Meet Douglas Weissman | Travel Writer & Novelist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Douglas Weissman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Douglas, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I show up.

I have worked from home since 2014 and have built a structure upended by being a parent, the pandemic, my wife working from home, unexpected circumstances, but understanding I can come back to an email or a writing project when my daughter wants to play or wants a snack or asks a question has helped me show up.

The big thing going around the internet right now is the cliched but true quote: “20 years from now, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I never tried to be the best but I tried to be the most consistent; that has paid off.

Getting into travel writing was hard; getting published as a novelist was harder. There are plenty of gatekeepers and even now, having won contests and awards as a writer, I still do get rejected by publishers, agents, magazines, etc. But I consistently create new work and consistently pitch material.

I went to grad school for an MFA in Creative Writing. I was surrounded by better betters. The program was inundated with writers who slayed at voice, who had incredibly commercial material, who could take a failed idea from someone else one week of workshop and the next week spin it into gold. I was awed by them; I was also inspired by them. The difference between myself and them—beyond the fact I never felt I was in the same league as a writer—I kept writing after the program ended. I kept working on my craft, I kept revising my novel, I kept querying agents, I kept looking into ways to get my work published. I got better and I got stronger. I leaned into my strengths and focused on strengthening my weaknesses more. I still rely heavily on voice and character because that’s what I know how to do best but it comes about in different ways depending on the focus of a piece (fiction vs. travel).

I think of the Johny Cash film Walk the Line when Reese Witherspoon as June Carter says, “You wear black ’cause you can’t find anything else to wear? You found your sound ’cause you can’t play no better? You just tried to kiss me because ‘it just happened?’ You should try take credit for something every once in a while, John.”

Some of the things that I do and I love, I fell into in a way that feels effortless but that was after a lot of work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always feel so out of sorts when trying to explain the place I live as a fun destination to visit, even though Los Angeles is a great place to explore and I’ve lived in and around the area on and off my entire life. Without being too prescriptive, I would give more touchpoint to visit or places to eat rather than an entire itinerary but I’d definitely have a lot of ideas on where they could have some fun, mostly out of the way of the expected:

Hit places like the Grand Central Market and The Last Bookstore

Explore South Pasadena and visit Vroman’s Bookstore.

Head up to San Buenaventura State Beach for the best sand, clean water, and fun environment away from the crazy crowds and dirty beaches of Venice and Santa Monica.

Hit the Grove or the Americana because they are places to see and be seen. Hike Topanga Stat Park.

Eat at:
Cacao in Eagle Rock
Brents in Northridge
Carraras in Moorpark
Cork Dork in Thousand Oaks
Republic of Pie in North Hollywood
The Magic Castle in Hollywood

Take time to visit the Getty Villa and sit in a cafe in the Pacific Palisades.

My problem is I try to think the way others do but end up falling back on the things I love to do, which is generally eat pastries, read books, and hike.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people who deserve credit for helping me get to where I am, either because they cleared the path for me to follow, directed me along the way, or helped support me during the journey.

My wife, Lisa, has always been a huge encouragement, especially in those moments I felt less than successful, those moments where I received another rejection or couldn’t find a way forward.

My parents, Don and Bonnie, were also incredibly encouraging with the choices I made believing it would workout, whether when choosing to study abroad, choosing to travel the world for a year, choosing graduate school, or choosing to become a travel writer and novelist. They never once forced me to reevaluate and always offered advice that opened doors rather than shut them. They were also instrumental in showing me there was a much wider world to see and experience.

My grandparents, Dick, Bunny, Esther, and Herbie always told incredible stories, whether about their lives, their work experience, or the lives of their parents. These were the stories I first heard and connected with, that made we want to shape, craft, and share stories.

Steve Yu, Martin Pousson, and Marci-Beth Maple have all been teachers in their own way. Steve Yu was my first boss as I learned the ropes of travel writing and has continued to be a great source of insight and practical knowledge for nearly 10 years. Martin Pousson was one of my first writing instructors in undergrad and was the first professional writer who made me feel my perspective and writing style could become something bigger. Marci-Beth Maple works in the marketing department of the same travel company I’ve worked with for a decade and finds new ways to inspire me, help me grow, and help me balance life and work.

Website: https://www.douglasweissman.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/douglasweissman/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-weissman/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/douglas.weissman/

Image Credits
Douglas Weissman Douglas Weissman Douglas Weissman Douglas Weissman