I was so unsure of my writing skills and my ability to do something so daunting as to write a book. Wanda: That’s true! I didn’t tell anyone I was writing a book. How did you manage to get anything written without anyone noticing? Sharon: It’s hard enough for any writer to find time to write, but I’ve heard you didn’t tell your family you were writing a book until pretty late in the process. Knowing what we know about Ellice Littlejohn, I think that title works! We bantered about a lot of titles and finally landed on All Her Little Secrets. It wouldn’t signal to the reader what they might find behind the cover of the book. After my editor and I completed revisions, she told me, “Now it’s time to discuss the title.” My publisher didn’t think it was “thriller-y” enough. This proverb survived as the epigraph for the book. It was based on an African proverb which states, “When elephants fight, the only thing that suffers is the grass.” It means when people with power and means argue and disagree, the people with fewer resources are the ones who actually lose. Wanda: The original title of the book was The Elephant Fighter. Can you tell us about why you chose it, and how it ended up being changed?

Sharon: All Her Little Secrets had a working title back then that I loved. But it’s the critical eye and supportive shoulder of other writers who understand what it’s like to get a rejection or to get accolades and provide support on both fronts. Family will always love your writing because they love you. I think it’s so important that a writer have a support system in the writing community. The most valuable thing I gained from the Yale Writer’s Workshop was confidence and I have you and everyone else in our class to thank for that! It was because you all gave me such constructive and positive feedback that I felt confident enough to push through my writing fears. What was the most valuable thing you learned there?

It was clear even then that you were destined for success. Sharon: We first met at the Yale Writer’s Workshop back in 2017. Thrilling is too tame a word for this powerful novel. Two sisters on the run, pursued by a man with unknown motives. Then read her new book- the one Lou Berney calls “an absolute stunner.”Īnywhere You Run is set in 1964 against the backdrop of the struggle for voting rights and equal justice under the law. You can read the interview below for more insight into her path to writing success. Morris has a new book coming out on October 25.

Wanda m morris books in order