Watch Video

In this episode of the Angle on Writing Podcast, host Lisa Angle talks with multi-genre author Max Talley about writing across genres, developing discipline through short stories, and building resilience in the face of rejection.

Max Talley comes from a publishing family—his father worked as a publisher for more than 50 years with major houses including Signet, Penguin, Dutton, and St. Martin’s Press. Despite this background, Max initially rebelled against publishing and pursued music and art before eventually returning to his love of storytelling.

The conversation explores Max’s winding path to becoming a published author, the lessons he learned along the way, and practical advice for writers trying to break into today’s competitive literary landscape.

Max also shares insights from his experience submitting hundreds of stories to literary journals and explains why endurance may be the most important skill a writer develops.

📚 Key Takeaways for Writers

Write regularly to improve your craft

Max committed to writing one story per month for nearly a decade, which resulted in more than 70 published stories.

Experiment with different genres

Short stories allow writers to explore styles like science fiction, crime, historical fiction, and literary fiction without committing to a full novel.

Expect rejection

Max estimates he has received more than 2,000 rejections during his writing career.

Rejections aren’t a final judgment—they often mean your work simply hasn’t found the right editor yet.

Hook readers immediately

Editors and journal readers often decide whether to continue reading within the first page or three pages of a manuscript.

Your opening must establish:

conflict
tension
character motivation

Always have another project ready

When pitching editors or agents, don’t rely on a single book idea. Have multiple concepts or partial manuscripts ready to share.

About Max Talley

Max Talley is a fiction writer whose work spans crime, literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction. His short stories and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.

A longtime participant in the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, Max also teaches workshops and helps writers refine their manuscripts—particularly focusing on the importance of strong opening pages.

Learn more about Max Talley:
🌐 https://maxtalley.com/