{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Author! Author!: Dann McDorman","description":"Have you ever dreamed of becoming a successful writer, but wondered if the moment had already passed? This week, in our \u201cAuthor! Author!\u201d series, we\u2019re sharing stories from people who answered that question by simply starting - often much later, and after building careers elsewhere. These conversations show how the path to authorship isn\u2019t something you find so much as something you clear, step by step, by leaning into the life you\u2019ve already lived. Together, these episodes capture the heart of Second Act Stories: the idea that reinvention doesn\u2019t have an expiration date, and that sometimes the most meaningful work begins after you\u2019ve already lived a few chapters. Dann McDorman always dreamed of writing and publishing a novel. After graduating from Columbia University, he spent a decade pursuing that dream with little impact. \u201cNot only was I never published, I never heard back from a single publisher. I had zero success.\u201d As he hit his 30s, he found his way to a career in broadcast journalism initially working for Fox News but then climbing the ladder as a producer at MSNBC. Starting a family, his dream of being an author was put on the back burner. Today,  Dann is the Executive Producer of \u201cThe Beat With Ari Melber\u201d that airs weeknights from 6:00-7:00 pm. During the Covid-19 Pandemic and without a daily commute to the MSNBC Studios, Dann had some extra time on his hands. He started thinking about writing again. With his wife\u2019s encouragement, he wrote a full length mystery novel called West Heart Kill. And at the age of 47, his book was published by Knopf Publishing. Dann\u2019s advice to aspiring authors and second act pursuers: \u201cDon\u2019t give up\u2026Stick with it and don\u2019t think it\u2019s too late to be successful.\u201d ******* If you enjoy Second Act Stories, please leave us a review here. We may read your review on a future episode! Subscribe to the Second Act stories Substack. Check out the Second Act Stories YouTube channel. Follow Second Act Stories on social media: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Second Act Stories theme music: \u201cBetween 1 and 3 am\u201d by Echoes. ","author_name":"Second Act Stories","author_url":"http:\/\/www.secondactstories.org","html":"