The 2026 Olympics and Paralympics in Milan wrapped up a few weeks ago, which means I won’t have my emotional support athletes to make me happy cry on a daily basis. I’m not a big sports person–far from it!–but I love the Olympics. So many of the athletes are regular people in their non-Olympics lives, with non-sports jobs, and they only get this kind of media focus during the games. Largely, they’re not making a ton of money from their sport. They’re doing it because they love it and want to give it their all.
I always follow the figure skating because that’s a personal favorite, and this year was one of the best Olympics viewing experiences I can remember. It wasn’t because of the medal count or the scores. It was the people who made these Olympics meaningful.
Which brings me to today’s topic: lessons writers can learn from 2026 Winter Olympians.
You’re in Charge of Your Career
Alysa Liu was the big winner this year, but it came after a lot of struggle and stress and doubt. She’d been skating since she was five and had been extremely competitive as a young skater. She was obviously very talented and the figure skating culture around her encouraged training at the expense of rest and nourishment. She lacked control over her performances as a young skater and, even though she did extremely well in competition, she ended up burnt out and retired at 16.
When she decided to return to the ice, she knew she’d have to do things differently. She would listen to her body, including knowing how to fuel herself and how hard she needed to train and how much rest she needed as a result. She was active in putting together her own routines and embraced her unique style. All of that resulted in the most dynamic and exciting freeskate in the history of the world.
As writers, it can be easy to think there’s a ‘right’ path to success. If you only write in a buzzy genre. If you only post three new TikToks every day. If you only write even when you’re sick and you have work piled up from your day job and never complain. Success doesn’t have a ‘right’ path and if you keep trying to chase that hot genre or run yourself ragged, even if you manage to have a smash bestseller, you won’t be able to enjoy it because your heart wasn’t in it or because you’re too exhausted to care. Embrace your own Alysa Liu and a) respect your boundaries and health, and b) write the thing you feel deeply called to write, because that joy and meaning will shine through for readers.
Lift Each Other Up
The standout feeling of figure skating at the 2026 Olympics didn’t have to do with “quad god” Ilia Malinin or Amber Glenn’s triple axels. Instead, it had to with the skaters themselves and how they approached the spirit of competition. it had to do with the supportive and joyful vibes that the skaters were bringing to the competition. They were all working hard and doing their best to win a gold medal, but they also saw each other as people, not just competitors.
From Amber Glenn blocking cameras so competitor Kaori Sakamoto could have a private, tearful moment to Ilia Malinin congratulating gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov on his win after Malinin had an extremely tough program to Alysa Liu jumping up and down in joy with bronze medalist Ami Nakai to everyone surrounding Max Naumov with love after the loss of his parents, the energy in skating was all about how skaters can do their best individually and still support one another.
Whether you’re skating or writing, it’s very easy to get jealous of others’ success or think that you succeed alone. In a recent New York Times article about AI-generated romance novels, the generator was quoted as saying “‘If I can generate a book in a day, and you need six months to write a book, who’s going to win the race?'” Except writing isn’t a race. Someone else’s successful book doesn’t negate your book. Readers are going to want to read more than one book–likely, more than one kind of book. And if you’re approaching other authors like they’re just the competition, you’re missing out on a) seriously awesome friendships, b) connecting with other people who really get it, and c) having a valuable support system in this very difficult business of publishing. The authors who show up for other authors are my favorite.
Be Proud of the Medals You Get
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu became the most decorated female freeskier in Olympcis history when she won two new silver medals in Milan. After her win, a reporter asked whether she considered her new medals “two silvers gained or two golds lost.” Gu’s response was perfect:
“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself… Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder, because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right? So, the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think, is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before, and so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”
I love the part about ‘everybody else’s expectations rise. In writing, it’s so easy to keep moving the bar for yourself. First you just want to finish a draft. Then revise it enough to feel confident querying. Then get an agent. Then get a book deal. Then a starred review. Then another book. Then a movie option. And on and on and on. It’s even harder when your professional circle is other writers–it’s easy to think that everyone writes a book or gets an agent or a book deal. But whether you have a bestselling book with a blockbuster movie or you just finished your first draft, you get to be proud of yourself. You achieved a big goal, one that most people don’t get to achieve. They all don’t have to be silver medals. You can enjoy every medal you get.
What I’ve Been Reading
I recently finished Wolf Hall, which I picked up after watching the phenomenal miniseries on Masterpiece. The miniseries takes so much from the book and builds on the characters and situations even more, which was super satisfying.
I also finally got around to A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which was a delight. I love T. Kingfisher’s books and this was the perfect blend of magic and sweetness.
Thoughts about your favorite Olympics moments? Other recent reads you’ve enjoyed? Share them in the comments!
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
Good Enough by Paula Yoo
The Light Fantastic and Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs
Wildlife by Fiona Wood
Confession: I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the bookstore before it was a full-blown thing. I picked it up and it sounded interesting, but I only had enough money for one new book that day and had already decided to spend my money on something else. I didn’t read the series until my mom picked up a copy at the airport and binged the first three books over a weekend. She passed them onto me, I binged them over a weekend, and things have never been the same since. It’s certainly not a perfect series, but I love its approach to doing what’s right and how often the lines between right and wrong are blurred. If you’re still into the Harry Potter hype, make sure to check out 
For years, I wondered how Jellicoe Road won the Printz medal in such a strong year. It couldn’t be that good, could it? Um, guys–it’s EVEN BETTER. It’s possibly my favorite YA novel or novel in general. It’s a beautifully crafted book about family, loss, love, friendship, pain, stories, and more. It’s also got all the things I love–boarding schools, family secrets, enemies who become friends, deep trauma, ultimate hope. So. Friggin’. Good.
Things I’m not great at reading–series and sci-fi. With series, I tend to read one and then not read the second until way later. Even if I loved the first, it generally takes me forever to circle back around. And my tastes run more toward contemp than sf/f, so the sci-fi books I read tend to be even further in between. I’d heard good things about The Lunar Chronicles, but figured they wouldn’t be quite my bag. I finally read Cinder and really dug it. By the time I read Scarlet, I was hooked. I immediately put in requests for the rest of the series from the library and tore through these fairy-tale-inspired space adventures. Super fun and super recommended.
Another example in which I read the first book and ended up devouring the whole series. I expected a fluffy but maybe not engaging book when I read the first one, but man, I just fell in love with Lara Jean and the supporting cast. The plot is fun and high-concept (Lara Jean’s secret love letters to boys she’s crushed on accidentally get sent), but what sticks with me is this very real world of people and their very real relationships. Lara Jean’s family live is just as engaging and present as her life at school and with her friends. I loved seeing Lara Jean come out of her shell, confront some fears, and ultimately make her way into the world. I would full-on read two whole series about Lara Jean’s sisters. Please make this happen, Jenny Han.
Much like with Jellicoe Road, I put off reading Code Name Verity for a while because of the hype. I was worried that the high expectations would make me not as into the book, which generally seemed up my alley (literary historical YA fiction about two female friends). When I finally read it, I stayed up late to finish it and then, the next morning, demanded that my husband read it immediately or I’d have to tell him everything that happened because I had too many feelings. I followed up shortly after with Rose Under Fire, which is not exactly a sequel (it’s mostly about different characters) but in a related universe, and is just as powerful and well-written.
At least I read this one before it won the Printz, so maybe I’m getting better about actually reading books that have hype and that sounds like books I’ll really enjoy. This one was right up my alley–family secrets, first year of college, coming out, falling in love, found families–and it fully delivered. I finished it on an airplane and immediately wanted to make everyone else on the plane read it, too. Odd note: I bought this at the same time as I bought To All the Boys I Loved Before, after I got a flat tire and felt like I deserved a reward for not falling apart about it.
I read this before I saw the movie, which already looked awesome. Fortunately, the book is just as good if not better. I know. It’s a big claim, but guys this book is so good. Shetterly sheds light on a piece of lesser-known history and shares the stories of black women who made space travel possible. When I finished the book, I immediately went to Goodreads to look up everyone who (correctly) gave it five stars and then got irrationally mad at any review that was less than five stars. It’s the top nonfiction book I recommend to people, because it’s so powerful and uplifting and well-written, and it should be required reading for everyone in America.
Remember when I said I don’t do a lot of series or sf/f? Double that for books by straight white guys. (I figure it’s more worth my time to read underrepresented voices in a literary sphere that is still very guy-heavy in a lot of ways.) I’d heard good things about Pratchett’s expansive Discworld series, but it felt too large to dive into, and besides, did I want to read another straight white dude’s fantasy series? But a trusted librarian friends insisted that the series was worthwhile, and that I should actually start in the ‘middle,’ with the Tiffany Aching books, which are about a young girl who becomes a witch. I ended up listening to all of the Tiffany audiobooks as I trained for my second marathon, and I legit looked forward to long runs so I could spend time in Tiffany’s world. Since then, I’ve started listening to some of the early Discworld books (specifically, the Witch ones), and still love them. Terry Pratchett, I’m sorry I ever doubted you.
I’d heard Grace Lin speak years ago at an NESCBWI conference, where she was fantastic, and had friends refer to her books as the best ever, but it still took me a while to finally read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. I don’t even have a reason for why it took me so long! But man, did I fall in love with this beautiful book about family and stories and sacrifice and courage and friendship. Grace Lin is one of the top middle grade and picture book authors working today, and this book knocks it out of the park.
Much like Code Name Verity, this was a historical YA novel that I expected would be up my alley, which made me worried that the reading experience wouldn’t hold up. Instead, I was struck by a powerful book that made me feel like my emotions had been dug out with an ice cream scoop–which to me means it’s a great book. Also like Wein’s books, this one is not an easy read, but it’s a stunning look at a little-known part of history with a cast of heartbreaking characters and a true gut-punch of an ending.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking