Jill here. I love reading books about the lives of writers. While every author’s journey is different, we can learn much from those who have gone before us. I recently read a biography on the life of Louisa May Alcott that focused on her time working as a nurse during the Civil War.

What a fascinating woman, Louisa was!

You’ve likely heard people say, “Write what you know.” In my career so far, I’ve done both in certain degrees, though I always find in every story something that needs to be researched and learned. Nowhere have I seen the concept of “write what you know” so well put to good use as when I consider the novel Little Women alongside the life of Louisa May Alcott as presented in the biography Louisa on the Front Lines by Samantha Seiple. I particularly enjoyed the way this biographer referenced the moments in Louisa’s life that she would later use for inspiration when writing Little Women.

Louisa, who had been published with a book (at 16!) and many short stories (most under a male pen name), did not see much overall success with her writings until after she served as a nurse during the Civil War. Her parents shared the letters she wrote home, going so far as to read them aloud at gatherings. The newspaper asked to republish them, and eventually the popularity of her Hospital Sketches was so great they were published as a book (under her real name) and brought many people joy during that hard time. Hospital Sketches launched her career and started relationships with publishers that eventually led to the publication of Little Women. Here is what Louisa had to say about her sudden success:

“If ever there was an astonished young woman it is myself, for things have gone on so swimmingly of late I don’t know who I am. A year ago I had no publisher & went begging with my wares, now three have asked me for something, several papers are ready to print my contributions & F. B. Sanborn says, ‘any publisher this side of Baltimore would be glad to get a book.’ There is a sudden hoist for a meek & lowly scribbler who was told to ‘stick to her teaching,’ & never had a literary friend to lend a helping hand! Fifteen years of hard grubbing may be coming to something after all & I may yet ‘pay all the debts, fix the house, send May to Italy & keep the old folks cosy,’ as I’ve said I would so long yet so hopelessly.”

What is also fascinating to me was that Louisa had very little interest in writing what became Little Women. After the success of her Hospital Sketches, a publisher (who had previously rejected her) continually asked her to write a “girls’ story.” The idea bored her. It wasn’t at all sensational or engaging. After refusing several times, she eventually agreed both to ensure her father would get to publish his book (the publisher said he would publish it only if Louisa would write the girls’ story) and to pay the bills, as Louisa was supporting her family at the time. Look what Louisa had to say about the book that became her life’s work:

“Little Women was written when I was ill, & to prove that I could not write books for girls. The publisher thought it flat, so did I, & neither hoped much for or from it. We found out our mistake, & since then, though I do not enjoy writing ‘moral tales’ for the young, I do it because it pays well.”

When asked for writing advice, Louisa told one aspiring author this:

“There is no easy road to successful authorship; it has to be earned by long & patient labor, many disappointments, uncertainties & trials. Success is often a lucky accident, coming to those who may not deserve it, while others who do have to wait & hope till they have earned it. This is the best sort & the most enduring.

“I worked for twenty years poorly paid, little known, & quite without any ambition but to eke out a living, as I chose to support myself & began to do it at sixteen. This long drill was of use, & when I wrote Hospital Sketches by the beds of my soldier boys in the shape of letters home I had no idea that I was taking the first step toward what is called fame. It nearly cost my life but I discovered the secret of winning the ear & touching the heart of the public by simply telling the comic & pathetic incidents of life.”

What can we learn from Louisa’s life?

First, she lived. She knew who she was and didn’t apologize for it or try to change herself. She followed her dreams and interests, no matter what anyone said. She went running everyday for exercise and fun, something women did not do in her time. She loved people deeply. She was a strong abolitionists who fought for the rights of others, no matter who might criticize her for it. She fought to change laws. And even though it was terribly difficult, she earned a place as a nurse during the Civil War, despite so many saying hospitals were no place for women. What she learned there changed her life. Being herself, enjoying life, being willing to listen and learn, and fighting for what she felt was right gave Louisa many unique perspectives from which to write.

“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.” ~ L.M.A.

Second, she worked very hard. She wrote. All the time. Letters, journal entries, articles, poems, stories, plays… She wrote and wrote and wrote. Doing so enhanced her craft. She was never too good for a writing assignment. She took many she didn’t want because they helped pay the bills. If she had been a pickier writer, she might never have pennedLittle Women.

“Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us —and those around us — more effectively. Look for the learning.” ~ L.M.A.

Third, she was honest. She wasn’t afraid to admit she’d come from poverty. She knew what she wanted and she went for it. She had nothing to hide, and so when she did sit down to write Little Women, which was based a great deal on her life, what she saw as boring to the rest of the world was real. She bared her soul in those pages, and that is the kind of storytelling that changes the world. Anyone can learn to use the three-act structure to write an exciting story with action and romance. But only one person could have written Little Women. Louisa was humble enough to write her truth, and she found a massive audience readily craving such authenticity.

“Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth’s sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won.” ~ L.M.A.

How much do you know about Louisa May Alcott? If you would find her life interesting, I highly recommend this book Louisa on the Front Lines. I greatly enjoyed it. What piece of her advice most resonates with you?

“Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.” ~ L.M.A.

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.