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The Man Behind the Myth of Ernest Hemingway

June 07, 2021 | 2 min read

This is the third installment of Freewrite's Ernest Hemingway series, as we're celebrating the upcoming launch of Hemingwrite. Read our first post, "How to Write Like Hemingway - 12 Pieces of Writing Wisdom," and our second, "Hemingway's Writing Routine.")

 

Even during his lifetime, society regarded Ernest Hemingway as a larger-than-life writer. He felt immense pressure to live up to his exalted image, but for all his fame and brilliance, Hemingway was still, ultimately, a man.

Earlier this year, famous documentarians Ken Burns and Lynn Novick produced an in-depth, three-part film examining Hemingway’s life and legacy. Burns and Novick interview special guests, including plenty of Hemingway historians, and contextualize excerpts from his iconic novels, short stories, and non-fiction.

The series follows three chapters of Hemingway’s life:

 

1. A Writer (1899-1929)

Hemingway’s time as a Red Cross volunteer in World War I is well known, but this section also brings to light lesser-known aspects of Hemingway’s early life. He had a turbulent relationship with his parents, especially his mother. She dressed him and his sister in the same clothing and grew Hemingway’s hair long so the two could appear as twins—an experience that likely inspired Hemingway’s later fascination with androgyny.

His mother also forced him to play the cello, and later in life Hemingway admitted that the music lessons contributed to his writing style.

This section peeks into other influences on his writing, such as his stint in journalism and interaction with the Lost Generation writers in Paris. Even at a young age, Hemingway was challenging the popular unspoken “rules” of writing.

 

 2. The Avatar (1929-1944)

 At this point, Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley, had left him, the first in a string of failed romantic relationships. He married his second wife, Pauline, but the same pattern arose—he became restless—and he began an affair with Martha Gellhorn as he reported on the Spanish Civil War.

In this stage, Hemingway had achieved fame on a level rare for any writer of this time. His most famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls,sold half a million copies within nine months and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

 

 3. The Blank Page (1944-1961)

This era of Hemingway’s life is marked by tragedies. After meeting and becoming infatuated with Mary Welsh, he suffered a concussion from a car accident, just one in a series of traumatic head injuries that would never leave his mind the same. He divorced Martha Gellhorn and married Mary, and the Hemingway family proceeded to suffer a string of accidents and health problems.

Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Seain eight weeks and won the Pulitzer Prize. Two years (and two nearly fatal plane crashes) later, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

 

Explore Hemingway’s complex life through Burns’ and Novick’s documentary—the total runtime is six hours, so definitely watch part by part—and come out of the experience with a nuanced understanding of the Hemingway legend.

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The Hemingwrite, our new signature edition Freewrite, launches soon with a couple surprises. Sign up for the waitlist.

July 08, 2025 3 min read

How does a USA Today bestselling author use Freewrite? Chelsea Conradt takes us inside her writing process.

June 19, 2025 4 min read

What's a romance author to do when a global pandemic hits?

For Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, the answer was to start writing horror.

Carolina was writing romance when she first signed with her literary agent six years ago. But, Carolina explains, when the pandemic hit, she pivoted to horror.

"There was something about being isolated at home, living through the literal nightmare that COVID-19 was, that made me want to dive into a haunted house book," she explains. And it's a good thing she did.

That horror novel, Bochica, sold to Simon & Schuster at auction. (Trust us, it's a big deal.)

In fact, switching genres changed her life in more ways than one. "Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods," Carolina says, "so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

Read on to learn how this Freewriter uses her four-year-old Freewrite Traveler to draft.

ANNIE COSBY: What does your writing process look like?

CAROLINA FLÓREZ-CERCHIARO: My writing process varies depending on the project, but generally, I start with some brainstorming before drafting. I’m not a heavy outliner, but I do make a rough roadmap — usually marking where the character starts, the midpoint, and a general idea of the ending.

It’s often just a list of bullet points to give me some structure. I don’t always know how I’ll get from point A to point B, and the outline changes as I go. I usually re-outline after drafting to make better sense of the story. I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it.

It’s really important for me to get the words on the page, even if they’re messy. You can’t edit a blank page, and revising is actually my favorite part of the process. So I focus on finishing that first draft so I can dig into the part I enjoy most.

For projects like Bochica where the historical backdrop is essential, I research before drafting, and continue to do so while writing and revising.

"I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it."

AC: How long did it take you to write Bochica?

CFC: The first draft took me about three months to write, and I revised it for another six to eight months with my agent before we sold it to my editor.

AC: That's really fast! How did Freewrite factor into your writing process?

CFC: My Freewrite Traveler is an essential part of my writing process, for every project I work on. It helps me get the juices flowing when I’m stuck, but it also helps me get those words on the page faster. I call it my little magical device!

I not only use it when I draft, but also when I’m revising, and I need to rewrite or add new passages, chapters, or scenes. I use it ALL the time.

"I call [Traveler] my little magical device!"

AC: Why do you prefer to draft on a Freewrite?

CFC: There’s a literal freedom that I get from using it as I’m drafting, similar to when I write by hand, but way more convenient. It’s quick, it keeps me off the internet, and I can easily upload it to my computer!

AC: Let's dig into your publishing journey. How did Bochica get published?

CFC: Bochica isn’t the first book I ever wrote, and it’s also not the book that got me my agent. I was actually writing romance when I signed with my literary agent almost six years ago, and when the pandemic hit, I decided to pivot into writing horror which had always been my favorite genre to read.

When the book was ready for editors, my agent sent it out, and I got an initial offer within days, then we got more offers, and the book ended up selling at auction to Simon and Schuster.

"Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods, so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

AC: How has the publishing process been so far?

CFC: It’s been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second.

To sum it up in one word: WILD.

I’m lucky to have an amazing team behind me, both with my literary agent, and with my publishing team at Atria/Primero Sueño Press, to help me navigate this road, to get through the good, and the bad.

"[Publishing] has been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second."

AC: And before we sign off, what is Bochica about?

CFC: After her father is accused of murder, a young woman returns to her haunted childhood home — turned luxury hotel — and is forced to face the sinister shadows of her past, and unearth the truth of her mother’s mysterious death.

Think Mexican Gothic meets The Shining.

AC: Wow. I'm in!

If Bochica sounds like a wild ride to you, too, check it out here

June 10, 2025 12 min read

Discover the best tenkeyless mechanical keyboards for 2025. Compact, durable, and perfect for any setup - check out our top picks for gaming and productivity.