate turning points in your career, to shut down the outside noise and negative self-talk so you can decide on making a life that works for you. Lean on your faith and it’s destined to work out.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It’s all about connecting with people, regardless of what market you’re in. For me, it’s been about networking with other writers and creatives from all over the country, building literary citizenship, and maintaining those genuine connections throughout my journey as a writer and small business owner. Sometimes you’ll be surprised who’s paying attention to how you move, or who’ll be your next client/partner. The main key to success, I’ve learned, is to stay connected to like-minded individuals who are supportive and require you to be you at your best.  

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lyndseyellis.com
• Instagram: @lyelliswrites
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoneBrothNovel
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lyndseyellis
• Twitter: @lyellis

Image Credits
Image #3 – Undo Bias workshop discussion (group pic with Bone Broth book cover) – courtesy of Undo Bias workshop with Founder, Zenique Gardner Perry, St. Louis MO Image #4 – Career Dayfor Eighth Graders (pic with two holding up BB book) – courtesy of Marian Middle School, St. Louis MO Image #5 – Youth Creative Writing Workshop – (action group pic standing at “Your Words’ flower beds) – courtesy of YourWords STL, St. Louis MO