Get to Know Our Friend Fiona Davis

A Deeper Dive With Our Most Recent Guest

A Conversation with Fiona Davis

A writing tip, book recommendation, and other great insights from Fiona that were not covered in our on-air interview, which you can WATCH or LISTEN to now!

For any aspiring writers out there, would you please share a short bit of writing advice?
I find that about 75 percent of the way through the first draft I get stuck, and I want to toss the whole thing out the window. But I’ve found that if you push through that sticky point and get to the end, you understand the whole arc of the story and now have something to work with. It’s tempting to give up and turn to something new and shiny, but I’ve realized hitting that wall is just part of the process, and nothing to freak out about.

What is the last book you raved about and what did you love about it?
I loved Patrick Bringley’s memoir All The Beauty in the World. Patrick took a job at the Met Museum as a security guard after losing his older brother to cancer, and stayed on for ten years. The book is a beautiful meditation on life and art and will make you think and cry in all the best of ways. It’s also a fascinating look at what goes on behind the scenes at a huge museum like the Met.

What can you tell us about your work-in-progress?