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Maggie Mertens

Maggie Mertens

Seattle, WA
Maggie Mertens is the author of Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women. She's been writing about gender, sports, culture, and many other things as an independent magazine journalist for more than a decade.
Nov 04
Four white robots with blue accents sit at blue laptops.

Teaching the Next Generation of Writers in the Age of AI

A roundtable interview with writing professors in the thick of it.
19 min read
Oct 07
The Scratch Interview #9: Kristen Millares Young on Insisting on Your Own Writing

The Scratch Interview #9: Kristen Millares Young on Insisting on Your Own Writing

"People look at me, at my journalism career, and they're like, ‘Oh, it looks great.’ Brand names. Laws passed. And I'm like, ‘But where's the pay?’"
24 min read
Sep 30
A row of mailboxes in rainbow colors, behind a banner reading The Scratch Mailbag.

Scratch Reader Mailbag: What Does a Literary Scout Do?

We’re bringing you craft book recommendations and the basics of lit scouting.
5 min read
Sep 23
Landscape photo thick with lush green trees in the foreground and gentle sloping mountains in the background. There are a couple of low-hanging clouds toward the right.

How Three Writers Are Coping With the World Right Now

A September roundup of books, articles, and photos.
9 min read
Aug 19
Photo of an author signing with Robert and Ina Caro on one side of the table and fans photographing Robert signing a book on the other. In the foreground, two women lean in close to talk.

I Want a Literary Wife

But the economy won't support it.
8 min read
Jul 15
Two small children lay next to a woman on a beach towel.

How Much Work Will I Do On My Summer Vacation?

And is it wrong if I kind of enjoy it?
6 min read
Jun 17
A collage of images, featuring a headshot of a smiling white woman with brown hair in the center, surrounded by screenshots of headlines from articles she's written.

The Scratch Interview #6: Lydia Kiesling on Fiction and Finances

"I've found I'm not making big progress on fiction unless I go away from my house and say, ‘I am now going into isolation.'"
19 min read
May 27
F stand in front of a mural of a fox and bird in purples, pinks and blues.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 Triggered Our Media Trauma

Spoiler: Mackenzie Scott is not saving our magazine careers
19 min read
May 13
green and white and black tiles on a subway station wall, in the middle a yellow arch pattern with a white background and WAY OUT with a black arrow.

The Scratch Interview #3: Why Can’t Writers Seem to Quit Substack? (Roundtable)

And why haven’t I done it yet?
22 min read
Apr 21
Photo of a bunch of old flip phones spilling out of a yellow NiKON bag. Beside it is a well-loved black rotary telephone.

Smartphones, Dumbphones, and Delusions of Platform-Building

“I don’t actually need my smartphone to write, but do I need it in order to be seen as a writer?”
13 min read
Mar 17
A bumper sticker that reads "EAT THE RICH! (EXCEPT ME IF I GET RICH)"

The Scratch Interview #1: An Anonymous Author and Tax Preparer Answers Our Questions

On self-employment, taxes, and shame.
20 min read