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Publishing at any age: 'You don't have your driver's license, but you've got your writer's license'

Hannah Hoffmeister published her first book at age 13. Lew Trigg published his first after retirement. What can we learn from their two publishing tales?
Kelly Moffitt | St. Louis Public Radio
Hannah Hoffmeister published her first book at age 13. Lew Trigg published his first after retirement. What can we learn from their two publishing tales?

We hear from a lot of authors on St. Louis on the Air and many of them have unique stories of how they first got published. On Thursday, we heard from two more local authors, each of whom comes from a different publishing perspective than the norm. One was published as early as age 13. The other started writing after retirement.

Hannah Hoffmeister is a St. Louis resident who published “The Dream Ring” series starting at age 13. The fantasy series include five novels set on the planet of Neptune.  Hoffmeister, now 19, recently finished her first year at the University of Missouri studying journalism and is working on a sixth book, unrelated to her first series.

“When I talk to kids in school, I tell them all the time: ‘you don’t have your driver’s license, but you’ve got your writer’s license,’” Hoffmeister said of her early start in publishing.

Lew Trigg is an Alton Resident who recently published “Gifts of the Sea,” after he turned to writing in retirement. The novel focuses on the travails of the recently-retired Gio Valducci as he gets swept up into a cartel dealing in ambergris.

“I always use a journal and I think it is great because I can look back five years ago and see things that might be good enough material to put in a book,” Trigg said. “I would encourage people to do the act of writing, make it a part of your life.”

Listen as Trigg and Hoffmeister discuss their process of writing and getting published:

Two authors who first published novels at ages on opposite ends of the spectrum discuss their approach to writing and publishing with St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh.

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary EdwardsAlex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region. 

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Online producer for St. Louis Public Radio's talk shows St. Louis on the Air and Cityscape.